The acute stress response in fed and food deprived Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua L.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of stress and nutritional state (fed vs food deprived) on the generalized stress response and intestinal integrity in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua L.). Cod in feeding or food deprived states were subjected to 15 min of acute stress (exhaustive exercise). Blood was collected at 9 intervals from before stress (t = 0), to t = 48 h post stress and analysed for blood haematocrit and haemoglobin, and plasma cortisol, lactate, glucose, osmolality, chloride, as well as the tissue damage indicators glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase, glutamate pyruvate transaminase and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances. Intestinal segments were prepared for histology with the same intervals, while assessment of intestinal integrity and microbiology was performed at t = 0, 4 and 48 h post stress.Subjecting cod to exhaustive stress initiated a standard stress response including increased blood Hct and plasma cortisol, glucose, chloride, osmolality and lactate. Food deprived fish did in general have reduced stress resistance compared to fed fish. For many parameters, cod returned slowly to basal levels. Cellular indicators of tissue damage and oxidative stress increased in a biphasic manner following stress. Stress did not affect gut histology but did transiently increase gut permeability. Furthermore, stress had no effect on the adherent bacterial population level in midgut, but did cause a small decrease in hindgut (non-significant) and hindgut chamber (p < 0.05). Isolates belonging to Carnobacterium were predominant but not affected by stress.In conclusion, food deprived cod are less resistant to stress than fed cod. The magnitude of the response is less than in salmonids, but the effects are persistent (including tissue damage indicators and oxidative stress) and may have negative long term consequences. The gut is relatively resistant to stress, there is however a transient increase in the intestinal permeability and alterations in microbiota that may indicate lower protection against invading pathogens.