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Effects of exogenous cortisol and seawater adaptation on thyroid hormone receptors in the smolt stage of the sockeye salmon, Oncorhynchus nerka

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Abstract

The objective of this investigation was to quantify how thyroid hormone receptors of the sockeye salmon, Oncorhynchus nerka, respond to salinity changes from freshwater (FW) to seawater (SW) conditions. Thyroid hormone receptors (TRs) mRNA and protein expressions levels significantly increased when the fish were transferred from FW to SW, and the plasma T3 and T4 levels were significantly highest at 50 % SW and then maintained as control. Moreover, these parameters were significantly lower in the cortisol-injected groups than in the control. Hence, TRs, T3, and T4 may play a role in SW adaptation, when the fish migrate from FW to SW environments. We showed a negative correlation between cortisol and thyroid hormone levels, and a significant increase in plasma K+ levels in the kidney when the fish were transferred to SW, with levels being significantly lower in the cortisol-injected group. Hence, cortisol appears to be a stress hormone, and the plasma Na+ and Cl- levels significantly increased when the fish were transferred to SW, with levels being significantly lower in the cortisol-injected group. These results indicate that cortisol modulates ion transportation in the plasma.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Basic Science Research Program through the Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (2011-0007095), and by the MSIP (Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning), Korea, under the ITRC (Information Technology Research Center) support program supervised by the NIPA (National IT Industry Promotion Agency (NIPA-2013-H0301-13-2009).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Marine Environment & Bioscience, Korea Maritime and Ocean University, Busan, 606-791, Republic of Korea

    Hyun Suk Shin, Young Jae Choi, Na Na Kim & Cheol Young Choi

  2. Department of Marine Life Sciences, Jeju National University, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, 690-756, Republic of Korea

    Jehee Lee

  3. Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere and Division of Biosphere Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 606-0809, Japan

    Hiroshi Ueda

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  1. Hyun Suk Shin
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Correspondence to Cheol Young Choi.

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Shin, H.S., Choi, Y.J., Kim, N.N. et al. Effects of exogenous cortisol and seawater adaptation on thyroid hormone receptors in the smolt stage of the sockeye salmon, Oncorhynchus nerka . Ichthyol Res 61, 9–16 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-013-0365-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-013-0365-8

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