The effects of the embryonic environment on juvenile phenotypes are widely recognized. We investigated the effect of embryonic hypoxia on the cardiovascular phenotype of 4-year-old American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis). We hypothesized that embryonic 10% oxygen preconditions cardiac function, decreasing the reduction in cardiac contractility associated with acute 5% oxygen exposure in juvenile alligators. Our findings indicate that dobutamine injections caused a 90% increase in systolic pressure in juveniles that were incubated in 21% and 10% O2 with the 10% O2 group responding with a greater rate of ventricular relaxation and greater left ventricle output compared the 21% O2 group. Further our findings indicate that juvenile alligators that experienced embryonic hypoxia have a faster rate of ventricular relaxation, greater left ventricle stroke volume, and greater cardiac power following beta-adrenergic stimulation, compared to juvenile alligators that did not experience embryonic hypoxia. When juveniles were exposed to 5% oxygen for 20 minutes, normoxic-incubated juveniles had a 50% decline in left ventricle maximal rate of pressure development and maximal pressure; however, these parameters were unaffected and decreased less in the hypoxic-incubated juveniles. These data indicate that embryonic hypoxia in crocodilians alters the cardiovascular phenotype, changing the juvenile response to acute hypoxia and beta-adrenergic stimulation.
Embryonic developmental oxygen preconditions cardiovascular function response to acute hypoxic exposure and maximal β-adrenergic stimulation of anesthetized juvenile American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis)
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Brandt Smith, Janna L. Crossley, Ruth M. Elsey, James W. Hicks, Dane A. Crossley; Embryonic developmental oxygen preconditions cardiovascular function response to acute hypoxic exposure and maximal β-adrenergic stimulation of anesthetized juvenile American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis). J Exp Biol 2019; jeb.205419. doi: https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.205419
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