Summary
Isolated flexor muscles of the shore crab,Hemigrapsus edwardsi were maintained in saline solutions for periods of 2–12 h.
In hypotonic saline solutions containing less than 400 mM sodium chloride, the fibres rapidly died. In 400 mM sodium chloride saline the fibres showed partial volume readjustment associated with reduction in the amount of intracellular ninhydrin-positive substances (NPS).
In saline (460 mM sodium chloride) containing ouabain (2–5 mM) the fibres lost water and potassium, gained sodium and chloride, but the amount of NPS was not significantly changed.
In hypertonic saline (550 mM sodium chloride) the fibres showed a partial recovery of volume during the 8 h experimental period. Associated with this was a rise in the amount of intracellular NPS.
It was concluded that the ability of the muscle fibres ofHemigrapsus edwardsi to respond to a hyperosmotic challenge in an amino acid free medium, by an increase in intracellular amino acid levels, must represent a synthesis of these compounds from an intracellular source. This may be an adaptive feature of osmotic readjustment in this rather permeable crab.
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Leader, J.P., Bedford, J.J. Volume regulation in vitro of muscle fibres of the crab,Hemigrapsus edwardsi . J Comp Physiol B 128, 153–159 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00689479
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00689479