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The effect of long term, moderate hypoxia on acid-base balance, plasma catecholamines and possible anaerobic end products in the unrestrained dogfishScyliorhinus canicula

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Summary

  1. 1.

    The first afferent branchial blood vessel of dogfish was cannulated and the animals were allowed 24 h to recover from the operation. Control animals were then left for 3 days in normoxic sea water, while experimental fish were exposed to hypoxic sea water (\(P_{O_2 }\) 55 mmHg) for 3 days. It was not possible to keep the fish for this period of time at an environmental\(P_{O_2 }\) below 50 mmHg.

  2. 2.

    In the control animals, there was a significant (24%) reduction in haematocrit during the 3 day period of normoxia. There was a significant increase in the concentration of bicarbonate ions [HCO 3 ] which, together with a slight increase in\(pH\bar v\), indicates a metabolic alkalosis following a decrease in the concentration of plasma lactate and the lactate/pyruvate ratio. There were no significant changes in any of the other measured variables.

  3. 3.

    In the experimental fish, there was no significant change in Hct during the 3 day period of hypoxia. There was, therefore, a potentialincrease in Hct during this period (cf. change in control fish). Heart rate declined initially, but then recovered to a value which was close to the normoxic rate. There was an increase in\(pH\bar v\), while [HCO 3 ] and\(P\bar v_{CO_2 }\) decreased. Plasma lactate and the lactate/pyruvate ratio increased and it was deduced that there was a combination of a respiratory alkalosis with a metabolic acidosis. The only catecholamine to increase significantly was noradrenaline.

  4. 4.

    The failure of dogfish to survive prolonged exposure to more severe hypoxia (\(P_{O_2 }\)<50 mmHg) is probably related to their inability to increase oxygen transport by large increases in ventilation volume or by reducing theP 50 of their hemoglobin. Anaerobiosis and severe acidosis then occur.

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This work was supported by the Science Research Council

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Butler, P.J., Taylor, E.W. & Davison, W. The effect of long term, moderate hypoxia on acid-base balance, plasma catecholamines and possible anaerobic end products in the unrestrained dogfishScyliorhinus canicula . J Comp Physiol B 132, 297–303 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00799042

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