Skin mucous: A new approach to assess stress in rainbow trout

Mercado, E. de; Larrán, Ana María; Pinedo, J.; Tomás-Almenar, Cristina

doi:10.1016/j.aquaculture.2017.10.031

Cited by 67 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…Plasma cortisol concentration is also known to be influenced by acute spikes in glucocorticoid production, for example caused by handling stress prior to sampling, which may mask underlying stress levels (Bertotto et al 2010). Our results add to that of other recent studies suggesting that faecal and skin sampling provide non-destructive alternatives to measuring plasma cortisol in Atlantic salmon (Bertotto et al 2010; Cao et al 2017; De Mercado et al 2018; Lupica & Turner Jr 2009), which can also be linked directly to microbiome analysis.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

Cortisol-induced signatures of stress in the fish microbiome

Webster

Rodríguez‐Barreto

Consuegra

et al. 2019

Preprint

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Stress experienced in intensive aquaculture can compromise fish growth, condition and immunity. Microbiome disruption may contribute to these adverse health effects, but little is known about how stress affects fish microbial communities. Here, we specifically examined the effects of stress-induced cortisol production on the fish microbiome. We exposed juvenile Atlantic salmon to a mild confinement stressor for two weeks. We then measured cortisol in the plasma, skin-mucus and faeces, and characterised the skin and faecal microbiome. Faecal and skin cortisol concentrations increased in fish exposed to confinement stress, and were positively correlated with plasma cortisol. Elevated faecal cortisol was associated with pronounced changes in the diversity and structure of the faecal microbiome. In particular, we identified a marked decline in probiotic Lactobacillales (Carnobacterium sp.) and an increase in pro-inflammatory and pathogenic taxa within the classes Clostridia and Gammaproteobacteria. In contrast, skin-mucus cortisol concentrations were lower and not associated with any detectable changes in the skin microbiome. Our results demonstrate that cortisol disrupts the gut microbiome, which may, in turn, contribute to the adverse effects of stress on fish health. They also highlight the value of using non-invasive faecal samples to monitor stress, including simultaneous determination of cortisol and stress-responsive bacteria.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

Cortisol-induced signatures of stress in the fish microbiome

Webster

Rodríguez‐Barreto

Consuegra

et al. 2019

Preprint

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“…Collecting mucus has also been described as an effective way to depict pre and post‐stress cortisol levels in various fishes (Bertotto et al, ; De Mercado et al, ; Simontacchi et al, ). The procedure consists of collecting the mucus produced from the head to the caudal fin, by manual scraping, taking care to avoid contaminations from urino‐genital or intestinal fluids.…”

Section: Sampling Matrices To Extract Cortisolmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Then, scales are washed with ultrapure water and dried before being chopped with scissors. This method has been criticised (Carbajal et al, ) because water could enter scales and wash out cortisol (Bertotto et al, ; De Mercado et al, ). Carbajal et al , (2018) therefore recommended the use of isopropanol, as is used for mammal hair, to remove the thin layer of mucus containing cortisol; i.e ., 3 washes with 3 ml of isopropanol for 2.5 min.…”

Section: Sampling Matrices To Extract Cortisolmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Collecting mucus has also been described as an effective way to depict pre and post-stress cortisol levels in various fishes (Bertotto et al, 2010;De Mercado et al, 2018;Simontacchi et al, 2008). The procedure consists of collecting the mucus produced from the head to Dicentrarchus labrax (L. 1756) (Simontacchi et al, 2008), there is a good correlation between plasmatic and mucous cortisol (Bertotto et al, 2010;Simontacchi et al, 2008).…”

Section: Mucusmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Measuring cortisol, the major stress hormone in fishes

Sadoul

Geffroy

2019

Journal of Fish Biology

264

141

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Stress in teleosts is an increasingly studied topic because of its interaction with growth, reproduction, immune system and ultimately fitness of the animal. Whether it is for evaluating welfare in aquaculture, adaptive capacities in fish ecology, or to investigate effects of human‐induced rapid environmental change, new experimental methods to describe stress physiology in captive or wild fish have flourished. Cortisol has proven to be a reliable indicator of stress and is considered the major stress hormone. Initially principally measured in blood, cortisol measurement methods are now evolving towards lower invasiveness and to allow repeated measurements over time. We present an overview of recent achievements in the field of cortisol measurement in fishes, discussing new alternatives to blood, whole body and eggs as matrices for cortisol measurement, notably mucus, faeces, water, scales and fins. In parallel, new analytical tools are being developed to increase specificity, sensitivity and automation of the measure. The review provides the founding principles of these techniques and introduces their potential as continuous monitoring tools. Finally, we consider promising avenues of research that could be prioritised in the field of stress physiology of fishes.

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“…Epidermal mucus has recently been considered a non-invasive and reliable target for the study of fish responses to environmental challenges (De Mercado et al, 2018;Ekman et al, 2015;Fernández-Alacid et al, 2019Guardiola et al, 2016). For this to be effective, both the production and composition of mucus need to be closely studied, with its exudation and renewal rates being key.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using stable isotope analysis to study skin mucus exudation and renewal in fish

Ibarz

Ordóñez-Grande

Sanahuja

et al. 2019

Journal of Experimental Biology

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Fish skin mucus is proposed as a novel target for the study of physiological condition and to conduct minimally invasive monitoring of fish. Whereas mucus composition has been a major interest of recent studies, no practical techniques have been proposed to gain understanding of the capacity and rhythm of production and exudation. Here, we used stable isotope analysis (SIA) with a labelled meal, packaged in gelatine capsules, to evaluate mucus production and renewal in a fish model, the gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata). Mucus 13 C-and 15 N-enrichment reached higher levels at 12 h post-ingestion without significant differences at 24 h. When the formation of new mucus was induced, 13 C-enrichment in the new mucus doubled whereas 15 N-enrichment only increased by 10%. These results indicate the feasibility of adopting SIA in mucus studies and allow us to propose this methodology as a means to improve knowledge of mucus turnover in fish and other animals.

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Skin mucous: A new approach to assess stress in rainbow trout

Cited by 67 publications

References 45 publications

Cortisol-induced signatures of stress in the fish microbiome

Cortisol-induced signatures of stress in the fish microbiome

Measuring cortisol, the major stress hormone in fishes

Using stable isotope analysis to study skin mucus exudation and renewal in fish

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