The promotion of catecholamine release in rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri, by acute acidosis: interactions between red cell pH and haemoglobin oxygen-carrying capacity

1986 ◽  
Vol 123 (1) ◽  
pp. 145-157
Author(s):  
R. G. Boutilier ◽  
G. K. Iwama ◽  
D. J. Randall

A fall in blood pH was generated either by infusion of HCl or by reducing gill ventilation and raising blood PCO2 in rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri Richardson. The acute acidosis resulting from HCl infusion caused an increase in plasma adrenaline and noradrenaline concentrations, the adrenaline increase being proportional to the decrease in blood pH. Fish subjected to a prolonged respiratory acidosis, caused by a reduction in gill ventilation, showed no increase in catecholamines 24 h after the change in gill ventilation. We suggest that catecholamine levels increase in response to a pH decrease, but if acidotic conditions are maintained, circulating catecholamines return to low levels. There was a much smaller decrease in erythrocytic pH with a fall in plasma pH when catecholamine levels were high. This ameliorating effect of catecholamines on erythrocytic pH during a plasma acidosis maintains the oxygen-carrying capacity of the haemoglobin. If erythrocytic pH was decreased by increasing blood PCO2 in vitro, then there was a fall in haemoglobin oxygen-carrying capacity which was proportional to the reduction in pH. We conclude that catecholamines are released into the blood in proportion to the fall in blood pH but if the pH is maintained the circulating catecholamines return to their initial low levels. The elevated catecholamine concentrations in blood safeguard against any impairment of haemoglobin oxygen-carrying capacity by maintaining erythrocytic pH in the face of a plasma acidosis.

1982 ◽  
Vol 97 (1) ◽  
pp. 325-334
Author(s):  
F. M. Smith ◽  
D. R. Jones

1. Changes in ventilation volume (Vg) of rainbow trout caused by hypercapnia, hypoxia and anaemia were measured directly by collection of expired water. 2. Exposure to hypercapnic water (PCO2 range 0.5-2 kPa) increased Vg (by up to four times) by augmenting ventilatory stroke volume; breathing frequency remained constant. O2 added to the inspired water in maintained hypercapnia reduced Vg at all but the highest level of PCO2. 3. Vg increased when blood oxygen content was decreased by exposure to normoxic hypercapnia, but addition of O2 to the water increased blood oxygen content and Vg decreased. 4. When blood oxygen-carrying capacity was depressed by hypoxia or anaemia, Vg increased as it did during normoxic hypercapnia. 5. We suggest that ventilatory responses to low levels of hypercapnia, to hyperoxic hypercapnia, to hypoxia, and to anaemia in trout are related to changes in levels of blood oxygen content under these conditions.


1967 ◽  
Vol 24 (11) ◽  
pp. 2267-2281 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Anne DeWilde ◽  
A. H. Houston

The blood oxygen capacity of the rainbow trout has been investigated as a function of thermal acclimation in terms of erythrocyte abundance, packed cell volume, hemoglobin concentrations, and mean erythrocytic volume and hemoglobin content. Fish at the lower acclimation temperatures employed (3, 7 C) were characterized by relatively low erythrocyte counts, hematocrits, and hemoglobin levels. Mean erythrocyte volumes tended to be relatively high, whereas mean erythrocytic hemoglobin content was somewhat below that typical of the higher temperature groups. In general, animals held at intermediate temperatures (11, 14, 17 C) showed significant increases in oxygen-carrying capacity by comparison with cold-acclimated fish. Finally trout at 21 C typically had larger numbers of somewhat smaller red cells, more hemoglobin, and higher levels of hemoglobin per erythrocyte than either the low- or intermediate-temperature fish. Significant differences were observed between summer and fall–winter series of trout, particularly with respect to hemoglobin levels. The results are discussed in relation to the general problem of respiratory thermoadaptation.


1987 ◽  
Vol 128 (1) ◽  
pp. 235-253 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. I. Perry ◽  
M. G. Vermette

Rainbow trout were infused continuously for 24 h with epinephrine in order to elevate circulating levels of this hormone to those measured during periods of acute extracellular acidosis (approximately 5 X 10(−8) mol l-1). Concomitant effects on selected blood respiratory acid-base and ionic variables were evaluated. Infusion of epinephrine caused a transient respiratory acidosis as a result of hypoventilation and/or inhibition of red blood cell (RBC) bicarbonate dehydration. The acidosis was regulated by gradual accumulation of plasma bicarbonate. Even though whole blood pH (pHe) was depressed by 0.16 units, RBC pH (pHi) remained constant, thereby causing the transmembrane pH gradient (pHe-pHi) to decrease. A similar effect of epinephrine on RBC pH was observed in vitro, although the response required a higher concentration of epinephrine (2.0 X 10(−7) mol l-1). We speculate that the release of epinephrine during periods of depressed blood pH is important for preventing excessive shifts in RBC pH and for initiating a series of responses leading to plasma HCO3- accumulation and eventual restoration of blood acid-base status.


1989 ◽  
Vol 141 (1) ◽  
pp. 407-418 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. TANG ◽  
D. G. McDONALD ◽  
R. G. BOUTILIER

Blood acid-base regulation following exhaustive exercise was investigated in freshwater- (FW) and seawater- (SW) adapted rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) of the same genetic stock. Following exhaustive exercise at 10°C, both FW and SW trout displayed a mixed respiratory and metabolic blood acidosis. However, in FW trout the acidosis was about double that of SW trout and arterial blood pH took twice as long to correct. These SW/FW differences were related to the relative amounts of net H+ equivalent excretion to the environmental water, SW trout excreting five times as much as FW trout. The greater H+ equivalent excretion in SW trout may be secondary to changes in the gills that accompany the adaptation from FW to SW. It may also be related to the higher concentrations of HCO3− as well as other exchangeable counter-ions (Na+ and Cl−) in the external medium in SW compared to FW.


1979 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 84-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. M. Neville

Dorsal aorta blood samples were taken from cannulated rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) exposed to pH 4.0 (acid group) or pH 7.0 (controls) in normocapnic conditions at 10 °C. Over a 5-d period there was a significant gradual decrease in pH and total CO2 in the acid group but no significant difference in pO2 and lactate compared to the controls. After uncannulated rainbow trout were exposed to the same conditions for 12 d there were significant increases in hemoglobin, hematocrit, and erythrocyte levels in caudal vein samples from the acid group. The results show that rainbow trout exposed to acid without hypercapnia develop acidaemia which is not a result of anaerobic respiration. The increase in erythrocyte concentration probably offsets the effects of acidaemia upon blood oxygen carrying capacity. Differences in ambient pCO2 and/or species differences could account for varying acid-base values in acid exposed fish reported by different workers. Key words: environmental acidification, acidaemia, lactate, pH, total carbonate, fish


1979 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 621-629 ◽  
Author(s):  
Betty A. Hillaby ◽  
David J. Randall

Acute ammonia toxicity in rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) was studied by intraarterial injection of NH4Cl and NH4HCO3. Hydrogen ion and total ammonia concentrations were measured in blood sampled from the dorsal aorta both before and after injection. Although injection of NH4HCO3 increased arterial blood pH, and injection of NH4Cl decreased arterial blood pH, the same dose of each was required to kill fish. While the un-ionized form of ammonia in water has been shown to be toxic, in the blood either the ionized form or the total ammonia load is toxic to fish. Ammonia levels were measured in pre- and postbranchial blood. Mean values were not significantly different, but paired values indicated a fall in blood ammonia due to excretion across the gills. There appears to be a more rapid excretion of ammonia following NH4HCO3 infusions, which result in higher un-ionized ammonia levels in blood compared with those following NH4Cl infusions. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that ammonia is excreted in the un-ionized form. Key words: un-ionized ammonia, ionized ammonia, gills, pH, blood


1968 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph B. Hunn ◽  
Richard A. Schoettger ◽  
Wayne A. Willford

Rainbow trout: (Salmo gairdneri) anesthetized in 100 mg/liter of M.S. 222 at 12 C excreted the drug in free and acetylated forms via the urine during a 24-hr recovery period in freshwater. Of the M.S. 222 excreted, 77–96% was acetylated. Blood levels of free drug in anesthetized trout approximated 75% of the anesthetic concentration, but the amount of acetylated M.S. 222 was relatively insignificant. The blood and urine were cleared of the two fractions of M.S. 222 in 8 and 24 hr respectively. Low levels of aromatic amines of natural origin occurred in blood and urine and were subtracted from measurements of M.S. 222. Intraperitoneal injections of 10–100 mg/kg of M.S. 222 did not induce anesthesia; however, the 24-hr pattern of drug excretion was similar to that observed after anesthesia by immersion. Only 15–21% of the injected dose was found in the urine, suggesting a second route of drug elimination.


1986 ◽  
Vol 125 (1) ◽  
pp. 347-359 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. P. Farrell ◽  
C. L. Milligan

Myocardial intracellular pH was measured in a perfused rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri, with DMO (5,5-dimethyl-2,4-oxazlidinedione), to test the hypothesis that catecholamines promote active regulation of myocardial pH in order to protect contractility during a respiratory acidosis comparable to that observed after exercise. Under control conditions (extracellular pH = 8.0; PCO2 = 2 Torr), myocardial pH was 7.53 +/− 0.01 (N = 5). Acidosis (extracellular pH = 7.45; PCO2 = 8.6 Torr) reduced contractility, mechanical efficiency and intracellular pH (7.25 +/− 0.04), but did not affect myocardial O2 consumption. The addition of 0.5 mumol l-1 adrenaline during extracellular acidosis prevented the loss of contractility, restored mechanical efficiency, but did not change intracellular pH significantly. Thus, adrenaline enabled cardiac contractility to recover, without intracellular pH regulation, possibly by modulation of sarcolemmal calcium changes. The absence of a myocardial acidosis after exercise in vivo is discussed with respect to possible intracellular pH regulation via lactate uptake and metabolism.


1997 ◽  
Vol 200 (21) ◽  
pp. 2675-2683
Author(s):  
S Kakizawa ◽  
A Ishimatsu ◽  
T Takeda ◽  
T Kaneko ◽  
T Hirano

Somatolactin is a putative pituitary hormone of the growth hormone/prolactin family in fish. Its function is still unknown. The effects of environmental hypercapnia and hypoxia, acid (HCl) infusion and exhaustive exercise on plasma somatolactin levels were examined in the chronically cannulated rainbow trout to study the possible physiological roles of somatolactin. Respiratory acidosis induced by hypercapnia (2% CO2) did not affect plasma somatolactin level. In contrast, metabolic acidosis induced by acid infusion and exercise increased plasma somatolactin level. Blood pH was depressed to a similar extent by both types of acidosis, whereas plasma [HCO3-] was elevated by respiratory acidosis but reduced by metabolic acidosis. A moderate hypoxia (water PO2 9.3kPa) affected neither acid­base status nor plasma somatolactin level. A more severe hypoxia (water PO2 6.1kPa) resulted in metabolic acidosis accompanied by an apparent rise in plasma somatolactin level, although the difference in somatolactin level from the control value was not statistically significant. Somatolactin immunoneutralization retarded recovery of plasma [HCO3-] following acid infusion. These results indicate that somatolactin is involved in the retention of HCO3- during metabolic acidosis but not in the active accumulation of HCO3- for acid­base compensation of respiratory acidosis in rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss.


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