Oxygen consumption and Na+,K+-ATPase activity of rectal gland and gill tissue in the spiny dogfish,Squalus acanthias

Abstract

Oxygen consumption was measured in rectal gland and gill tissue of the spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias) to estimate the energy cost of salt (NaCl) transport in these osmoregulatory organs. Ouabain (0.5 mM) was used to specifically inhibit Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase activity and thus the portion of tissue respiration required by the Na⁺/K⁺pump. The total mass-specific oxygen consumption of rectal gland tissue (14.2 ± 1.2 μmol O₂/(g wet mass∙h)) was significantly higher than measured for the gills (9.6 ± 1.4 μmol O₂/(g wet mass∙h)), and ouabain significantly reduced oxygen consumption in both tissues. Ouabain-sensitive oxygen consumption of the rectal gland accounted for 55% of total mass-specific oxygen consumption, compared with 22% for the gill. The higher ion transport capacity of the rectal gland was also evident in Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase specific activity measurements of fresh tissue samples, which were sixfold higher in the rectal gland than in the gill. Ouabain-sensitive oxygen consumption was also calculated on the basis of total organ mass to determine the portion of whole-animal oxygen uptake related to organismal NaCl transport. The cost of NaCl secretion was estimated to be 0.5% of standard metabolic rate for the rectal gland compared with 0.14% for the gills, suggesting that this process constitutes a relatively small portion of the total energy budget in the spiny dogfish.