In vitro Effects of Cold Shock on the Size and Activity of Nucleated Erythrocytes in Scorpaena porcus (Linnaeus, 1758).

The in vitro effect of cold shock on nucleated erythrocytes of the benthic scorpionfish Scorpaena porcus L. was studied. Blood samples were exposed to 22°C (control group) and 4°C (experimental group) for 3 h. Cold shock had no significant impact on vital characteristics of scorpionfish erythrocytes. The cells retained the integrity of cytoplasmic membranes, mitochondrial potential, and levels of oxidative processes, as evidenced by constant values of propidium iodide, rhodamine 123, and 2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate fluorescence intensity. Main changes were concerned with erythrocyte shape and nucleus functional activity. While the red blood cells became more rounded, the nucleus size increased, leading to a higher nuclear–cytoplasmic ratio and a decrease in the fluorescence intensity of cells labeled with a nuclear dye SYBR Green I. Supposedly, this was due to cytoskeletal alterations and activation of transcriptional processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]