The effect of acclimation temperature on amino acid transport in the goldfish intestine

The interactive effect of digesting a meal and thermal acclimation on maximal enzyme activities in the gill, kidney, and intestine of goldfish (Carassius auratus)

Surrounding environmental temperatures affect many aspects of ectotherm physiology. Generally, organisms can compensate at one or more biological levels, or allow temperature to dictate processes such as enzyme activities through kinetic effects on reaction rates. As digestion also alters physiological processes such as enzyme activities, this study determined the interacting effect of thermal acclimation (8 and 20 °C) and digesting a single meal on maximal enzyme activities in three tissues of the goldfish (Carrassius auratus). Acclimation to elevated temperatures decreased branchial Na⁺, K⁺, ATPase (NKA) activity. In contrast, acclimation to elevated temperatures had no effect on citrate synthase (CS) or pyruvate kinase (PK) activity in any tissue, nor were renal NKA or glutamine synthetase (GS) activities impacted. Warm water-acclimation exaggerated the positive impact of digestion on intestinal and branchial NKA activities and intestinal GS activity only, but digestion had no effect in the kidney. CS and PK did not display intestinal zonation; however, there was a distinct increase towards the distal intestine in NKA and GS activities. Zonation of NKA was more prominent in warm-acclimated animals, while acclimation temperature did not affect intestinal heterogeneity of GS. Finally, the impact of tissue protein content on enzyme activity was discussed. We conclude that the intestine and gill of warm-acclimated goldfish exhibited an augmented capacity for increasing several enzyme activities in response to digestion while the kidney was unaffected by thermal acclimation or digesting a single meal. However, this amplified capacity was ameliorated by alterations in tissue protein content. Amplified increases in NKA activity may ultimately have implications for ATP demand in these tissues, while increased GS activity may beneficially increase ammonia-detoxifying capacity in the intestine.

Rhodamine 123 permeability through the catfish intestinal wall: Relationship to thermal acclimation and acute temperature change

Temperature is known to influence xenobiotic retention in fish. The effect of acute and acclimatory temperature change upon Rhodamine 123 (Rho123) permeability through an in vitro catfish multi-segment (3) everted sac intestinal wall model was examined in a 9 cell matrix of acclimation and assay temperatures (10, 20 and 30 degrees C). Changes in Rho123 permeability were examined in context with membrane fluidity, xenobiotic solubility and intestinal morphology. When assayed at the acclimation temperature greater Rho123 permeability was noted at warmer acclimation temperatures for the proximal and middle intestinal segments, while the distal segment exhibited little change and apparent compensation across temperatures. Rho123 permeability was increased as assay temperatures were elevated above the acclimation temperature for most comparisons. Cold acclimation significantly increased total intestinal length (43.2%) and proximal intestine weights while total body weights did not differ. Brush border membranes (BBM) increased fluidity with increased assay temperatures, however, composite anisotropy lines were not significantly different between acclimation treatments. In an additive manner, the membrane probe DPH exhibited increased solubility in BBM with increases in acclimation and assay temperatures. Compositely, these results suggest that acclimation and acute temperature change may differentially influence xenobiotic permeability among intestinal segments with interacting mechanisms.

Effects of growth hormone on leucine absorption, intestinal morphology, and ultrastructure of the goldish intestine

The mechanisms whereby exogenous growth hormone modulates intestinal structure and function in fish were investigated. Goldfish (Carassius auratus) were fed commercial flake diet sprayed with recombinant carp growth hormone (cGH) daily for 1 month. Control animals received food sprayed with the vehicle. After 1 month of daily feedings, body mass and length were determined, and animals were sacrificed to study intestinal characteristics. Sections of foregut were removed after determination of total gut length for measurement of leucine uptake, histology, and epithelial ultrastructure. Oral administration of cGH for 1 month resulted in a 40% increase in body mass and an 8% increase in body length above controls. Gut length was 43% greater and the gut length to body length ratio was 32% greater as a result of the cGH treatment. Feeding with cGH also resulted in a significant increase in leucine uptake and increased gut mucosal thickness. Analysis of transmission electron micrographs revealed significant increases in the microvillous height and density and epithelial surface area. The findings indicate that growth hormone added to feed may increase growth in fish, in part by significantly increasing gut length, mucosal thickness, and epithelial brush border surface area, leading to enhanced epithelial absorption.

Simultaneous effect of initial weight, initial crowding, temperature and O2 concentration on the nutritional use of food by rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

The simultaneous effects of initial weight, initial crowding, temperature and O2 concentration on the following ratios: relative growth rate percent (RGRP), feed efficiency (FE), protein efficiency ratio (PER) and protein productive value (PPV) were studied in the rainbow trout. Multivariant equations were obtained for each of the mentioned indices. The joint effects of these factors were evidenced by means of a multiple correlation analysis. The influence of temperature and, to a lesser extent, of crowding, and O2 concentration on the nutritional use of food by the trout was demonstrated, their fundamental dependence on factors extrinsic to the animal being underlined. The non proportional changes in PER and PPV as temperature rises revealed that an increasing part of the ingested aminoacids were used for synthesis of fat, non for proteins edification.

Adaptation of intestinal morphology in the temperature-acclimated carp, Cyprinus carpio L

The effects of temperature and photoperiod acclimation upon the morphology of carp intestinal mucosa have been studied using morphometric techniques. Carp intestine showed an absence of anatomical regionalisation. There was a gradual reduction in the dimensions of villi along the tract. The decrease in the dimensions of the villi was greatest in the anterior half. Temperature acclimation had no effect on intestinal-somatic indices. Acclimation to 10 degrees C or 30 degrees C resulted in large differences in the dimensions of villi. Cold acclimation produced significant increases in mean villus height and breadth along the entire intestine. These villus shape changes resulted in a 58% increase in total mucosal surface area and a 102% increase in total volume of villi in cold-acclimated fish relative to warm-acclimated fish. Surface area of the unmodified intestinal tube increased with cold acclimation by 28%. The total number of villi remained unchanged by thermal acclimation. Because normalisation to a nominal surface area does not take account of the possibility of differentially developed mucosal surfaces in differently acclimated animals, experiments comparing transepithelial transport rates of differently-acclimated fish, using unstripped preparations, overestimates the differences in area-specific transport capacity.

Effects of temperature, food deprivation and salinity on growth, RNA/DNA ratio and certain enzyme activities in rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri Richardson)

1. The connection between feeding regime (food deprivation and restricted diet) and thermal acclimation (1-2, 6, 11 and 16 degrees C) was studied in rainbow trout held in diluted seawater (20% S). 2. At 1 degree C, food deprivation effects on all parameters are slight, and on RNA and certain enzymes they are masked by thermal acclimation effects. 3. At a salinity of 20% rainbow trout on a restricted diet and held at 11 degrees C have the highest growth rate. 4. Owing to increasing RNA levels, the RNA/DNA quotient is significantly higher than normal in rainbow trout held at 1 degree C although the fishes do not grow at this temperature. 5. Temperature and feeding both affect the enzymes we studied (liver: G1DH, AspT, arginase, G6PDH, and 6PGDH; kidney: G1DH, AspT, arginase, and Na/K-ATPase; white muscle: AspT and A1T; gill: Na/K-ATPase) differently. Interactions between these two factors also occur in some cases.

Comparative aspects of the apparent Michaelis constant for neutral amino acid transport in several animal tissues

The apparent Michaelis constant, Km, for transport of a number of neutral amino acids has been compared between intestine, heart, brain and erythrocytes among a variety of animals using values available in the literature. Neutral amino acids with side chains containing 3, 4, 7 and 9 carbon atoms had approximately equal mean Km values when tested for intestinal transport among a variety of species; alanine appeared to have a mean Km value that was larger than those found for the first group, and glycine had a significantly greater mean Km than all of the other compounds tested. Km values for phenylalanine and tryptophan measured in rat heart were found to be close to the means measured for these substrates in intestine. The mean Km values measured in mammalian brain for each of the neutral amino acid substrates were found not be significantly different from each other. When the means of Km values for the neutral amino acids tested were compared between intestine and brain, only the glycine means were shown to differ significantly between the organs. Based on data for several mammalian species, brain appears to have a greater average apparent affinity for glycine than does intestine. In the human erythrocytes and in a few other mammalian species, Km values for all neutral amino acids tested with exception of glycine were found to be similar in magnitude to each other and to the Km averages of neutral amino acids found in intestine for the series containing 3-9 carbon atoms. The Km value for glycine in the human erythrocyte was noted to be substantially lower in value than the averages for glycine in brain or intestine. Avian red blood cells appear to have high apparent affinity for neutral amino acid transport when compared with red cells of several mammalian species.

Comparative aspects of protein digestion and amino acid absorption in fish and other animals

1. Molar concentrations of amino acids in the content of subsequent parts of alimentary tract of rainbow trout and common carp have been calculated. 2. The ratio of free amino acid concentration in intestinal content to blood of carp most commonly was between 10 and 20 and decreased as digestion proceeded. 3. Free amino acid concentration in gut content of fish appeared several times higher than that in reptiles or mammals. 4. Absorption rate of amino acids in carp was most intense during the first 3 hr after feeding and generally similar to that found in caymans. 5. Release rate of amino acids from dietary protein was most intense in the second segment of carp intestine where most of amino acids were also absorbed. 6. Requirements of essential amino acids based on their absorption rate were determined.

The effect of heat on the intestinal and pancreatic levels of amylase and maltase of laying hens and broilers

The effects of exposing laying hens and broilers daily to intermittent periods of 4 hr heating at 42 degrees C on the intestinal and pancreatic levels of amylase and maltase were investigated. The initial exposure to heat, characterized by heat stress, brought about a significant increase in the duodenum and jejunum parts of the tetra breed hen and only in the duodenum of broilers. The levels of amylase in the distal parts of the intestine of both breeds sharply decreased. The increase in amylase levels in the proximal parts of the intestine under the conditions of initial heating vanished after 3 days of heating; its levels continued to fall in the distal parts. In heat acclimatized laying hens the levels of amylase were lower than those of the control hens both in the intestine and pancreas. The pancreatic level of amylase was reversely related to the levels in the intestine. It is assumed that the intestinal level of amylase is regulated by the pancreas. These findings indicate that the pancreas plays an important role during the adaptation of chickens to heat, through the regulation of intestinal level of amylase. The response in maltase level to heat stress and heat acclimatization was insignificant.