Behavioural fever boosts the inflammatory response in rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss

Behavioural fever, manifested as an increased preferred temperature, was shown in rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss following an injection of bacterial lipopolysaccharide. Simulated behavioural fever, through a 2·5° C water temperature rise following bacterial lipopolysaccharide injection, enhanced the expression of the cytokine interleukin-1β, in comparison with an untreated group held at the initial temperature. The present findings show that an important mediator in the immune response can be boosted through behavioural fever in fishes.     

Larval zebrafish rapidly sense the water flow of a predator's strike

Larval fishes have a remarkable ability to sense and evade the feeding strike of a predator fish with a rapid escape manoeuvre. Although the neuromuscular control of this behaviour is well studied, it is not clear what stimulus allows a larva to sense a predator. Here we show that this escape response is triggered by the water flow created during a predator''s strike. Using a novel device, the impulse chamber, zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae were exposed to this accelerating flow with high repeatability. Larvae responded to this stimulus with an escape response having a latency (mode=13–15 ms) that was fast enough to respond to predators. This flow was detected by the lateral line system, which includes mechanosensory hair cells within the skin. Pharmacologically ablating these cells caused the escape response to diminish, but then recover as the hair cells regenerated. These findings demonstrate that the lateral line system plays a role in predator evasion at this vulnerable stage of growth in fishes.     

Fever in Ectotherms: Evolutionary Implications

Fever, an elevated thermoregulatory "set-point," occurs in vertebratesfrom fishes through mammals in response to infection with appropriatepathogens. The long phylogenetic history of fever supports thehypothesis that fever has an adaptive or beneficial role (i.e.,fever is a component of the host's immunological defenses).Besides providing insight into determining the role of feverin disease, ectothermic vertebrates have also served as excellentanimal models to specifically answer many questions relatingto fever and disease. For example, survival studies using goldfishes,lizards, and newborn mammals which are also virtually ectothermic)have shown that an elevated body temperature increases the survivalrate of the infected organism. Furthermore, by using ectothermsit has been possible to demonstrate that the reduction in serumiron which accompanies most infections is not directly attributableto an elevation in body temperature. Nevertheless, a rise inbody temperature, coupled with a fall in serum iron, appearsto constitute a coordinated host defense mechanism in responseto at least some bacterial infections in reptiles and mammals,and perhaps other groups of vertebrates.     

Endotoxin fever in capsaicin treated rats.

The fever elicited by 10 micrograms/kg intravenous E. coli endotoxin was significantly higher in capsaicin desensitized rats than in controls, but there was an upper limit to the rise in body temperature in both groups. Capsaicin desensitization permitted the participation of various heat producing mechanisms even if the initial body temperature was high. The fever course was characteristically biphasic, similar as in control rats, thus desensitization did not alter the factors mediating the various phases of the endotoxin response.     

Modulation of plasma antidiuretic hormone levels does not change the magnitude of the LPS-induced febrile response in Pekin ducks

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of modulating the plasma concentrations of the avian antidiuretic hormone, arginine vasotocin (AVT), upon the febrile response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in Pekin ducks. LPS, intravenously administered into conscious control birds at a dose of 1 μg · kg⁻¹, caused a monophasic increase in body temperature of 0.85 ± 0.12 °C associated with a Thermal Response Index of 2.5 ± 0.6 C° h. Plasma AVT concentrations in the control birds also increased with the progression of the fever response, more than doubling from their basal values. Ducks in which the circulating level of AVT had either been elevated by the intravenous infusion of the peptide or dehydration, or reduced by the administration of a specific AVT antibody prior to LPS administration, produced body temperature profiles and Thermal Response Index values that did not differ significantly from those of the control birds. The lack of any direct effect of variations in plasma AVT concentrations upon the magnitude of the fever response indicates that the LPS-induced elevation in plasma AVT is not associated with modulating the rise in body temperature obtained in avian fever. Accepted: 7 March 2000     

Characteristics of the febrile response in Pekin ducks

We measured body temperature in Pekin ducks for 22 h after intravenous injection of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of gram negative bacteria at doses of 0, 1, 10, and 100 μg · kg body mass⁻¹. The ducks developed monophasic fevers showing increases in peak temperature reached and duration of fever with increases in dose of LPS. Body temperatures of unrestrained telemetered ducks without access to food and water were similar to those of saline-injected controls in the fever experiments, but were lower in the morning than when the same birds had access to food and water. This nocturnal hypothermia may have resulted from energy restriction imposed by lack of food and water. The dose of LPS required to elicit a fever of over 18 h duration (100 μg · kg⁻¹) will elicit a biphasic fever of 5 h duration in rats. Pekin ducks did not exhibit biphasic fever even at the highest LPS dose administered, indicating that while fever is superficially similar in the two homeothermic classes, there may be differences in details of the mechanism. The similarities of the dose/response characteristics to that of mammals lends support to the theory that fever in vertebrates has a common phyletic origin. Accepted: 5 January 1998     

Social predation in electric eels

Social predation—when groups of predators coordinate actions to find and capture prey—is a common tactic among mammals but comparatively rare in fishes. We report the unexpected social predation by electric eels, an otherwise solitary predator in the Amazon rainforest. Observations made in different years and recorded on video show electric eels herding, encircling shoals of small nektonic fishes, and launching joint predatory high‐voltage strikes on the prey ball. These findings challenge the hypothesis that electric eels may have a single foraging strategy and extend our knowledge on social predation to an organism that employs high‐voltage discharge for hunting. Thereby offering a novel perspective for studies on the evolutionary interplay between predatory and escape tactics.     

Effect of exercise-induced hyperthermia on serum iron concentration

Serum iron levels have been shown to decline both with fever and with strenuous exercise, leading to the supposition that the decrease might be the result of a rise in core body temperature. To evaluate this hypothesis, the serum iron response to an exercise-induced 1.5°C rise in core body temperature was measured. To increase core temperature, five females and two males exercised in an environmental chamber heated to 41°C with a relative humidity of 40%. Blood samples were taken before exercise and immediately after body temperature increased approximately 1.5°C. Blood was also collected 1 h, 6 h, and 24 h postexercise. Results showed that the core body temperature significantly increased (p<0.001) from a mean baseline value of 36.5±0.1°C to 38.1±0.1°C following exercise. A one-way repeated measures analysis of variance was used to examine the effect of increased core body temperature on serum iron levels over the five time periods: preexercise, immediate postexercise, and 1 h, 6 h, and 24 h postexercise. The results indicated that there were no significant differences in serum iron levels among time periods. This suggests that the previously reported depression of serum iron levels that occurs with fever and after prolonged exercise is not the result of hyperthermia. Rather, the change in serum iron occurs in response to biological or physiological stressors, such as bacterial infection, muscle damage, or unusual trauma. Further studies are needed to explicate the mechanisms responsible for these changes.     

Thermoregulatory behavior of a tropical marine fish: Canthigaster jactator (Jenkins)

Ten Canthigaster, jactator, tropical marine puffers from Hawaii, were tested individually for 3-day periods in electronic shuttle-boxes (Ichthyotrons) to determine their ability to thermoregulate behaviorally. These fish thermoregulated with a degree of precision comparable to that of temperate freshwater fishes: range 23–31°C, S.D. 1.8–2.4°C, S.E. 0.3–0.5° C. The modal final thermal preferendum was 27°C, comparable to temperate warmwater fishes. The mean preferred temperature did not differ significantly between night (26.5°C) and day (26.9°C); the 24-hr mean was 26.7°C. Apparently at least some tropical marine fishes are capable of thermoregulatory behavior similar to that of temperate freshwater fishes.     

Endotoxin-challenges precocial neonates and iron changes

In adult mammals fever is associated with the reduction of blood plasma iron level. Immature mammals, however, show either a decrease (precocial animals such as guinea pig neonates) or a lack of reduction (altricial animals such as human neonates) of plasma iron in response to endotoxin. In order to determine whether this difference is connected with maturity just after delivery, plasma iron concentration, hematocrit, body temperature and body mass were measured in rat pups injected with E. coli endotoxin in doses of 50 or 200 μg kg⁻¹. Rat pups, like human neonates, are altricial animals. In 7-day-old rats injection of LPS led to a dose-dependent decrease in plasma iron level. The fall in plasma iron was accompanied by changes in body temperature and body mass. The results showed that plasma iron response to endotoxin in altricial rat neonates is similar to that observed in precocial guinea pig pups. Accepted: 4 October 1996     

Lunar rhythms in growth of larval fish

Growth and survival of larval fishes is highly variable and unpredictable. Our limited understanding of this variation constrains our ability to forecast population dynamics and effectively manage fisheries. Here we show that daily growth rates of a coral reef fish (the sixbar wrasse, Thalassoma hardwicke) are strongly lunar-periodic and predicted by the timing of nocturnal brightness: growth was maximized when the first half of the night was dark and the second half of the night was bright. Cloud cover that obscured moonlight facilitated a ‘natural experiment’, and confirmed the effect of moonlight on growth. We suggest that lunar-periodic growth may be attributable to light-mediated suppression of diel vertical migrations of predators and prey. Accounting for such effects will improve our capacity to predict the future dynamics of marine populations, especially in response to climate-driven changes in nocturnal cloud cover and intensification of artificial light, which could lead to population declines by reducing larval survival and growth.     

A New Anaesthetic Protocol for Adult Zebrafish (Danio rerio): Propofol Combined with Lidocaine

Background

The increasing use of zebrafish model has not been accompanied by the evolution of proper anaesthesia for this species in research. The most used anaesthetic in fishes, MS222, may induce aversion, reduction of heart rate, and consequently high mortality, especially during long exposures. Therefore, we aim to explore new anaesthetic protocols to be used in zebrafish by studying the quality of anaesthesia and recovery induced by different concentrations of propofol alone and in combination with different concentrations of lidocaine.

Material and Methods

In experiment A, eighty-three AB zebrafish were randomly assigned to 7 different groups: control, 2.5 (2.5P), 5 (5P) or 7.5 μg/ml (7.5P) of propofol; and 2.5 μg/ml of propofol combined with 50, (P/50L), 100 (P/100L) or 150 μg/ml (P/150L) of lidocaine. Zebrafish were placed in an anaesthetic water bath and time to lose the equilibrium, reflex to touch, reflex to a tail pinch, and respiratory rate were measured. Time to gain equilibrium was also assessed in a clean tank. Five and 24 hours after anaesthesia recovery, zebrafish were evaluated concerning activity and reactivity. Afterwards, in a second phase of experiments (experiment B), the best protocol of the experiment A was compared with a new group of 8 fishes treated with 100 mg/L of MS222 (100M).

Results

In experiment A, only different concentrations of propofol/lidocaine combination induced full anaesthesia in all animals. Thus only these groups were compared with a standard dose of MS222 in experiment B. Propofol/lidocaine induced a quicker loss of equilibrium, and loss of response to light and painful stimuli compared with MS222. However zebrafish treated with MS222 recovered quickly than the ones treated with propofol/lidocaine.

Conclusion

In conclusion, propofol/lidocaine combination and MS222 have advantages in different situations. MS222 is ideal for minor procedures when a quick recovery is important, while propofol/lidocaine is best to induce a quick and complete anaesthesia.     

Warming temperatures and smaller body sizes: synchronous changes in growth of North Sea fishes

Decreasing body size has been proposed as a universal response to increasing temperatures. The physiology behind the response is well established for ectotherms inhabiting aquatic environments: as higher temperatures decrease the aerobic capacity, individuals with smaller body sizes have a reduced risk of oxygen deprivation. However, empirical evidence of this response at the scale of communities and ecosystems is lacking for marine fish species. Here, we show that over a 40‐year period six of eight commercial fish species in the North Sea examined underwent concomitant reductions in asymptotic body size with the synchronous component of the total variability coinciding with a 1–2 °C increase in water temperature. Smaller body sizes decreased the yield‐per‐recruit of these stocks by an average of 23%. Although it is not possible to ascribe these phenotypic changes unequivocally to temperature, four aspects support this interpretation: (i) the synchronous trend was detected across species varying in their life history and life style; (ii) the decrease coincided with the period of increasing temperature; (iii) the direction of the phenotypic change is consistent with physiological knowledge; and (iv) no cross‐species synchrony was detected in other species‐specific factors potentially impacting growth. Our findings support a recent model‐derived prediction that fish size will shrink in response to climate‐induced changes in temperature and oxygen. The smaller body sizes being projected for the future are already detectable in the North Sea.     

Allometric growth of the trunk leads to the rostral shift of the pelvic fin in teleost fishes

The pelvic fin position among teleost fishes has shifted rostrally during evolution, resulting in diversification of both behavior and habitat. We explored the developmental basis for the rostral shift in pelvic fin position in teleost fishes using zebrafish (abdominal pelvic fins) and Nile tilapia (thoracic pelvic fins). Cell fate mapping experiments revealed that changes in the distribution of lateral plate mesodermal cells accompany the trunk-tail protrusion. Presumptive pelvic fin cells are originally located at the body wall adjacent to the anterior limit of hoxc10a expression in the spinal cord, and their position shifts rostrally as the trunk grows. We then showed that the differences in pelvic fin position between zebrafish and Nile tilapia were not due to changes in expression or function of gdf11. We also found that hox-independent motoneurons located above the pelvic fins innervate into the pelvic musculature. Our results suggest that there is a common mechanism among teleosts and tetrapods that controls paired appendage positioning via gdf11, but in teleost fishes the position of prospective pelvic fin cells on the yolk surface shifts as the trunk grows. In addition, teleost motoneurons, which lack lateral motor columns, innervate the pelvic fins in a manner independent of the rostral-caudal patterns of hox expression in the spinal cord.     

Phylogeny,body morphology,and trophic level shape intestinal traits in coral reef fishes

1. Trait‐based approaches are increasingly used to study species assemblages and understand ecosystem functioning. The strength of these approaches lies in the appropriate choice of functional traits that relate to the functions of interest. However, trait–function relationships are often supported by weak empirical evidence.
2. Processes related to digestion and nutrient assimilation are particularly challenging to integrate into trait‐based approaches. In fishes, intestinal length is commonly used to describe these functions. Although there is broad consensus concerning the relationship between fish intestinal length and diet, evolutionary and environmental forces have shaped a diversity of intestinal morphologies that is not captured by length alone.
3. Focusing on coral reef fishes, we investigate how evolutionary history and ecology shape intestinal morphology. Using a large dataset encompassing 142 species across 31 families collected in French Polynesia, we test how phylogeny, body morphology, and diet relate to three intestinal morphological traits: intestinal length, diameter, and surface area.
4. We demonstrate that phylogeny, body morphology, and trophic level explain most of the interspecific variability in fish intestinal morphology. Despite the high degree of phylogenetic conservatism, taxonomically unrelated herbivorous fishes exhibit similar intestinal morphology due to adaptive convergent evolution. Furthermore, we show that stomachless, durophagous species have the widest intestines to compensate for the lack of a stomach and allow passage of relatively large undigested food particles.
5. Rather than traditionally applied metrics of intestinal length, intestinal surface area may be the most appropriate trait to characterize intestinal morphology in functional studies.

     

p38α MAPK regulates myocardial regeneration in zebrafish

Although adult mammals are unable to significantly regenerate their heart, this is not the case for a number of other vertebrate species. In particular, zebrafish are able to fully regenerate their heart following amputation of up to 20% of the ventricle. Soon after amputation, cardiomyocytes dedifferentiate and proliferate to regenerate the missing tissue. More recently, identical results have also been obtained in neonatal mice. Ventricular amputation of neonates leads to a robust regenerative response driven by the proliferation of existing cardiomyocytes in a similar manner to zebrafish. However, this ability is progressively lost during the first week of birth. The fact that adult zebrafish retain the capacity to regenerate their heart suggests that they either possess a unique regenerative mechanism, or that adult mammals lose/ inhibit this process. p38α ΜAPK has previously been shown to negatively regulate the proliferation of adult mammalian cardiomyocytes. We sought to determine whether a similar mechanism exists in adult zebrafish, and whether this needs to be overcome to allow regeneration to proceed. To determine whether p38α ΜAPK also regulates zebrafish cardiomyocytes in a similar manner, we generated conditional transgenic zebrafish in which either dominant-negative or active p38α ΜAPK are specifically expressed in cardiomyocytes. We found that active p38α ΜAPK but not dominantnegative p38α ΜAPK blocks proliferation of adult zebrafish cardiomyocytes and, consequently, heart regeneration as well. It appears that adult zebrafish cardiomyocytes share many characteristics with adult mammalian cardiomyocytes, including p38α MAPK-mediated cell cycle inhibition. These findings raise the possibility that zebrafish-like heart regeneration could be achieved in adult mammals.     

Antipyretic doses of α-MSH do not alter afebrile body temperature in the cold

1. 1.|α-MSH (1/2–13) was injected centrally and peripherally in rabbits exposed to cold.

2. 2.|Doses of the peptide previously shown to reduce fever had no effect on afebrile body temperature in the cold; larger doses did lower temperature.

3. 3.|We conclude that the antipyretic effect of small doses of α-MSH does not depend upon inhibition of central heat productioin and heat conservatioin pathways.

4. 4.|The antipyretic and hypthermic activities of α-MSH are independent and may represent different actions within the CNS.

RBM3 regulates temperature sensitive miR-142–5p and miR-143 (thermomiRs), which target immune genes and control fever

Fever is commonly used to diagnose disease and is consistently associated with increased mortality in critically ill patients. However, the molecular controls of elevated body temperature are poorly understood. We discovered that the expression of RNA-binding motif protein 3 (RBM3), known to respond to cold stress and to modulate microRNA (miRNA) expression, was reduced in 30 patients with fever, and in THP-1-derived macrophages maintained at a fever-like temperature (40°C). Notably, RBM3 expression is reduced during fever whether or not infection is demonstrable. Reduced RBM3 expression resulted in increased expression of RBM3-targeted temperature-sensitive miRNAs, we termed thermomiRs. ThermomiRs such as miR-142–5p and miR-143 in turn target endogenous pyrogens including IL-6, IL6ST, TLR2, PGE2 and TNF to complete a negative feedback mechanism, which may be crucial to prevent pathological hyperthermia. Using normal PBMCs that were exogenously exposed to fever-like temperature (40°C), we further demonstrate the trend by which decreased levels of RBM3 were associated with increased levels of miR-142–5p and miR-143 and vice versa over a 24 h time course. Collectively, our results indicate the existence of a negative feedback loop that regulates fever via reduced RBM3 levels and increased expression of miR-142–5p and miR-143.