Actions of growth hormone on carbohydrate metabolism and osmoregulation of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss were injected intraperitoneally with slow-release implants of vegetable oil alone or containing ovine growth hormone (oGH) (2 and 5 μg g−1 body weight), and sampled after 5 days to assess the simultaneous effects of GH on both osmoregulation and carbohydrate metabolism. An enhanced hypoosmoregulatory capacity of oGH-implanted fish is suggested by the increase observed in gill Na+,K+-ATPase activity, and the decrease observed in plasma ion concentration (Na+ and Cl−) and osmolality. GH treatment also elicited increased plasma glucose levels and metabolic changes in liver, gills, kidney, and brain. Major metabolic changes elicited by GH treatment included (1) decreased glycolytic potential and capacity for exporting glucose in liver, (2) enhanced glycogenolytic potential and capacity for use of exogenous glucose in gills and kidney, as well as increased glycolytic capacity in the later tissue, and (3) enhanced glycogenolytic and glycolytic capacities in brain. These metabolic changes elicited by GH treatment support a role for GH in the control of carbohydrate metabolism in salmonids that could be related either to the metabolic changes occurring during osmotic acclimation in nature (a process in which changes in GH levels and carbohydrate metabolism have both been reported) or to metabolic changes associated with growth.