Mechanisms of Regulation of Erythrocyte Volume in Common Carp Cyprinus carpio (Cyprinidae) at Increase in the Osmotic Concentration of Blood Plasma within the Zone of Critical Water Salinity

Abstract—In common carp Cyprinus carpio, acclimated to NaCl content in water of 0–6 g/L, the concentration of sodium in blood plasma was relatively constant (130.8 ± 0.7 mM/L). In the fish acclimated to 6−12 g/L NaCl, which corresponds to critical water salinity, plasma sodium content rose to the maximal value of 205.6 ± 1.3 mM/L. Within the interval of water salinity of 0–6 g/L NaCl, the content of potassium in erythrocytes exhibits a trend to gradual decrease from 104.8 ± 1.6 mM/L to 96 ± 1.5 mM/L. In the zone of critical salinity, potassium content increases exponentially to 130.3 ± 2.9 mM/L. The erythrocytes adapted to the increase in osmotic concentration of plasma by accumulation of potassium ions. According to published data on the studies in vitro, the erythrocytes adapt to hypertonic solutions by means of increase in intracellular sodium concentration. Possible reasons for discrepancy between the results of in vivo and in vitro studies are discussed in the present paper.