Ammonia and urea excretion in the tidepool sculpin (Oligocottus maculosus): sites of excretion,effects of reduced salinity and mechanisms of urea transport

Tidepool sculpins live in a variable environment where water temperature, salinity, gas tensions, and pH can change considerably with the daily tide cycle. Tidepool sculpins are primarily ammoniotelic, with 8–17% of nitrogen wastes excreted as urea. The majority of net ammonia (J^net _amm; 85%) and urea (J^net _urea; 74%) excretion occurred across the gill, with the remainder excreted across the skin, the kidney, and/or gut. Acute (2h) exposure to 50% seawater significantly increased J^net _urea (2.8-fold), but reduced J^net _amm (3.5-fold). In fish exposed to 50% seawater for 1 week, J^net _urea returned to control values, but J^net _amm remained slightly depressed. Unidirectional urea influx (Jⁱⁿ _urea) and efflux (J^out _urea) were measured using¹⁴C-urea to determine if urea was excreted across the gills by simple diffusion or by a carrier-mediated mechanism. Jⁱⁿ _urea increased in a linear manner with increasing urea water levels (0–11 mmol N l^–1), while J^out _urea was independent of external urea concentrations. As well, J^net _urea and J^{out inurea} were not significantly different from one another, indicating the absence of back transport. Urea analogs and transport inhibitors added to the water did not have any consistent effect on unidirectional urea flux. These results demonstrate that ammonia and urea excretion rates and sites of excretion in tidepool sculpins are very similar to those found in other marine and freshwater teleosts. Urea and ammonia may play a role in osmoregulation as excretion rates and tissue levels were influenced by changes in water salinity. Finally, we found no evidence for a specific urea carrier; branchial urea excretion is likely dependent on simple diffusion.     

高碱环境下青海湖裸鲤氮废物排泄及相关基因的表达规律

采用个体生理学及定量PCR方法,研究了青海湖裸鲤(Gymnocypris przewalskii)在32 mmol/L(CA32)和64 mmol/L(CA64)碳酸盐碱度胁迫下氮废物排泄规律及鳃和肾组织中Rhesus type b glycoproteins(Rhbg)、Rhesus type c2 glycoproteins(Rhcg2)与urea transporter(Ut)基因的表达规律。结果显示,在32 mmol/L碱度胁迫整个过程中及64 mmol/L碱度胁迫初期裸鲤氨氮排泄率显著降低,但在64 mmol/L碱度胁迫8~20 h、24~72 h时氨氮排泄率基本恢复到胁迫前水平,在32 mmol/L碱度胁迫12~16 h、20~24 h及64 mmol/L碱度胁迫16~48 h时尿素氮排泄率显著升高。定量PCR结果显示,Rhbg、Rhcg2、Ut基因在胁迫过程中都有表达上调趋势,其中32 mmol/L碱性环境下鳃组织中Rhbg基因在胁迫12 h时表达明显上调;64 mmol/L碱性环境下鳃组织中Rhcg2基因在胁迫6 h、48 h、72 h表达明显上调,Ut基因在胁迫6 h表达明显上调,肾组织中Rhcg2基因在胁迫6 h表达明显上调。以上结果表明,裸鲤在高碱环境下虽然前期氮废物排泄受到抑制,但后期会通过启动Rh基因高表达恢复氨氮排泄,同时启动Ut高表达来增加尿素氮排泄来进行氮废物排泄。这一特殊氮废物排泄策略有助于裸鲤更好地适应高碱性环境。     

Urea and ammonia excretion by embryos and larvae of the African catfish Clarias gariepinus (Burchell 1822)

Yolk-sac larvae and starved larvae of Clarias gariepinus (Burchell 1822), reared at 28°C, were predominantly ammonotelic, but urea excretion contributed about 19±7% to the total nitrogen excretion. Exogenously feeding larvae of C. gariepinus were mainly ammonotelic until 180-205 h post fertilization, but from then on the relative urea excretion stabilized at 44±13%. The contents of total free amino acids (FAA) and ammonia in C. gariepinus peaked around complete yolk absorption. During the first period after hatching 64% of the FAA and 60% of the total ammonia were located in the yolk compartment. The body compartment contained the highest amount of FAA and total ammonia at the end of the yolk-sac period (65 and 77%, respectively). The amount of nitrogen originating from catabolism of amino acids was balanced within 6% by the excreted sum of ammonia and urea. The high degree of ureotelism in C. gariepinus larvae may constitute an adaptive mechanism to a habitat of temporal water shortage.