In vivo aerobic metabolism of the rainbow trout gut and the effects of an acute temperature increase and stress event

• The fish gut is responsible for numerous potentially energetically costly processes, yet little is known about its metabolism. Here, we provide the first in vivo measurements of aerobic metabolism of the gut in a teleost fish by measuring gut blood flow, as well as arterial and portal venous oxygen content. At 10 degrees C, gut oxygen uptake rate was 4.3 +/- 0.5 ml O-2 h(-1) kg(-1) (similar to 11 % of whole-animal oxygen uptake). Following acute warming to 15 degrees C, gut blood flow increased similar to 3.4-fold and gut oxygen uptake rate increased similar to 3.7-fold (16.0 +/- 3.3 ml O-2 h(-1) kg(-1)), now representing similar to 25% of whole-animal oxygen uptake. Although gut blood flow decreased following an acute stress event at 15 degrees C, gut oxygen uptake remained unchanged as a result of a similar to 2-fold increase in oxygen extraction. The high metabolic thermal sensitivity of the gut could have important implications for the overall aerobic capacity and performance of fish in a warming world and warrants further investigation.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences (hsv//eng)

LANTBRUKSVETENSKAPER  -- Lantbruksvetenskap, skogsbruk och fiske -- Fisk- och akvakulturforskning (hsv//swe)

AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES  -- Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries -- Fish and Aquacultural Science (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Gastrointestinal

Teleost

Oxygen consumption

Metabolism

Energy expenditure

gastrointestinal blood-flow

bass dicentrarchus-labrax

oncorhynchus-mykiss

oxygen-consumption

cardiac-output

portal-vein

sea

hypoxia

cannulation

extraction

Life Sciences & Biomedicine - Other Topics

lean e

1989

aquaculture

v78

p195

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)