1Atrial Natriuretic Peptide in Free Ranging and Captive

• Main Authors: Sea Lions, Tania Zenteno-savin, Michael A. Castellini
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Elephant Seals; Phoca hispida; Phoca vitulina; Alaska
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.547.6988; http://www.alaskasealife.org/New/Contribute/pdf/Zenteno-Savin_Castellini_1998a.pdf

ABSTRACT. We used radioimmunoassay methods to quantify arginine vasopressin (AVP), atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), and angiotensin II (Ang 11) in plasma samples from harbor seals (Phoca vitulina richardsii), Wed-dell seals (Lepconychotes wedellii), northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris), ringed seals (Phoca hispida), California sea lions (Zalophus californianus), and Steller sea lions (Eumetopius jubatus). Plasma concentrations of AVP, ANP, and Ang II in these pinniped species were within the ranges reported for other vertebrates under resting conditions. However, there were species, geographic and developmental variations in these hormones: Levels of AVP in plasma samples from adult Steller sea lions and harbor seals were higher than in pups of the same species; higher levels of plasma ANP were found in wild captured Alaskan Steller sea lions and in hunted ringed seals; differences in plasma levels of all three hormones were found throughout the geographic distribution of harbor seals and Steller sea lions in Alaska. This is the first report on circulating concentrations of vasoactive hormones in pinnipeds, and demonstrates that further studies are needed to ascertain the natural variability in these levels with the impact of molting, fasting, diving and environmental factors in seals and sea lions. COMP