Physiological Response of <i>Pelophylax nigromaculatus</i> Adults to Salinity Exposure

Many freshwater ecosystems are becoming more saline, and amphibians, which have permeable skin, are sensitive to this change. We studied the physiological responses to high salinity and recovery from saline exposure in adult frogs (<i>Pelophylax nigromaculatus</i>). Frogs that experience...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jun-Kyu Park, Yuno Do
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2020-09-01
Series:Animals
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/9/1698
Description
Summary:Many freshwater ecosystems are becoming more saline, and amphibians, which have permeable skin, are sensitive to this change. We studied the physiological responses to high salinity and recovery from saline exposure in adult frogs (<i>Pelophylax nigromaculatus</i>). Frogs that experienced severe salinity were exposed to saline conditions for 6 days, while those in the moderate group were exposed to saline conditions for 40 days, followed by a recovery period in freshwater for 20 days. Our data showed that during exposure to saline conditions of severe and moderate groups, serum electrolytes increased, protein concentrations decreased, and creatinine, an indicator of renal function, sharply increased. However, renal tissue sampled after exposure did not show renal dysfunction. In addition, serum components that changed during exposure to salinity returned to their initial values during the recovery period. Thus, adult anurans can be resilient, to some extent, to saline conditions in habitats that experience either rapid or slow salinity changes.
ISSN:2076-2615