Changes in cardiac output, heart rate, dorsal aortic blood pressure and coeliac artery blood flow were measured in unrestrained rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, following injections of the elasmobranch tachykinins scyliorhinin I and II. The resistance in the coeliac vascular bed and the total systemic vasculature were calculated from blood pressure and flow. In addition, isolated tails were perfused to investigate the effect of the peptides on the somatic vasculature. Scyliorhinin I (SCY I) produced a biphasic change in the coeliac vascular resistance: an initial decrease was followed by an increase. The decrease in coeliac vascular resistance was accompanied by a decrease in the total systemic vascular resistance, leading to an increased cardiac output. The ensuing increase in coeliac vascular resistance caused a slight increase in blood pressure. In the perfused tail, SCY I produced a marked increase in the somatic vascular resistance. Scyliorhinin II (SCY II) decreased the systemic vascular resistance, causing an increase in cardiac output. SCY II also caused a late increase in the coeliac vascular resistance, which led to hypertension and bradycardia. In vitro, SCY II produced a biphasic response in which an initial decrease in the somatic resistance was followed by a larger increase. The results demonstrate that exogenous SCY I and II are vasoactive peptides that act by different mechanisms in the rainbow trout cardiovascular system. Their actions also differ from the actions of substance P previously observed in the cod, Gadus morhua, and possibly involve a neural reflex.

This content is only available via PDF.