scholarly journals THE EFFECTS OF HYPOXIA, HYPEROXIA OR HYPERCAPNIA ON THE ACID-BASE DISEQUILIBRIUM IN THE ARTERIAL BLOOD OF RAINBOW TROUT

1994 ◽  
Vol 192 (1) ◽  
pp. 269-284 ◽  
Author(s):  
K Gilmour ◽  
S Perry

An extracorporeal circulation in combination with a stop­flow technique was used to characterize the acid­base disequilibrium in the arterial blood of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss during environmental hypoxia, hyperoxia or hypercapnia. Arterial blood was routed from the coeliac artery through an external circuit in which pH (pHa), partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) and partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2) were monitored continuously. The stop­flow condition was imposed by turning off the pump which drove the external loop. Water PO2 or PCO2 was adjusted to give the experimental conditions by bubbling N2, O2 or CO2 through a water equilibration column supplying the fish. During normoxia, the arterial blood exhibited a positive acid­base disequilibrium of approximately 0.04 pH units; that is, pH increased over the stop­flow period by 0.04 units. The extent of the imbalance was increased significantly by hypoxia (final PaO2=2.7­3.7 kPa; deltapH=0.05 units). In fish exposed to hyperoxia (final PaO2=47­67 kPa), the direction of the disequilibrium was reversed; pHa declined by 0.03 units. During hyperoxia, CO2 excretion was impaired by 63 % and the PCO2 of postbranchial blood was higher than that of prebranchial blood. It is therefore conceivable that a reversal of the normal, outwardly directed, diffusion gradient for CO2 accounted for the negative disequilibrium; CO2 uptake at the gills would drive plasma CO2/HCO3-/H+ reactions towards CO2 hydration and H+ formation. During hypercapnia, fish exhibited a twofold increase in the positive pH disequilibrium (deltapH=0.06 units). The results of this study confirmed the existence of an acid­base disequilibrium in the arterial blood of rainbow trout and clearly demonstrated that the extent and/or direction of the disequilibrium are influenced by the respiratory status of the fish.

1994 ◽  
Vol 197 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-63
Author(s):  
S Bindon ◽  
K Gilmour ◽  
J Fenwick ◽  
S Perry

The objectives of this study were to induce chloride cell (CC) proliferation on the gill lamellae of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss and to evaluate the consequences for respiratory function. Chronic elevation of hormone levels was used to induce CC proliferation; fish were injected with a combination of cortisol (8 mg kg-1 intramuscularly every day for 10 days) and ovine growth hormone (2 mg kg-1 intraperitoneally every second day for 10 days). The extent of CC proliferation was quantified using scanning electron microscopy and a two-dimensional analysis. An extracorporeal preparation in combination with environmental hypoxia was used to assess the effects of CC proliferation on respiratory function. Arterial blood was routed from the coeliac artery through an external circuit in which pH (pHa), partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) and partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2) were monitored continuously. Environmental hypoxia was imposed by gassing a water equilibration column supplying the experimental chamber with N2. The hormone treatment increased the average CC surface area by 2.7-fold and CC density by 2.2-fold; the combined effect was a fivefold increase in CC fractional area. While the PaO2 values of hormone-treated and control fish were similar at PwO2>12.0 kPa, the arterial O2 tensions of treated fish were significantly lower than those of the control group for PwO2¾12.0 kPa. In comparison with control fish at all environmental O2 tensions, the hormone-treated fish exhibited elevated PaCO2 values and a significant acidosis. The effects of CC proliferation on blood gas variables in hormone-treated fish were accompanied by a significantly elevated ventilation amplitude and a lowered ventilation frequency. The results of this study demonstrated (i) that impairment of respiratory gas transfer coincides with CC proliferation, (ii) that O2 and CO2 transfer are influenced differently and (iii) that partial compensation is achieved through physiological adjustments.


1992 ◽  
Vol 166 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. W. Wilson ◽  
E. W. Taylor

Transbranchial ammonia gradients and blood acid-base status have been examined in rainbow trout acclimated to fresh water (FW), 33% sea water (33% SW) and sea water (SW) and exposed to 1.0 mmol l-1 total ammonia (TAmm) at pH 7.9 for 24 h. At all three salinities trout maintained large negative (inwardly directed) NH3 and NH4+ gradients throughout the exposure, presumably by active excretion of NH4+ to counteract the passive inward diffusion of ammonia. Analysis of blood non-respiratory acid-base status (delta H+m) revealed an acid load in FW trout and a base load in SW trout following 24 h of exposure. This indicates that active NH4+/H+ exchange predominates in FW whereas NH4+/Na+ is the principal exchange utilised in SW under these experimental conditions. The plasma TAmm load incurred during ammonia exposure increased with salinity. Compared to FW trout, plasma TAmm values were 34 and 73% higher in the 33% SW and SW trout, respectively, after 24 h. This cannot be explained by differences in the prevailing transbranchial PNH3 gradient because ambient PNH3 was substantially lower at the higher salinities (due to higher pK' and solubility values). We interpret the difference between FW and SW trout as an increased permeability to NH4+ in fish acclimated to the higher-salinity environments. Transbranchial diffusion of NH4+ is, therefore, probably more important as a route for ammonia excretion in SW than in FW trout, especially considering the favourable transepithelial potentials normally found in SW teleosts. In addition, increased NH4+ permeability implies that the toxicity of ammonia will be greater in seawater than in freshwater teleosts and should not simply be measured as a function of the unionised ammonia concentration when considering seawater-adapted species.


1999 ◽  
Vol 202 (6) ◽  
pp. 749-756 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.F. Perry ◽  
K.M. Gilmour ◽  
N.J. Bernier ◽  
C.M. Wood

In vivo experiments were conducted on spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in sea water to determine the potential role of externally oriented or gill boundary layer carbonic anhydrase in carbon dioxide excretion. This was accomplished by assessing pH changes in expired water using a stopped-flow apparatus. In dogfish, expired water was in acid-base disequilibrium as indicated by a pronounced acidification (delta pH=−0.11+/−0.01; N=22; mean +/− s.e.m.) during the period of stopped flow; inspired water, however, was in acid-base equilibrium (delta pH=−0.002+/−0.01; N=22). The acid-base disequilibrium in expired water was abolished (delta pH=−0.005+/−0.01; N=6) by the addition of bovine carbonic anhydrase (5 mg l-1) to the external medium. Addition of the carbonic anhydrase inhibitor acetazolamide (1 mmol l-1) to the water significantly reduced the magnitude of the pH disequilibrium (from −0.133+/−0.03 to −0.063+/−0.02; N=4). However, after correcting for the increased buffering capacity of the water caused by acetazolamide, the acid-base disequilibrium during stopped flow was unaffected by this treatment (control delta [H+]=99.8+/−22.8 micromol l-1; acetazolamide delta [H+]=81.3+/−21.5 micromol l-1). In rainbow trout, expired water displayed an acid-base disequilibrium (delta pH=0.09+/−0.01; N=6) that also was abolished by the application of external carbonic anhydrase (delta pH=0.02+/−0.01).The origin of the expired water acid-base disequilibrium was investigated further in dogfish. Intravascular injection of acetazolamide (40 mg kg-1) to inhibit internal carbonic anhydrase activity non-specifically and thus CO2 excretion significantly diminished the extent of the expired water disequilibrium pH after 30 min (from −0.123+/−0.01 to −0.065+/−0.01; N=6). Selective inhibition of extracellular carbonic anhydrase activity using a low intravascular dose (1.3 mg kg-1) of the inhibitor benzolamide caused a significant reduction in the acid-base disequilibrium after 5 min (from −0.11+/−0.01 to −0.07+/−0. 01; N=14). These results demonstrate that the expired water acid-base disequilibrium originates, at least in part, from excretory CO2 and that extracellular carbonic anhydrase in dogfish may have a significant role in carbon dioxide excretion. However, externally oriented carbonic anhydrase (if present in dogfish) plays no role in catalysing the hydration of the excretory CO2 in water flowing over the gills and thus is unlikely to facilitate CO2 excretion.


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.


1994 ◽  
Vol 186 (1) ◽  
pp. 289-307 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Perry ◽  
S. Reid

The response of cannulated rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) to acute hypoxia was studied in fish acclimated to two temperatures (5 and 15 °C). Blood/water respiratory variables and plasma catecholamine levels were measured before and 15 min after exposure to hypoxic water varying between 4.0 and 10.7 kPa (30–80 mmHg) oxygen partial pressure (PwO2). Arterial blood PO2 (PaO2) and oxygen content (CaO2) fell during hypoxia in a similar manner at both temperatures, although the changes in CaO2 were often more pronounced in the fish acclimated to 15 °C. Regardless of acclimation temperature, plasma catecholamine levels were consistently elevated at PwO2 values below 8.0 kPa (60 mmHg); the largest increases in plasma catecholamine levels occurred below PwO2=5.3 kPa (40 mmHg). Adrenaline was the predominant catecholamine released into the circulation. Adrenaline was released at PwO2 values of 8.0 kPa or below, whereas noradrenaline was released at PwO2 values of 6.7 kPa or below. The construction of in vivo oxygen dissociation curves demonstrated an obvious effect of acclimation temperature on haemoglobin (Hb) oxygen-affinity; the P50 values at 15 °C and 5 °C were 3.6 kPa (26.7 mmHg) and 1.9 kPa (14.0 mmHg), respectively. At 15 °C, catecholamines were released into the circulation abruptly at a PaO2 threshold of 4.6 kPa (34.5 mmHg) while at 5 °C the catecholamine release threshold was lowered to 3.3 kPa (24.5 mmHg). The difference in the PaO2 catecholamine release thresholds was roughly equivalent to the difference in the P50 values at the two distinct temperatures. Catecholamine release thresholds, calculated on the basis of arterial blood oxygen-saturation (expressed as CaO2/[Hb]), were similar at both temperatures and were approximately equal to 53–55 % Hb O2-saturation. The results support the contention that the lowering of blood oxygen content/saturation rather than PO2 per se is the proximate stimulus/signal causing catecholamine release in rainbow trout during acute hypoxia.


1991 ◽  
Vol 158 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
GEORGE K. IWAMA ◽  
NORBERT HEISLER

Acid-base regulation in rainbow trout acclimated to about 3, 100 and 500 mmol l−1 Na+ and Cl−, at constant water [HCO3−], was assessed during 24h of exposure to 1% CO2 and during recovery. The respiratory acidosis induced by a rise in plasma PCOCO2 to about 1.15kPa (8.5mmHg, 3mmol l−1), 1.33kPa (10mmHg, 100 mmol l−1) or 1.5 kPa (11.2 mmHg, 500 mmol l−1) was partially compensated for by accumulation of plasma HCO3−. The degree of pH compensation depended on the salinity of the environmental water, being about 61, 82 and 88% at 3, 100 and 300 mmol l−1 Na+ and Cl−, respectively. [HCO3−] in animals acclimated to 100 and 500 mmol l−1 rose to higher values than that in fish at 3 mmol l−1. Plasma [Cl−] decreased during hypercapnia as compared to control concentrations in all groups of fish. Plasma [Na+] rose during the first 8 h of hypercapnia in fish acclimated to all three salinities, but recovered towards control values during the remainder of hypercapnia. The rise in plasma [HCO3−] was significantly related to the fall in plasma [Cl−], whereas the changes in plasma [Na+] were unaffected by simultaneous changes in plasma [HCO3−]. Time courses of changes in plasma [Na+] and total ammonia concentration, [Tamm], were similar but in opposite directions. The transepithelial potential (TEP) of blood relative to water was negative, close to zero and positive, averaging −21, −5.8 and +6.2 mV for fish acclimated to 3, 100 and 300 mmol l−1 Na+, respectively. After initiation of hypercapnia, which caused a quite heterogeneous response among groups, a clear trend towards depolarization was observed during the remainder of hypercapnia. These results confirm the role of active HCO3−/Cl− exchange processes for the compensation of extracellular pH during respiratory acidoses in fish.


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