Evidence for growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor I axis regulation of seawater acclimation in the euryhaline teleost Fundulus heteroclitus.

The ability of ovine growth hormone (oGH), recombinant bovine insulin-like growth factor I (rbIGF-I), recombinant human insulin-like growth factor II (rhIGF-II), and bovine insulin to increase hypoosmoregulatory capacity in the euryhaline teleost Fundulus heteroclitus was examined. Fish acclimated to brackish water (BW, 10 ppt salinity, 320 mOsm/kg H2O) were injected with a single dose of hormone and transferred to seawater (SW, 35 ppt salinity, 1120 mOsm/kg H2O) 2 days later. Fish were sampled 24 h after transfer and plasma osmolality, plasma glucose, and gill Na+, K+-ATPase activity were examined. Transfer from BW to SW increased plasma osmolality and gill Na+,K+-ATPase activity. Transfer from BW to BW had no effect on these parameters. rbIGF-I (0.05, 0.1, and 0.2 microg/g) improved the ability to maintain plasma osmolality and to increase gill Na+, K+-ATPase activity in a dose-dependent manner. oGH (0.5, 1, and 2 microg/g) also increased hypoosmoregulatory ability but only the higher doses (2 microg/g) significantly increased gill Na+,K+-ATPase activity. oGH (1 microg/g) and rbIGF-I (0.1 microg/g) had a significantly greater effect on plasma osmolality and gill Na+,K+-ATPase activity than either hormone alone. rhIGF-II (0.05, 0.1, and 0.2 microg/g) and bovine insulin (0.01 and 0.05 microg/g) were without effect. The results suggest a role of GH and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) in seawater acclimation of F. heteroclitus. Based on these findings and previous studies, it is concluded that the capacity of the GH/IGF-I axis to increase hypoosmoregulatory ability may be a common feature of euryhalinity in teleosts.