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Enforced exercise, but not acute temperature elevation, decreases venous capacitance in the stenothermal Antarctic fish Pagothenia borchgrevinki

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Abstract

The venous haemodynamic response to enforced exercise and acute temperature increase was examined in the Antarctic fish Pagothenia borchgrevinki (borch) to enable comparisons with the existing literature for temperate species, and investigate if the unusual cardiovascular response to temperature changes previously observed in the borch can be linked to an inability to regulate the venous vasculature. Routine central venous blood pressure (P cv) was 0.08 kPa and the mean circulatory filling pressure (P mcf; an index of venous capacitance) was 0.14 kPa. Acute warming from 0 to 2.5 and 5°C increased heart rate (f H), while dorsal aortic blood pressure (P da) decreased. P mcf did not change, while P cv decreased significantly at 5°C. This contrasts with the venoconstriction previously observed in rainbow trout in response to increased temperature. Exercise resulted in small increases in P mcf and P cv, a response that was abolished by α-adrenoceptor blockade. This study demonstrates that the heart of P. borchgrevinki normally operates at positive filling pressures (i.e. P cv) and that venous capacitance can be actively regulated by an α-adrenergic mechanism. The lack of decrease in venous capacitance during warming may suggest that a small increase in venous tone is offset by a passive temperature-mediated increase in compliance.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Antarctica New Zealand and base staff of Scott Base for logistics support and the ability to visit and work in Antarctica. E.S. and M.A. were financially supported by travel and research grants from the Swedish Research Council.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, University of Gothenburg, Box 463, 405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden

    Erik Sandblom & Michael Axelsson

  2. School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, New Zealand

    William Davison

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  1. Erik Sandblom
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  2. Michael Axelsson
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  3. William Davison
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Correspondence to Erik Sandblom.

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Communicated by I.D. Hume.

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Sandblom, E., Axelsson, M. & Davison, W. Enforced exercise, but not acute temperature elevation, decreases venous capacitance in the stenothermal Antarctic fish Pagothenia borchgrevinki . J Comp Physiol B 178, 845–851 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00360-008-0272-x

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