Journal
JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE PHYSIOLOGY B-BIOCHEMICAL SYSTEMS AND ENVIRONMENTAL PHYSIOLOGY
Volume 191, Issue 1, Pages 127-141Publisher
SPRINGER HEIDELBERG
DOI: 10.1007/s00360-020-01328-8
Keywords
Elasmobranch; Cardiac function; Hyperkalemia; Capture stress; Post-release mortality
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Funding
- National Science Foundation [DGE-1444317, IOS-1354593]
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Elevated plasma potassium levels, reduced plasma pH, reduced blood oxygen content, and elevated temperatures are associated with species-specific rates of mortality in elasmobranch fishes. The mechanism linking these physiological disturbances to mortality may involve reduced myocardial function. Some stressors had significant detrimental impacts on myocardial function, while stimulation of beta-adrenergic receptors could help preserve cardiac function in certain species.
Elevated plasma potassium levels (hyperkalemia), reduced plasma pH (acidosis), reduced blood oxygen content, and elevated temperatures are associated with species-specific rates of at-vessel and post-release mortality in elasmobranch fishes. The mechanism linking these physiological disturbances to mortality remains undetermined however, and we hypothesize that the proximate cause is reduced myocardial function. We measured changes in the functional properties of isolated ventricular myocardial strips from clearnose skate (Rostroraja eglanteria), smooth dogfish (Mustelus canis), and sandbar shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus) when subjected to the following stressors (both in isolation and in combination): hyperkalemia (7.4 mM K+), acidosis (from 7.9 to 7.1), and reduced oxygen (to 31% O-2 saturation) applied at temperatures 5 degrees C above and below holding temperatures. We selected these species based on phylogenetic distance, diverse routine activity levels, and their tolerance to capture and transport. Stressors had a few significant species-specific detrimental impacts on myocardial function (e.g., a 33-45% decrease in net force under acidosis + low O-2). Net force production of myocardial strips from clearnose skate and smooth dogfish approximately doubled following exposure to isoproterenol, demonstrating that these species possess beta-adrenergic receptors and that their stimulation could provide a mechanism for preservation of cardiac function during stress. Our results suggest that disruption of physiological homeostasis associated with capture may fatally impair cardiac function in some elasmobranch species, although research with more severe stressors is needed.
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