Abstract
Several studies have measured the rate of catecholamine clearance, metabolism, and tissue accumulation in fish. However, no information is available on the effect of repeated stress or high circulating catecholamine levels on catecholamine clearance and metabolism. We measured the clearance and metabolism of [3H]-epinephrine (approximately 0.1 μg·kg-1) in SW-acclimated rainbow trout subjected to acute (five injections in 1 day) and chronic (4 days; five injections per day) administration of 4.0 μg·kg-1 epinephrine or saline. In addition, a saturation experiment, where 4.0 μg·kg-1 of unlabelled epinephrine was injected concurrently with [3H]-epinephrine, investigated whether catecholamine clearance and metabolism are affected by high circulatin levels. Neither the rate constants for catecholamine clearance, nor the post-injection proportions of unmetabolised [3H]-epinephrine, deaminated [3H]-epinephrine and O-methylated [3H]-epinephrine were affected by the acute or chronic injection protocols. The concurrent injection of [3H]-epinephrine and 4.0 μg·kg-1 of unlabelled epinephrine resulted in an elevated postinjection 3H:14C ratio, but increased proportions of O-methylated [3H]-epinephrine and reduced proportions of unmetabolised [3H]-epinephrine. We conclude that in fish (1) catecholamine clearance and metabolism are unlikely to be compromised by repeated exposure to acute stressors; (2) catecholamine extraction and/or metabolism is enhanced when circulating levels are high; and (3) there is a marked capacity to rapidly (minutes) clear and inactivate catecholamines that are released in response to stressful stimuli.
Similar content being viewed by others
Abbreviations
- CA:
-
catecholamines
- dpm:
-
disintegrations per minute
- MAO:
-
monoamine oxidase
- COMT:
-
catecholamine-O-methyltransferase
- MOPEG:
-
3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol
- VMA:
-
3-methoxy-4-hydroxymendelic acid
- SW:
-
seawater
- HPLC:
-
high-performance liquid chromatography
References
Axelrod J, Weil-Malherbe H, Tomchick R (1959) The physiological diposition of [3H]-epinephrine and its metabolite metanephrine. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 127:251–256
Busacker GP, Chavin W (1977) Uptake, distribution, and turnover of catecholamine radiolabel in the goldfish, Carassius auratus L. Can J Zool 55:1656–1670
Colletti AE, Olson KR (1988) Catecholamine metabolism by the perfused rainbow trout gill. J Exp Zool 248:177–184
Epple A, Nibbio B (1985) Catecholaminotropic effects of catecholamines in a teleost fish, Anguilla rostrata. J Comp Physiol B 155:285–290
Fievet B, Caroff J, Motais R (1990) Catecholamine release controlled by blood oxygen tension during deep hypoxia in trout: effect on red cell Na/H exchanger activity. Respir Physiol 79:81–90
Gamperl AK, Vijayan MM, Boutilier RG (1994a) Effects of epinephrine injection and chronic confinement on plasma epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cortisol in trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). J Fish Biol (in press)
Gamperl AK, Vijayan MM, Boutilier RG (1994b) Experimental control of stress hormone levels in fishes: Techniques and applications. Rev Fish Biol Fisheries (in press)
Gamperl AK, Pinder AW, Boutilier RG (1994c) Effect of coronary ablation and adrenergic stimulation on in vivo cardiac performance in trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). J Exp Biol 186:127–143
Gamperl AK, Wilkinson M, Boutilier RG (1994d) β-adrenoreceptors in the trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) heart: characterization, quantification, and effects of repeated catecholamine exposure. Gen Comp Endocrinol (in press)
Goodman Gilmann A, Rall TW, Nies AS, Taylor P (1990) The pharmacological basis of therapeutics, 8th edn. Pergamon Press, New York
Grohmann M, Trendelenburg U (1984) The substrate specificity of uptake2 in the rat heart. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch Pharmacol 328:164–173
Hoar WS, Hickmann CP Jr (1983) A laboratory companion for general and comparative physiology, 3rd edn. Prentice-Hall, New Jersey
Lassen NA, Perl W (1979) Tracer kinetic methods in medical physiology. Raven, New York
Minard FN, Grant DS (1972) A convenient method for the chromatographic analysis of norepinephrine, dopamine and serotonin. Biochem Med 6:46–52
Nekvasil NP, Olson KR (1986a) Plasma clearance, metabolism and tissue accumulation of 3H-labeled catecholamines in trout. Am J Physiol 250:R519-R525
Nekvasil NP, Olson KR (1986b) Extraction and metabolism of circulating catecholamines by the trout gill. Am J Physiol 250: R526-R531
Nilsson S (1983) Autonomic nerve function in the vertebrates, Zoophysiology vol XIII. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York
Randall DJ, Perry SF (1992) Catecholamines. In: Hoar WS et al (eds) Fish physiology, vol XIIB. Academic Press, New York. pp 255–300
Roth RA (1982) Flow dependence of norepinephrine extraction by isolated perfused rat lungs. Am J Physiol 242:H844-H848
Smith LS, Bell GR (1964) A technique for prolonged blood sampling in free-swimming salmon. J Fish Res Board Can 21:1775–1790
Tang Y, Boutilier RG (1988) Correlation between catecholamine release and degree of acidotic stress in trout. Am J Physiol 255: R395-R399
Trendelenburg U (1988) The extraneural uptake and metabolism of catecholamines. In: Trendelenburg U, Weiner N (eds) Handbook of experimental pharmacology 90, Catecholamines I. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York, pp 279–319
Ungell A-L, Nilsson S (1979) Metabolic degradation of [3H]-adrenaline in the Atlantic Cod, Gadus morhua. Comp Biochem Physiol 64C:137–141
Ungell A-L, Nilsson S (1983) Catabolism and excretion of [3H]-adrenaline in the spiny dogfish, Squalis acanthias. Comp Biochem Physiol 74C:319–322
Whitby LG, Axelrod J, Weil-Malherbe H (1961) The fate of 3H-norepinephrine in animals. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 132:193–201
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gamperl, A.K., Boutilier, R.G. Effect of acute and chronic epinephrine administration on clearance and metabolism of [3H]-epinephrine in trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). J Comp Physiol B 164, 321–326 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00346450
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00346450