Effects of fresh and seawater ingestion on osmoregulation in Atlantic bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) |
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Authors: | Sam Ridgway Stephanie Venn-Watson |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, Mail Code 0679, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA;(2) Navy Marine Mammal Program Foundation, 1220 Rosecrans St. #284, San Diego, CA 92106, USA |
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Abstract: | Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) are marine mammals with body water needs challenged by little access to fresh water and constant exposure to salt water.
Osmoregulation has been studied in marine mammals for a century. Research assessing the effects of ingested fresh water or
seawater in dolphins, however, has been limited to few animals and sampling times. Nine 16- to 25-h studies were conducted
on eight adult dolphins to assess the hourly impact of fresh water, seawater, and seawater with protein ingestion on plasma
and urine osmolality, urine flow rate (ufr), urinary and plasma solute concentrations, and solute clearance rates. Fresh water
ingestion increased ufr. Fresh water ingestion also decreased plasma and urine osmolality, sodium and chloride urine concentrations,
and solute excretion rates. Seawater ingestion resulted in increased ufr, sodium, chloride, and potassium urine concentrations,
sodium excretion rates, and urine osmolality. Seawater with protein ingestion was associated with increased ufr, plasma osmolality,
sodium excretion, and sodium, chloride, potassium, and urea urine concentrations. In conclusion, bottlenose dolphins appear
to maintain water and plasma solute balance after ingesting fresh water or seawater by altering urine osmolality and solute
clearance. Ingestion of protein with seawater appears to further push osmoregulation limits and urine solute concentrations
in dolphins. |
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