Stress Induced Non-Specific Immune Response Model in the Exotic Fish, Osphronemus Olfax

Abstract

Results obtained using multifactorial stress model (air-exposure) submergence, hypoxia showed that elevation of RBC, Hb, Ht and glucose was linearly correlated with progressive stress uniformly. Submergence caused rapid stress with blood glucose reaching 50% elevation within 60min. Hypoxia water with access to air had very little effect on blood glucose. Similarly, lowering the temperature significantly affected the blood parameters. The air exposure model was also used for testing lysozyme activity and phagocytosis assay during stress. Plasma lysozyme was significantly lower in air stressed fish. Submergence increased the number of granulocyte, lymphocyte and activity of phagocytic cells.Spleen lysozyme activity increased significantly. The titer of total non-specific immunoglobulins increased during submergence.But no such effect was observed in air-exposure.