Hyperoxia has been shown to expand the aerobic capacity of some fishes, although there have been very few studies examining the underlying mechanisms and how they vary across different exposure durations. Here, we investigated the cardiorespiratory function of yellowtail kingfish () acutely (~20 h) and chronically (3-5 weeks) acclimated to hyperoxia (~200% air saturation). Our results show that the aerobic performance of kingfish is limited in normoxia and increases with environmental hyperoxia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAm J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol
June 2024
Salmonid fish include some of the most valued cultured fish species worldwide. Unlike most other fish, the hearts of salmonids, including Atlantic salmon and rainbow trout, have a well-developed coronary circulation. Consequently, their hearts' reliance on oxygenation through coronary arteries leaves them prone to coronary lesions, believed to precipitate myocardial ischemia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSalmonid ventricles are composed of spongy and compact myocardium, the latter being perfused via a coronary circulation. Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) acclimated to sea water have higher proportions of compact myocardium and display stroke volume-mediated elevations in resting cardiac output relative to freshwater-acclimated trout, probably to meet the higher metabolic needs of osmoregulatory functions. Here, we tested the hypothesis that cardiorespiratory performance of rainbow trout in sea water is more dependent on coronary perfusion by assessing the effects of coronary ligation on cardiorespiratory function in resting and exhaustively exercised trout acclimated to fresh water or sea water.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAm J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol
May 2022
Catabolic conditions often induce concomitant changes in plasma leptin (Lep), growth hormone (GH), and insulin growth factor I (IGF-I) levels in teleost fish, but it is unclear whether these parts of the endocrine system are responding independently or functionally linked. In this study, fasted rainbow trout was used to study the effects of Lep on the GH-IGF-I system and metabolism. Fish were implanted intraperitoneally with recombinant rainbow trout Lep pellets and remained unfed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWhen in seawater, rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) drink to avoid dehydration and display stroke volume (SV) mediated elevations in cardiac output (CO) and an increased proportion of CO is diverted to the gastrointestinal tract as compared to when in freshwater. These cardiovascular alterations are associated with distinct reductions in systemic and gastrointestinal vascular resistance (R and R, respectively). Although increased gastrointestinal blood flow (GBF) is likely essential for osmoregulation in seawater, the sensory functions and mechanisms driving the vascular resistance changes and other associated cardiovascular changes in euryhaline fishes remain poorly understood.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn fish, maximum O2 consumption rate (ṀO2,max) and aerobic scope can be expanded following exhaustive exercise in hyperoxia; however, the mechanisms explaining this are yet to be identified. Here, in exhaustively exercised rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), we assessed the influence of hyperoxia on ṀO2,max, aerobic scope, cardiac function and blood parameters to address this knowledge gap. Relative to normoxia, ṀO2,max was 33% higher under hyperoxia, and this drove a similar increase in aerobic scope.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTolerance to acute environmental warming in fish is partly governed by the functional capacity of the heart to increase systemic oxygen delivery at high temperatures. However, cardiac function typically deteriorates at high temperatures, due to declining heart rate and an impaired capacity to maintain or increase cardiac stroke volume, which in turn has been attributed to a deterioration of the electrical conductivity of cardiac tissues and/or an impaired cardiac oxygen supply. While autonomic regulation of the heart may benefit cardiac function during warming by improving myocardial oxygenation, contractility and conductivity, the role of these processes for determining whole animal thermal tolerance is not clear.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFApproximately half of all fishes have, in addition to the luminal venous O2 supply, a coronary circulation supplying the heart with fully oxygenated blood. Yet, it is not fully understood how coronary O2 delivery affects tolerance to environmental extremes such as warming and hypoxia. Hypoxia reduces arterial oxygenation, while warming increases overall tissue O2 demand.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAquatic hypoxia will become increasingly prevalent in the future as a result of eutrophication combined with climate warming. While short-term warming typically constrains fish hypoxia tolerance, many fishes cope with warming by adjusting physiological traits through thermal acclimation. Yet, little is known about how such adjustments affect tolerance to hypoxia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFew studies have addressed how reduced water salinity affects cardiovascular and metabolic function in marine euryhaline fishes, despite its relevance for predicting impacts of natural salinity variations and ongoing climate change on marine fish populations. Here, shorthorn sculpin (Myoxocephalus scorpius) were subjected to different durations of reduced water salinity from 33 to 15 ppt. Routine metabolic rate decreased after short-term acclimation (4-9 days) to 15 ppt, which corresponded with similar reductions in cardiac output.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn seawater, rainbow trout () drink and absorb water through the gastrointestinal tract to compensate for water passively lost to the hyperosmotic environment. Concomitantly, they exhibit elevated cardiac output and a doubling of gastrointestinal blood flow to provide additional O to the gut and increase convective flux of absorbed ions and water. Yet, it is unknown how warming waters, which elevate tissue O demand and the rate of diffusion of ions and water across the gills (i.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGreater salinity variations resulting from ongoing climate change requires consideration in conservation management as this may impact on the performance of aquatic organisms. Euryhaline fish exhibit osmoregulatory flexibility and can exploit a wide range of salinities. In seawater (SW), they drink and absorb water in the intestine, which is associated with increased gastrointestinal blood flow.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe physiological role of leptin in fish is not fully elucidated. In the present study, the involvement of the leptin system in lipid deposition and mobilization in rainbow trout during feeding and 1, 2 and 4 weeks of fasting was investigated in two lines of rainbow trout with different muscle and visceral adiposity: a fat line (FL) with high total energy reserves, high muscle adiposity, but low visceral adiposity and a lean line (LL) with lower total energy reserves and lower muscle adiposity, but higher visceral adiposity. During 4 weeks of fasting, muscle lipids decreased by 63 % in the FL fish, while no such energy mobilization from muscle occurred in the LL fish.
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