Resumen

VALENZUELA, Ariel; ALVEAL, Katherine  y  TARIFENO, Eduardo. HAEMATOLOGIVAL RESPONSE OF THE TROUT (ONCORHYNCHUS MYKISS WALBAUM 1792) TO THE ACUTE HYPOXIC STRESS: RES BLODD CELLS. Gayana (Concepc.) [online]. 2002, vol.66, n.2, pp.255-261. ISSN 0717-652X.  http://dx.doi.org/10.4067/S0717-65382002000200024.

An adequate transfer of oxygen from the aquatic environment to the oxidative sites at fish tissues is needed to supply the methabolic requeriments for the homeostatic control. Many fish are well adapted to survive hipoxic conditions in their environments by respiratory and cardiovascular adjustments. However, there are not sufficient information on the homeostatic responses in blood parameters to acute hipoxia. In fish aquacultures, it is common that fishes are exposed to short periods of hypoxia or anoxia because failing in the management routines. To examine the physiological responses in the blood comparment to short-time increasing hypoxic conditions, laboratory experiments were done with rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mikyss). Blood parameters assessed were hematocrit, hemoglobin concentration, erythrocyte total number, erythrocyte size and hemoglobin content in red cells, together wih fish oxygen consumption and variations in the Somatic-Spleen Index (IBS). Fish were exposed to increasing hypoxic conditions (0, 5, 10, 20 and 30 minutes) inside glass-sealed respirometers. The results showed that fish were exposed to hypoxic conditions as such as 2 mg O₂/lt at the end of 30 minutes. In response to the hypoxic stress, trouts showed diminished oxygen consumption together with a decreasing IBS with simultaneous increasing values in number of erythrocytes, hematocrite and poly-chromatophils red cells. However, cellular size and hemoglobin content in the red cells, were decreased. These results suggest that stressed fish adapted to increasing hypoxic conditions with reduction in the oxygen consumption (oxyconformation response) and increasing number of red cells in blood circulation. However most of the red cells were physiological non-functional since the on hemoglobin contents did not increase with hypoxia

Palabras clave : hypoxic; breathing; spleen; hematology; trout.