Evaluation of tricaine methanesulfonate (MS-222) as a surgical anesthetic for Atlantic Sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus

Abstract

Dose-response experiments were conducted at 14 and 24°C to evaluate the efficacy and physiological effects of tricaine methanesulfonate (MS-222) to induce and maintain surgical anesthesia in juvenile Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus). Anesthetic induction time, duration of hyperactivity, recovery time and total handling time of fish were inversely related to MS-222 concentration and water temperature. Minimum effective concentration of MS-222 to maintain anesthesia with fewest signs of stress was 85 mg L )1 . Sensitivity to stimuli and body movements progressively increased when fish were exposed to a lower maintenance concentration (70 mg L )1 ) of MS-222, resulting in reduced biopsy success rates and traumatic injury to internal organs during laparoscopy as fish regained consciousness. Anesthesia with MS-222 resulted in bradychardia, near medullary collapse, elevated signs of stress (plasma cortisol and reddening of the skin) and a generalized hemo-concentration consisting of erythrocyte swelling and increased protein and monovalent ion concentrations. Magnitude of hematologic changes and stress indicators increased with decreasing MS-222 concentration and increased water temperature while plasma chemistry changes increased in magnitude with decreasing MS-222 concentration. This study demonstrates that rapid induction of surgical anesthesia with a relatively high concentration of MS-222 results in reduced signs of physiological stress, and that empirical evaluation of maintenance dosage is important to achieve the best balance between safety, efficacy and stressful side effects for invasive surgical procedures.

Silver catfishRhamdia quelenimmersion anaesthesia with essential oil ofAloysia triphylla(L'Hérit) Britton or tricaine methanesulfonate: effect on stress response and antioxidant status

“…A higher concentration hastened induction of anaesthesia in the MS222‐treated fish (Figure A), corroborating previous reports with the anaesthetic in Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus (Matsche ) and in Pagellus bogaraveo and Seriola dumerilii (Maricchiolo & Genovese ). The EO also showed anaesthetic activity concentration‐dependent in silver catfish (Figure B).…”

“…Recovery from anaesthesia was unaffected by MS222 concentration (Figure ), as observed in P. bogaraveo and S. dumerilii (Maricchiolo & Genovese ). An opposite trend was reported in A. oxyrinchus oxyrinchus (Matsche ), with prolonged recovery as MS222 concentration increased. All of the fish recovered from anaesthesia within 30 min and no animal loss was registered in the course of the experiment.…”

Impact of inducing general anaesthesia with MS‐222 on haematological and biochemical parameters of pikeperch (Sander lucioperca)

“…The lack of significant differences in lactate levels in this study, which indicates the lack of or the inhibition of a stress response following immersion in an MS-222 solution could have resulted from the use of a higher concentration of this anaesthetic, that is, 150 mg/L, which permitted inducing general anaesthesia more quickly before the onset of a stress reaction(Matsche, 2011). The lack of significant differences in lactate levels in this study, which indicates the lack of or the inhibition of a stress response following immersion in an MS-222 solution could have resulted from the use of a higher concentration of this anaesthetic, that is, 150 mg/L, which permitted inducing general anaesthesia more quickly before the onset of a stress reaction(Matsche, 2011).…”

Hematology and plasma chemistry of wild shortnose sturgeonAcipenser brevirostrumfrom Delaware River, USA

“…The stresses of fish capture and anesthetization with tricaine methanesulfonate (MS‐222) can also elicit a variety of hematologic and biochemical changes in sturgeon (Cataldi et al., ; Di Marco et al., ; Bayunova et al., ; Baker et al., ; Gomulka et al., ; Matsche, ). Differences in blood values between wild shortnose sturgeon (this study) and cultured fish (Knowles et al., ) may be greatly influenced by fish capture method.…”