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First published online April 18, 2008
Journal of Experimental Biology 211, 1482-1489 (2008)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2008
doi: 10.1242/jeb.015636

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Functional and morphological plasticity of crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) salt glands

Rebecca L. Cramp, Edward A. Meyer, Nicole Sparks and Craig E. Franklin^*

School of Integrative Biology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, 4072 Australia

View larger version (8K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. 1. (A) Maximal Na+ secretion rate from lingual salt glands of restrained C. porosus juveniles acclimated to either freshwater (black bars) or saltwater (grey bars) conditions. (B) Na+ secretion rates from lingual salt glands over 40 min post-stimulation by methacholine chloride (2 mg kg–1). Values are means ± s.e.m.; N=6 per treatment. Asterisks indicate a significant difference between FW- and SW-acclimated treatment groups at the level of P<0.05.

View larger version (12K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. 2. Blood chemistry of freshwater (black bars) or saltwater (grey bars)-acclimated C. porosus juveniles. (A) Haematocrit (% red blood cells) of whole blood, and plasma osmolarity; (B) plasma electrolytes, Na+, Cl– and K+. Values are means ± s.e.m.; N=6 per treatment. Asterisks indicate a significant difference between FW- and SW-acclimated treatment groups at the level of P<0.05.

View larger version (8K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. 3. Respiration of crocodile salt gland slices from freshwater- (black bars) or saltwater- (grey bars) acclimated C. porosus and the effect of 0.1 mmol l–1 methacholine chloride on salt gland tissue oxygen consumption rate. Values are means ± s.e.m.; N=5 per treatment. Asterisks indicate a significant difference between control and methacholine treatments at the level of P<0.05.

View larger version (191K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. 4. Transmission electron micrographs of principal secretory cells from the salt gland of (A) FW-acclimated and (B) SW-acclimated C. porosus. Transverse sections through a whole cell showing ultrastructural arrangement of organelles typical of the principal secretory cells. Scale bars, 5 µm. (C) Transmission electron micrographs of principal secretory cells from the salt gland of a FW-acclimated C. porosus showing close apposition between secretory cells and capillaries. Scale bar, 5 µm. (D) High-resolution transverse section through the apical region of a principle secretory cell showing junctional complex and short, irregularly shaped microvilli protruding into the secretory tubule lumen. Scale bar, 1 µm. (E) High-resolution transverse section though the lateral margins of two adjoining cells demonstrating the interlocking arrangement of the long microvilli (plici) of the basolateral membrane. Scale bar, 1 µm. l, secretory tubule lumen; p, plicae; bm, basement membrane; n, nucleus; m, mitochondria; j, junctional complex; mv, apical microvilli; v, small, clear, apical vesicles; rbc, red blood cell; bm, basement membrane; cap, capillary; sc, secretory cell.

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