Ventilatory and cardiovascular actions of centrally and peripherally administered trout pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) in the unanaesthetized trout

SUMMARY In mammals, pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) are involved in cardiovascular and respiratory regulation. Several studies have demonstrated the presence of PACAP, VIP and their receptors in various tissues of teleost fish, including the brain, but little is known about their respiratory and cardiovascular effects. The present study was undertaken to compare the central and peripheral actions of graded doses (25-100 pmol) of trout PACAP and trout VIP on ventilatory and cardiovascular variables in the unanaesthetized rainbow trout. Compared with vehicle, only intracerebroventricular injection of PACAP significantly (P<0.05) elevated the ventilation frequency and the ventilation amplitude, but both peptides significantly increased the total ventilation (). However, the maximum hyperventilatory effect of PACAP was approximately 2.5-fold higher than the effect of VIP at the 100 pmol dose (PACAP, =+5407±921 arbitrary units, a.u.; VIP, =+2056±874 a.u.; means ± s.e.m.). When injected centrally, only PACAP produced a significant increase in mean dorsal aortic blood pressure (PDA) (100 pmol: +21%) but neither peptide affected heart rate (fH). Intra-arterial injections of either PACAP or VIP were without effect on the ventilatory variables. PACAP was without significant action on PDA and fH while VIP significantly elevated PDA (100 pmol: +36%) without changing fH. In conclusion, the selective central hyperventilatory actions of exogenously administered trout PACAP, and to a lesser extent VIP, suggest that the endogenous peptides may be implicated in important neuroregulatory functions related to the central control of ventilation in trout.