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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stoneville, Mississippi » Warmwater Aquaculture Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #158371
Title: EFFECT OF AQUI-S SEDATION ON PLASMA CORTISOL, GLUCOSE AND LACTATE DYNAMICS IN CHANNEL CATFISH (ICTALURUS PUNCTATUS) EXPOSED TO THREE STRESSORS

Author
item Small, Brian

Submitted to: Aquaculture
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/24/2004
Publication Date: 4/1/2004
Citation: Small, B.C. 2004. Effect of aqui-s sedation on plasma cortisol, glucose and lactate dynamics in channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) exposed to three stressors. Aquaculture 238:469-481.

Interpretive Summary: Channel catfish harvesting and transport can cause elevated levels of blood-born stress factors, such as cortisol, glucose, and lactate, known to affect disease resistance and fillet quality. A relatively new fish anesthetic, AQUI-S, has foodfish approval in Australia, Chile and New Zealand with a no withholding period, and is being reviewed for use with foodfish in the United States. In the present research, sedation of channel catfish with AQUI-S had suppressive effects on catfish cortisol, glucose, and lactate under certain conditions common to catfish harvesting and transport. These results suggest that sedatives, such as AQUI-S may prove to be useful tools during catfish harvesting and transport, potentially improving fish health and fillet quality.

Technical Abstract: The effect of AQUI-S sedation (5 mg/L) on plasma cortisol, glucose, and lactate dynamics in channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), relative to two controls, was examined during confinement, exposure to high unionized ammonia, and acute oxygen depletion. The positive control (PC) for each treatment was no sedation, and the negative control (NC) was sedation with metomidate hydrochloride (1.5 mg/L). AQUI-S sedated catfish had 66% lower (P<0.05) plasma cortisol levels than PC fish after 15-min of confinement, and 25% lower (P<0.05) plasma glucose levels after 45-min of confinement. Plasma lactate increased due to confinement, regardless of treatment. Fish exposed to high ammonia for 24-h, had elevated (P<0.05) cortisol levels in PC and AQUI-S treatment groups. Ammonia did not affect plasma glucose or lactate levels. The highest stress response for all three indices was obtained following acute oxygen depletion for 30-min. Plasma glucose levels increased in all three treatments; however, sedation with AQUI-S significantly suppressed the resulting plasma cortisol and lactate response by 75 and 25%, respectively, compared to PC fish. Plasma cortisol levels in NC fish were below detection limits for all stress treatments. As a sedative, AQUI-S had suppressive effects on channel catfish plasma cortisol levels during confinement and low oxygen conditions, and reduced the plasma lactate response to acute oxygen depletion.