Document Detail


Investigation of the potential for vascular bubble formation in a repetitively diving dolphin.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  20008362     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
The production of venous gas emboli (VGE) resulting from altered dive behavior is postulated as contributing to the stranding of beaked whales exposed to mid-frequency active sonar. To test whether nitrogen gas uptake during repetitive breath-hold diving is sufficient for asymptomatic VGE formation in odontocetes, a bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus Montagu) was trained to perform 10-12 serial dives with 60 s surface intervals to depths of 30, 50, 70 or 100 m. The dolphin remained at the bottom depth for 90 s on each dive. Doppler and/or two-dimensional imaging ultrasound did not detect VGE in the portal and brachiocephalic veins following a dive series. Van Slyke analyses of serial, post-dive blood samples drawn from the fluke yielded blood nitrogen partial pressure (P(N(2))) values that were negligibly different from control samples. Mean heart rate (HR; +/-1 s.d.) recorded during diving was 50+/-3 beats min(-1) and was not significantly different between the 50, 70 and 100 m dive sessions. The absence of VGE and elevated blood P(N(2)) during post-dive periods do not support the hypothesis that N(2) supersaturation during repetitive dives contributes to VGE formation in the dolphin. The diving HR pattern and the presumed rapid N(2) washout during the surface-interval tachycardia probably minimized N(2) accumulation in the blood during dive sessions.
Authors:
D S Houser; L A Dankiewicz-Talmadge; T K Stockard; P J Ponganis
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't    
Journal Detail:
Title:  The Journal of experimental biology     Volume:  213     ISSN:  1477-9145     ISO Abbreviation:  J. Exp. Biol.     Publication Date:  2010 Jan 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2009-12-16     Completed Date:  2010-02-22     Revised Date:  2010-05-19    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  0243705     Medline TA:  J Exp Biol     Country:  England    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  52-62     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Biomimetica, 7951 Shantung Drive, Santee, CA 92071, USA. biomimetica@cox.net
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Animals
Bottle-Nosed Dolphin / physiology*
Brachiocephalic Veins / anatomy & histology,  pathology
Diving / physiology*
Embolism, Air / diagnosis*
Heart Rate
Male
Nitrogen / blood
Portal Vein / anatomy & histology,  pathology
Ultrasonography, Doppler
Chemical
Reg. No./Substance:
7727-37-9/Nitrogen

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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