Taurine efflux counters the hydrodynamic impact of anaerobic metabolism to protect cardiorespiratory function under acute thermal stress in brook char (Salvelinus fontinalis).

Upper thermal tolerance may be limited by convective oxygen transport in fish, but the mechanisms constraining heart function remain elusive. The activation of anaerobic metabolism imposes an osmotic stress on cardiomyocytes at high temperatures that must be countered to prevent swelling and cardiac dysfunction. We tested the hypothesis that cardiac taurine efflux is required to counter the osmotic impact of anaerobic end product accumulation in brook char, Salvelinus fontinalis.