title: Cold shock-induced norepinephrine triggers apoptosis of haemocytes via caspase-3 in the white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei.
abstract: The total haemocyte count (THC), haemolymph norepinephrine (NE) level, caspase-3 mRNA expression and activity levels, and apoptotic haemocyte rate were measured when shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei (20-25 g) were transferred from 28 to 22 degrees C after 0, 2, and 7 days, and the caspase-3 mRNA expression and activity levels and the apoptotic cell rate of haemocytes, in vitro, were determined after incubation with 2 x 10(-8) M NE for 0, 30, 60, and 120 min at 27 +/- 1.0 degrees C. For shrimp transferred from 28 +/- 1.0 to 22 +/- 0.5 degrees C after 2 and 7 days, the THC decreased by 17.9% and 18.0%, but the NE concentration, caspase-3 transcription and activity levels, and apoptotic cell rate increased by 62.5% and 37.3%, 5100.0% and 446.6%, 148.6% and 152.0%, and 88.7% and 200.1%, respectively, compared to those of shrimp held at 28 +/- 0.5 degrees C which served as the control. Similar tendencies were observed for the apoptotic cell rate, and caspase-3 transcription and activity levels of haemocytes exposed to 2 x 10(-8) M NE in vitro. These results suggest that NE plays an important role in the apoptosis of haemocytes in L. vannamei under hypothermal stress, which causes depressive effects on immunological responses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Tropical Agriculture and International Cooperation, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung, Taiwan 91201, ROC.
authors.forename: Chin-Chyuan
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Maw-Sheng
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.forename: Winton
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000276:immunology*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D002452:Cell Count / Q000662:veterinary; D003080:Cold Temperature / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006434:Hemocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology*; D033561:Penaeidae / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D053148:Caspase 3; D009638:Norepinephrine