Effects of Acute Handling Stress on Expression of Growth‐Related Genes in Pampus argenteus

Abstract

AbstractIn fish, growth and development are mainly regulated by growth hormone/insulin‐like growth factors. Common aquaculture practices subject fish to stress. To investigate the effects of acute stress on growth‐related genes in cultured fish, the expression of growth hormone receptors (ghr1 and ghr2), insulin‐like growth factor binding proteins (igfbp1, igfbp4, and igfbp5), preprosomatostatin I and II (ppss1and ppss2), somatostatin receptors (sstr2 and sstr5), myostatin (mstn1 and mstn2), and glucocorticoid receptors (gr1 and gr2) were examined in Pampus argenteus subjected to handling stress. Plasma growth hormone levels increased significantly and peaked at 12 h and then decreased significantly at 24 h after treatment (P<0.05). Plasma cortisol and glucose concentrations in stressed fish began to increase significantly at 2 and 6 h after treatment, respectively. Real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that hepatic ghr2 mRNA levels in liver and muscle decreased sharply in response to the stressor. Igfbp1, 4, and 5 mRNA expressions in muscle also decreased sharply after exposure, while expression of ppss1, sstr2, and mstn2 increased significantly. This study showed that acute handling stress can affect expression of growth‐related genes in P. argenteus. Our findings could be helpful for the further study on response to stress in this species.