O2 consumption and metabolic activities in resting cardiac myocytes from rainbow trout

Cold-induced metabolic depression in cunner (Tautogolabrus adspersus): A multifaceted cellular event

Metabolic depression and dormancy (i.e., stopping/greatly reducing activity and feeding) are strategies used by many animals to survive winter conditions characterized by food shortages and cold temperatures. However, controversy exists on whether the reduced metabolism of some fishes at cold temperatures is due to dormancy alone, or also involves active metabolic depression. Thus, we acclimated winter-dormant cunner [Tautogolabrus adspersus, a north temperate wrasse which in Newfoundland is at the northern limit of its distribution] and winter-active Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) to winter (0°C; 8h light: 16h dark) and summer (10°C; 16h light: 8 h dark) conditions, and measured the thermal sensitivity of ATP-producing and O2-consuming processes in isolated liver mitochondria and hepatocytes when exposed in vitro to temperatures from 20 to 0°C and 10 to 0°C, respectively. We found that: 1) liver mitochondrial State 3 respiration and hepatocyte O2 consumption in cunner were only ~ one-third and two-thirds of that measured in salmon, respectively, at all measurement temperatures; 2) cunner mitochondria also have proton conductance and leak respiration (State 4) values that are only approximately one-third of those in salmon; 3) the mitochondria of cunner show a dramatic reduction in respiratory control ratio (from ~ 8 to 3), and a much greater drop in State 3 respiration, between 10 and 5°C (Q10 values in 10- and 0°C-acclimated fish of 14.5 and 141.2, respectively), as compared with salmon (3.9 and 9.6, respectively); and 4) lowering temperature from 5 to 0°C resulted in ~ 40 and 30% reductions in hepatocyte O2 consumption due to non-mitochondrial respiration and Na+-K+-ATPase activity, respectively, in cunner, but not in salmon. Collectively, these results highlight the intrinsic capacity for metabolic depression in hepatocytes and mitochondria of cunner, and clearly suggest that several cellular processes play a role in the reduced metabolic rates exhibited by some fishes at cold temperatures.

Protective Effect of Dietary Taurine from ROS Production in European Seabass under Conditions of Forced Swimming

Simple Summary

A number of recent studies have demonstrated the essentiality of dietary taurine in many commercially relevant cultured fish species. Taurine is involved in many physiological functions in fish and represents an essential nutrient, which exert powerful antioxidant properties and is required as a supplement in the feed when a relevant percentage of vegetable protein sources are utilized. Our results show that dietary taurine can reduce the oxidative status of marine fish under swim stamina stress conditions. These data could be essential for the development of diets with fishmeal/soybean meal substitutions in the effort to improve the sustainability of the aquaculture.

Abstract

Taurine (Tau) is an amino sulfonic acid, which is widely distributed in animal tissues, whereas it is almost lacking in plants with the exception of certain algae, seaweeds, and few others. In the aquafeed industry, Tau is mainly used as a feed additive to promote growth in marine fish species with limited cysteine sulfinate decarboxylase activity. In particular, Tau supplementation is required in feeds in which fishmeal (FM) is substituted with high percentages of plant-derived protein sources such as soybean meals (SBM) that have much lower levels of Tau than FM. In addition to being a growth promoter, Tau exert powerful antioxidant properties being a scavenger of the reactive oxygen species (ROS). Under sustained swimming conditions, an intracellular increase in ROS production can occur in fish red muscle where the abundance of mitochondria (the main site of ROS formation) is high. Accordingly, this study aimed at investigating the effects of dietary Tau on European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) growth and oxidative stress response induced by swimming exercise. Individually tagged fish of 92.57 ± 20.33 g mean initial weight were fed two experimental diets containing the same low percentage of FM and high percentage of SBM. One diet was supplemented with 1.5% of Tau. Tau supplemented in the diet had a positive effect on fish growth, and enhanced swimming performance and antioxidant status. Two swim endurance tests were performed during the feeding trial. Metabolic oxygen consumption (MO₂) was measured during exercise at incremental swimming speeds (0.7, 1.4, 2.1, 2.8, 3.5, and then 4.2 BL (body length) s⁻¹, until fatigue). Fish maximal sustainable swimming speed (Ucrit) was determined too. To investigate the antioxidant effect of dietary Tau, we also measured ROS production in fish blood by RBA (respiratory burst activity) assay and quantified the expression of genes coding for antioxidant enzymes by qPCR (quantitative polymerase chain reaction) , such as SOD (superoxide dismutase), GPX (glutathione peroxidase), and CAT (catalase) in red muscle and liver. There was a significant effect of Tau upon Ucrit during exercise. Additionally, ROS production was significantly lower in fish fed with Tau supplemented diet, supporting the role of Tau as ROS scavenger. The protective effect of Tau against oxidative stress induced by forced swimming was denoted also by a significant decrease in antioxidant enzymes gene expression in fish liver and muscle. Taken together these results demonstrate that Tau is beneficial in low FM-based diets for seabass.

Fish as a model in investigations about the relationship between oxygen consumption and hydroxyl radical production in permeabilized muscle fibers

Mitochondrion is the main production site for reactive oxygen species (ROS). In endotherms, the existence of a positive relationship between ROS production and metabolic rate is acknowledged. But, little is known about ectotherms, especially fish, with a metabolic rate dependent on the environmental temperature. The maximal oxygen consumption and the production of highly reactive hydroxyl radicals by permeabilized red muscles of yellow and silver eels and trouts were measured concomitantly and compared to those of rats chosen for their comparable body mass, but different metabolic rate. The positive correlation found in fish between the metabolic rate and the ROS production showed a shift with respect to mammals.

In vitro effect of hydrostatic pressure exposure on hydroxyl radical production in fish red muscle

The effects of hydrostatic pressure on reactive oxygen species (ROS) production have been studied in vitro on fish red muscle fibres. In the eel, Anguilla anguilla, previous studies have shown that hydrostatic pressure acclimatization improves oxidative phosphorylation efficiency together with a supposed concomitant decrease in electron leak and ROS production. In order to test the hypothesis of an electron leak decrease under pressure, hydroxyl radical (HO*) production and oxygen consumption were measured on fish red muscle fibres directly exposed to hydrostatic pressure. Experiments were performed under two conditions--atmospheric pressure and hydrostatic pressure (16.1 MPa)--on eel and trout (which exhibit low- and high-pressure sensitivity, respectively). This work has permitted, first, the validation of an indirect HO* measurement (in vitro) on fish red muscle and the documentation of reference values for fish. Second, at atmospheric pressure, results show higher oxygen consumption for trout (+40%) than for eel which is accompanied by higher HO* production (+90%); in addition, both species present a positive relationship between HO* production and oxygen consumption. Hydrostatic pressure exposure reverses this relationship for eel but not for trout. These preliminary results only partially verify the proposed hypothesis and further experiments are needed.

Force development, energy state and ATP production of cardiac muscle from turtles and trout during normoxia and severe hypoxia

The effects of hypoxia on energy economy of cardiac muscle were compared between the hypoxia-tolerant freshwater turtle at 20 degrees C and the hypoxia-sensitive rainbow trout at 15 degrees C. Isolated ventricular preparations were left either at rest or stimulated at 30 min(-1) to develop isometric twitch force. Under oxygenated conditions, twitch force and oxygen consumption were similar for the two species. Overall metabolism was reduced during severe hypoxia in both resting and stimulated preparations and under these conditions most of the ATP production was derived from anaerobic metabolism. During hypoxia, a metabolic depression of approximately 2/3 occurred for non-contractile processes in both turtle and trout preparations. During hypoxia, lactate production and residual oxygen consumption were similar in turtle and trout. Cellular energy state and phosphorylation potential decreased during severe hypoxia in both species and this reduction was more severe in preparations stimulated to contraction. However, in turtle ventricular preparations the energy state and phosphorylation potential stabilised at higher levels than in trout, and turtle preparations also maintained a higher twitch force throughout the hypoxic period. Moreover, twitch force relative to total ATP hydrolysis was markedly increased during hypoxia in turtle while this ratio was unchanged for trout. The main findings of this study are: (1) cellular energy liberation and the energy demand of non-contractile processes decreased to similar levels in hypoxic turtle and trout myocardium; (2) turtle myocardium maintained a substantially higher cellular energy state and twitch force development than trout myocardium during hypoxia and (3) the ratio of twitch force to ATP hydrolysis increased during hypoxia in turtle but was unchanged in trout. It is possible that this superior economy of the contracting turtle myocardium contributes to the remarkable hypoxia tolerance of freshwater turtles.

Strategies of hypoxia and anoxia tolerance in cardiomyocytes from the overwintering common frog, Rana temporaria

Using ventricular cardiomyocytes of the common frog, Rana temporaria, we investigated the metabolic strategies employed by the heart to tolerate 4 mo of hypoxic submergence (overwintering) as well as acute bouts of anoxia. In contrast to what is observed for the whole animal, there was no change in oxygen consumption in cardiomyocytes isolated from normoxic frogs compared with those isolated from 4-mo hypoxic animals. Furthermore, cells from both normoxic and hypoxic frogs were able to completely recover oxygen consumption following 30 min of acute anoxia. From estimates of ATP turnover, it appears that frog cardiomyocytes are capable of a profound, completely reversible metabolic depression, such that ATP turnover is reduced by >90% of control levels during anoxia but completely recovers with reoxygenation. Moreover, this phenomenon is also observed in frogs that have been subjected to 4 mo of extended hypoxia. We found a significant increase in the stress protein, hsp70, after 1 mo of hypoxic submergence, which may contribute to the heart's remarkable hypoxia and anoxia tolerance and may act to defend metabolism during the overwintering period.