Changes in physiological parameters involved in glutamine and urea synthesis in Pacific white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei, fed Ampithoe sp. meal and exposed to ammonia stress

Two dietary formulas containing 0% (D0 group) and 33% (D33 group) Ampithoe sp. meal were fed to Litopenaeus vannamei for 42 days, and then, an ammonia stress test was performed to explore the mechanism by which dietary Ampithoe sp. meal supplementation improves the ammonia tolerance of shrimp. The changes in key enzyme activities and biochemical substances involved in glutamine and urea synthesis in shrimp under ammonia stress were investigated. The cumulative mortality in the D0 group and D33 group was 62.22% and 44.44% respectively. With the prolongation of ammonia exposure, the ammonia concentration in the haemolymph of both groups increased, but that of the D33 group was significantly lower than that of the D0 group. The glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) activity, glutamine concentration and urea-N concentration in the haemolymph of the D33 group were significantly higher than those of the D0 group. In the gills of the D33 group, the glutamine concentration, arginase (ARG) activity and urea-N concentration were significantly higher than those of the D0 group. In the hepatopancreas of the D33 group, the glutamine synthetase (GS) activity, glutamine concentration and urea-N concentration were significantly higher than those of the D0 group. In the muscle of the D33 group, the GDH activity, GS activity, glutamine concentration and ARG activity were significantly higher than those of the D0 group. Consequently, our results indicated that dietary Ampithoe sp. meal supplementation could enhance glutamine and urea synthesis, thereby reducing ammonia accumulation in organisms, resulting in the improvement of ammonia tolerance in L. vannamei.