Osmoregulation in Earthworms

Diamos, Pineda, Raola, Saballo, Tancio

Lumbricus sp.
Ecological niche is within soils with variable quantities of water and solutes Exposed to variations in moisture content and ionic concentrations

Methodology
Properties
Tolerates a wide range of salinities < 2% NaCl (euryhaline) Internal Osm 0.65% NaCl

Conditions

Immersed for 30 minutes in varying saline concentrations 0%, 0.6%, 0.9% and 1.5%

Procedure

Wet body weights at the beginning all same 30 mins wet body weights measured and placed in bar graph

Osmoregulation in earthworms
Wet body weights (g)

0 minute 30 minutes

II III Group of Specimens

IV

Figure 1. Wet body weights (g) of four groups of worms at 0 and 30 minutes.

Osmoregulation in earthworms
Wet body weights (g)

0 minutes 30 minutes

0%

0.60% % NaCl

0.90%

1.50%

Figure 2. Wet body weights (in grams) of four groups of worms at 0 and 30 minutes in exercise 16.

Earthworms in
Hyperosmotic Environment
- Decrease in weight

Hypoosmotic Environment
- Increase in weight and volume - Water enters the body due to a low salt concentration from the external environment

- Water leaves the body due to a high salt concentration from the external environment

Metanephridia
Tubules open to inside and outside of the body Obtain fluid from inside of body via nephrostomes
Fluid is filtered, formed under pressure, and passed through small openings Molecules larger than certain size are excluded

Fluid is isotonic to coelom, NaCl removed by active transport system

 Reabsorption
Transport out of tubule, into surrounding body fluids Salt reabsorbed from filtrate, urine is more dilute than body fluid (hypotonic)

3. Suppose salinities used were greater than 2% NaCl, under what conditions can you state whether the worms are hyper-hyposmoregulating or hyperisosmoregulating?

Earthworms are
Hyper-isosmoregulators when:
Hyperosmoregulate by releasing water to the added solutes in the environment Isosmoregulate by secreting osmolytes into the body and expel dilute urine via metanephridia

4. If another group of similar worms on dessicated soil substrate for about 30 minutes, predict what wet body weight changes would occur.

Estivation Osmoticity: Dessicated substrate > internal envt of earthworm.

H2O evaporates through cutaneous layer of the
earthworm Metanephridia cannot regulate enough

The earthworm will lose water and its wet body weight rapidly.

References
Conrad, J. (2011). Earthworms. The Backyard Nature. Retrieved from http://www.backyardnature.net/earthwrm.h tm. Campbell. (2007). Biology textbook. Prentice Hall Inc., USA. Excretion and Osmoregulation in Earthworms.

Renal Handling of Water, Salts and Salicylates

Diamos, Pineda, Raola, Saballo, Tancio

Table 1. Fluid shifts in the extracellular and intracellular compartments of a body given 2 liters of 1 percent sodium chloride solutions
Extracellular Component Intracellular Component Total Body Water

Parameter
Vol Initial Value Solution Added Instantaneous Effect After O.E. 15 2 17 18.03 Conc 200 400 223.53 210.81

Total mOs m 3000 800 3800 3800

Vol 20 0 20 18.97

Conc 200 0 200 210.81

Total mOsm 4000 0 4000 4000

Vol 35 2 37 37

Conc 200 400 N.E. 210.81

Total mOsm 7000 800 7800 7800

*The addition of water will directly affect the extracellular compartment, but the intracellular compartment is not instantaneously affected. *Total volume and total mOsm of body water changes Osmotic equilibrium- added water has distributed evenly among all fluid components
Note: Vol= volume in liters, Conc= concentration in mOsm/liter, N.E.= no equilibrium, O.E.= osmotic equilibrium

Table 1. Fluid shifts in the extracellular and intracellular compartments of a body given 2 liters of 1 percent sodium chloride solutions
Parameter
Vol Initial Value Solution Added Instantaneous Effect After O.E. 15 2 17 18.0 3 Extracellular Component Conc 200 400 223.53 210.81 Total mOsm 3000 800 3800 3800 Intracellular Component Total mOsm 4000 0 4000 4000 Total Body Water Total mOsm 7000 800 7800 7800

Vol 20 0 20 18.97

Conc 200 0 200 210.81

Vol 35 2 37 37

Conc 200 400 N.E. 210.81

Vol Instantaneous effect VolIE = Volinitial + Voladded mOsmIE ConcOE

Conc ConcIE = ConcO E = mOsmIE VolIE mOsmTB

W

mOsm
mOsmIE = mOsminitial + mOsmadded

After OE

VolOE =

mOsmOE = mOsmIE

VolTBW

Note: Vol= volume in liters, Conc= concentration in mOsm/liter, N.E.= no equilibrium, O.E.= osmotic equilibrium

 Osmotic equilibrium Concentration of the total body water changes Concentrations in the extracellular and intracellular adjust Assumptions Osmolalities of the extracellular and intracellular fluids are equal to each other except in the case of instantaneous effect The osmotically active substances are not lost or added to either compartment in some other way (eg. active transport)

Vasopressin
Antidiuretic Hormone (ADH) Source: pituitary gland Functions:
ADH acts on kidneys
Greater reabsorption of water by kidneys Decrease in urine volume Maintains BP and blood volume

Vasopressin
Conc. of solutes in plasma & Blood pressure
Hypothalamus Antidiuretic hormone (ADH)
Inc. the permeability of the distal tubule and the collecting duct H2O reabsorption & conservation.

Diabetes insipidus
Central DI
Inability of the posterior pituitary gland to secrete ADH Treatment: ADH supplement via nasal spray or injection Inability of the receptors at the kidney tubule to detect/respond to ADH Mutations ADH receptor gene (aquaporin 2)

Nephrogenic DI

Adrenocortical steroids
Steroids produced in adrenal cortex of vertebrates
Involved in stress and immune response and metabolic regulation 2 types
Glucocorticoids: from zona fasciculata Mineralocorticoids: from zona glomerulosa

Mineralocorticoids
Produced in the Zona Glomerulosa of the adrenal cortex (example: Aldosterone Functions:
Regulates water balance (retention, passive) and promotes electrolyte (e.g. sodium) retention (active); also promotes active potassium secretion in principal cells of the cortical collecting tubule and active secretion of protons via proton ATPases of intercalated cells of collecting tubule This results in increase in blood volume and pressure.

Natriuretic peptides
Natriuresis process of excretion of sodium in the urine via the kidneys. produced by the heart and blood vessels. These peptides acts as endocrine hormones which regulate the extracellular fluid (plasma) volume. opposite of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system How? - Increases the natriuretic capacity of plasma. -promotes Na/K ATPase inhibition

Natriuretic peptides
Failure to respond to this -> hypertension Why?
Sodium excretion brings water with it -> low blood volume -> low blood pressure Without response to natriuretic peptides, natriuresis will not occur.

Types:
A-type natriuretic peptide B-type natriuretic peptide C-type natriuretic peptide

Atrial natriuretic peptide

Also known as A-type natriuretic peptide made, stored and released by the atria. produced in response to high blood pressure and stretching of atria. Function:
Reduces blood volume -> reduced heart output and pressure Increases excretion of sodium

Brain natriuretic peptides

also known as B-type natriuretic peptides. made, stored and released by the ventricles. produced in response to stretching of ventricles due to increased blood volume and higher levels of extracellular fluid. Fuctions:
acts as natural diuretic ->promotes production of urine. eliminating fluid -> thus, relaxing blood vessels and funneling sodium into the urine.

BNP test
Blood test for heart failure. Measures BNP in blood. How?
Ventricles produce extra B-type natriuretic peptide when they can't pump enough blood to meet your body's needs.

High BNP level -> worse heart failure

C-type natriuretic peptides

produced by cells that line the blood vessels. Function:
cause relaxation of blood vessels, helping to lower blood pressure. they don't have direct natriuretic activity.

References
Bowen, R. (2006). Antidiuretic hormone (Vasopressin). Hypertexts for Biomedical Sciences. Retrieved from http://www.vivo.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/endocrine/h ypopit/adh.html Natriuretic peptide. Discovery Fit and Health. Retrived from http://health.howstuffworks.com/humanbody/systems/circulatory/natriuretic-peptide.htm