Noradrenaline modulates the immunity of white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei

The total haemocyte count (THC), phenoloxidase activity, respiratory burst, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, phagocytic activity and clearance efficiency in response to pathogen Vibrio alginolyticus were measured when the white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei (18.4 ± 1.2 g) were injected individually with noradrenaline at 10−8, 10−7 and 10−6 mol shrimp−1. For the shrimp that received noradrenaline at 10−8, 10−7 and 10−6 mol shrimp−1, the THC decreased by 15%, 21% and 32%, phenoloxidase activity decreased by 15%, 31% and 31%, respiratory burst decreased by 13%, 21% and 32%, and SOD activity decreased by 46%, 56% and 55%, respectively, after 2 h. The phagocytic activity and clearance efficiency of shrimp that received noradrenaline at either dose decreased significantly after 2 h. The THC, phenoloxidase activity, respiratory burst, SOD activity, phagocytic activity and clearance efficiency returned to normal values after 4, 4, 8, 24, 16 and 8 h, respectively, in the shrimp that received noradrenaline at either dose. In another experiment, L. vannamei which had received noradrenaline at 10−8, 10−7 and 10−6 mol shrimp−1 were challenged after 1 h by injection with V. alginolyticus at 1.0 × 105 colony-forming units (cfu) shrimp−1 and then placed in seawater of 20‰. The cumulative mortality of shrimp that received noradrenaline at either dose was significantly higher than that of shrimp that received saline after 4 h, and at the termination of the experiment (48 h after the challenge). It is therefore concluded that noradrenaline administration at 10−6 mol shrimp−1 or less causes immune modulation of L. vannamei.