ABSTRACT

Stress due to handling is often an unavoidable feature of experimental investigations. In some cases, appropriate settling times are not considered, and as such, physiological responses caused by handling may become additive with those of experimental treatments. This study investigated the effect of different handling procedures on the acute physiological responses of green shore crab (Carcinus maenas). Handling, such as would occur during transport around a research facility or transfer during experimental procedure, was designated as light (10 min emersion) or severe (10 min emersion with shaking). Oxygen consumption (MO₂) and haemolymph glucose and haemolymph L-lactate concentrations were elevated post-handling, the magnitude of the change related to the severity of handling stress. Glucose and L-lactate concentrations peaked within 1 h and returned to basal levels within 6 h, but MO₂ remained elevated for 10 h, reflecting the additional energy required to oxidize L-lactate and replenish energy reserves. Differences between light and severe handling treatments showed that vibration (shaking) was a major contributor to the stress response, rather than the experimental emersion. This was confirmed in a second experiment where crabs were handled without emersion, and MO₂ remained elevated for 14 h. In this experiment, the most pronounced increase in MO₂ and metabolic parameters occurred in crabs that were physically touched and moved rapidly from the holding to experimental tanks. Here the touch, as well as vibration and visual stimuli, provoked a fight-flight response in the crabs. Stress responses were also evident in crabs gently transferred by containers. The fact that transferring crabs with no physical touching and minimal visual and vibrational stimuli still evoked a stress response, albeit less pronounced, supports a recommendation that crustaceans should be left to settle in the apparatus for at least 12 h after handling before experimental procedures are initiated.

摘要

由于处理而产生的压力通常是实验研究不可避免的特征。在某些情况下，没有考虑适当的建立时间，因此，由处理引起的生理反应可能会与实验治疗相加。本研究调查了不同处理程序对绿岸蟹（Carcinus maenas）的急性生理反应的影响。诸如在研究设施周围运输或在实验过程中转移期间发生的处理被指定为轻（10分钟冒出）或严重（10分钟发抖出现）。耗氧量（MO ₂）和血淋巴葡萄糖和血淋巴L-乳酸浓度在处理后升高，变化的幅度与处理压力的严重程度有关。葡萄糖和L-乳酸的浓度在1小时内达到峰值，并在6小时内恢复到基础水平，但MO ₂保持10小时的升高，反映了氧化L-乳酸和补充能量储备所需的额外能量。轻度和重度处理之间的差异表明，振动（摇动）是造成压力响应的主要因素，而不是实验性的出现。在第二个实验中证实了这一点，在该实验中，螃蟹没有出没，而MO ₂仍保持14 h升高。在该实验中，MO _2的增加最为明显并在螃蟹身上发生了代谢参数，这些螃蟹受到了身体的触摸，并迅速从饲养池移至实验池。在这里，触感以及振动和视觉刺激引起了螃蟹的战斗力反应。在由容器轻轻转移的螃蟹中，压力反应也很明显。尽管没有那么明显地转移没有物理接触和最小视觉和振动刺激的螃蟹仍会引起应激反应，这一事实支持以下建议：在开始实验程序之前，应将甲壳类动物放置在装置中至少放置12 h后再放置在装置中。 。