Daily endocrine profiles in parr and smolt Atlantic salmon.

To elucidate possible mechanisms behind the endocrine control of parr-smolt transformation, the daily plasma profiles in thyroid hormones (TH; free thyroxine (FT(4)), total thyroxine (TT(4)), and total 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (TT(3))), growth hormone (GH) and cortisol were studied in Atlantic salmon parr and smolts under simulated-natural winter (8 L:16D) and spring (16.5 L:7.5D) photoperiods, respectively. Overall, TT(4), TT(3) and GH levels were higher in smolts than in parr, whereas FT(4) levels fluctuated within the same range in parr and smolts. Significant diurnal changes in plasma TH were present in parr. Both FT(4) and TT(4) levels increased during the photophase and decreased during the scotophase, while TT(3) levels followed an inverse pattern. Growth hormone showed no significant changes in parr. Changes in FT(4), TT(4), GH, and cortisol, but not TT(3), levels, were observed in smolts with peak levels during both the photophase and scotophase for FT(4), TT(4) and GH. Plasma cortisol was not assayed in parr but in smolts the peaks were associated with dusk and dawn. In addition to the general increases in TH, GH and cortisol, the distinct endocrine differences in nighttime levels between parr in the winter and smolts in the spring suggest different interactions between TH, GH, cortisol and melatonin at these different time points. These spring scotophase endocrine profiles may represent synergistic hormone interactions that promote smolt development, similar to the synergistic endocrine interactions shown to accelerate anuran metamorphosis. The variations in these diurnal rhythms between parr and smolts may represent part of the endocrine mechanism for the translation of seasonal information during salmon smoltification

Free plasma thyroxine levels in coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch, during parr-smolt transformation : Comparison with total thyroxine, total triiodothyronine, and growth hormone levels

Free plasma thyroxine (FT4) levels were measured in coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch, during parr-smolt transformation (smoltification) using an equilibrium dialysis system followed by a radioimmunoassay. The FT4 data were correlated to total plasma thyroxine (TT4), triiodothyronine (TT3), and growth hormone (GH). Plasma samples were taken weekly from early April to late May, when the salmon where released from the hatchery. Free thyroxine and GH levels increased gradually through smoltification. TT4 levels increased significantly in mid-April and in mid-May. TT3 levels increased in April and remained elevated until late-May after which they declined to the lowest levels. During the first increase in TT4 levels, FT4 levels remained low and TT3 levels did not increase until FT4 levels increased in late-April. In addition, after TT4 levels decreased in late May, FT4 levels remained elevated. These data show that there are differences between the plasma FT4 and TT4 profiles during smoltification. Nevertheless, regression analysis indicates that FT4 levels are highly correlated to the increases in the levels of GH (r=0.73) and TT4 (r=0.70). In addition, GH is less correlated to TT4 and TT3 (r = 0.24 and r = -0.46, respectively) compared with FT4 (r = 0.73), suggesting a close relationship between the increases of FT4 and GH. In addition, these data suggest that this method of measuring free plasma thyroxine may provide a new tool for studying the timing of thyroid hormone action and regulation during parr-smolt transformation in salmonids

Free plasma calcium regulation during seawater exposure of smoltified coho salmon (oncorhynchus kisutch): possible involvement of calcitonin, growth-hormone, and prolactin

International audienc

Smoltification and seawater adaptation in Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch): Plasma prolactin, growth hormone, thyroid hormones, and cortisol

The status of circulating growth hormone and prolactin during the parr-smolt transformation and during seawater adaptation of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) was investigated in relation to changes in plasma levels of thyroxine, triiodothyronine, and cortisol, and in hypoosmoregulatory ability. Sampling (biweekly or monthly) occurred between early February and October. When peak hypoosmoregulatory ability was achieved (mid-April), one group of fish was acclimated to seawater over a period of 18 hr and was sampled 1, 3, and 7 days after the introduction of fish to seawater and biweekly thereafter. Plasma prolactin levels rose steadily from the first sampling date to a peak of 15 ng/ml in early April, declined rapidly, and remained low until June when a second increase occurred. Prolactin declined to 2 ng/ml within 1 day of the beginning of seawater adaptation. Growth hormone increased twofold from February to late March, and achieved plateau levels of 20 ng/ml in the period from mid-April to July and then gradually declined to 10 ng/ml in September and October. Plasma levels of growth hormone in seawater-acclimated fish were similar to those of freshwater coho, but with larger fluctuations; no increase was apparent during the first week of seawater acclimation. Plasma cortisol and plasma triiodothyronine increased at the same time as plasma growth hormone; increases in plasma thyroxine occurred later. In general, both growth hormone and cortisol levels were elevated when hypoosmoregulatory ability was high. Conversely, prolactin levels generally showed a negative relationship with hypoosmoregulatory ability