Integrated response of the zebrafish (Danio rerio) cardiovascular system to hypoxia acclimation.

ABSTRACT: Chronic hypoxia exposure of fish can cause remodelling of the gills as well as increases to haematocrit and haemoglobin binding affinity. There is less known, however, about how chronic hypoxia affects the structure and function of the heart. In the current study, zebrafish were exposed to moderate hypoxia for 7 weeks and then ultrasound was used to characterize cardiac function. We found that cardiac output of the hypoxia-acclimated fish was greater than that of the control fish during an acute hypoxia exposure. This difference was due, at least in part, to the higher cardiac stroke volume. Histological measurements demonstrated an increase in the cross-sectional area of the ventricle of hypoxia-exposed fish and this was supported by higher end diastolic area measurements made using ultra

SUBMITTER: Manchester EA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12669836 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature