J. exp. Biol. 170, 43-56 (1992) 43 Printed in Great Britain © The Company of Biologists Limited 1992 CONTRIBUTION OF THE SECONDARY CIRCULATORY SYSTEM TO ACID-BASE REGULATION DURING HYPERCAPN1A IN RAINBOW TROUT (ONCORHYNCHUS MYKISS) BY ATSUSHIISHIMATSU*, GEORGE K. IWAMAj, TIMOTHY B. BENTLEY* AND NORBERT HEISLER Abteilung Physiologie, Max-Planck-Institut fiir experimentelle Medizin, Hermann-Rein-Strafie 3, D-3400 Gottingen, FRG Accepted 16 April 1992 Summary The contribution of the secondary circulatory system to acid-base regulation and epithelial ion transport was evaluated qualitatively in freshwater-acclimated rainbow trout. The dorsal aorta (DA) and the lateral cutaneous vessel (LCV) (which is considered to be the venous drainage of the secondary system) were chronically cannulated and the fish were exposed to environmental hypercapnia (2 % CO2) after establishment of normocapnic control values. Fluid sampled from the LCV contained much less haemoglobin (0.14 g 100 m P ' ) and fewer blood cells (packed cell volume, PCV, 1.2-1.7%) than DA blood ([Hb] 8.2-8.9g 100 ml" 1 , PCV 27.2-32.5%) regardless of ambient CO 2 levels, indicating highly limited access of red blood cells to the secondary circulatory system through anastomoses connecting it to the primary system. There was no significant difference between the two sampling sites for any of the acid-base variables (pH, PQO V [HCC>3~]) and most plasma ion concentrations ([Na + ], [Ca 2+ ], [Mg 2+ ] and [Cl~]) during normocapnia, although plasma [K + ] and osmolarity were significantly lower in LCV fluid. Upon exposure to hypercapnia, the pH of LCV fluid became significantly higher than that of DA plasma because of the higher [HCO 3 ~] in the LCV plasma than in the DA plasma. The LCV plasma concentration of Cl~ was significantly lower than that of DA plasma during hypercapnia. These data suggest that the secondary circulatory system draining the body surface is involved in ionic acid-base regulation in fish, probably via C1~/HCO 3 ~ exchange processes across the extrabranchial epithelium of the body surface. * Present address: Nomo Fisheries Station, Nagasaki University, Nomozaki, Nagasaki 851-05, Japan. t Present address: Department of Animal Science, University of British Columbia, 248-2357 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 2A2. t Present address: Department of Physiology, Medical College of Virginia, Box 551, MCV, Richmond, VA 23928, USA. Key words: secondary circulatory system, acid-base regulation, ionic transfer, body surface epithelium, rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss.