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Water and NaCl absorption by the intestine of the tilapiaSarotherodon mossambicus adapted to fresh water or seawater and the possible role of prolactin and cortisol

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Summary

Rates of intestinal water, sodium and chloride absorption in tilapia, adapted to fresh water (FW) and seawater (SW), were measured in vitro, using noneverted sacs made from the anterior, middle and posterior intestinal regions. The anterior intestine from SW fish showed considerably less water, sodium and chloride absorption compared with that seen in FW fish. The middle intestine showed either minimal absorption or some secretion in both FW and SW. In the posterior intestine, water absorption was only limitedly affected by SW-adaptation, but sodium and chloride absorption rates were significantly lower in SW fish. Reductions in water absorption were already evident in the anterior intestine 24 h after transfer to 1/3 SW but reached lower levels 3 to 5 days following transfer to 100% SW. Thus, the anterior intestine of tilapia responds to increased environmental salinity by decreasing uptake of ions, whereas the posterior intestine maintains similar water absorption in both FW and SW, although ion absorption is lower in SW.

Prolactin administration to SW fish augmented sodium and water absorption in the anterior intestine but had no effect on chloride absorption. In contrast, cortisol administration to FW fish decreased absorption of sodium, chloride and water to levels usually seen in SW fish. The observed effects of these hormones in tilapia intestinal absorption may be confined to the specialized anterior intestinal region in this species; hormonal effects on the rest of the intestine were not examined.

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  1. James R. Mainoya

    Present address: University of Dar es Salaam, P.O. Box 35064, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

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  1. Department of Zoology and Cancer Research Laboratory, University of California, 94720, Berkeley, California, USA

    James R. Mainoya

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Mainoya, J.R. Water and NaCl absorption by the intestine of the tilapiaSarotherodon mossambicus adapted to fresh water or seawater and the possible role of prolactin and cortisol. J Comp Physiol B 146, 1–7 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00688710

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