Daily variations of the antioxidant defense system of the lithodid crab Lithodes santolla.

SCHVEZOV, NATASHA; LOVRICH, GUSTAVO A.; TAPELLA, F; ROMERO, MC

COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY. A: COMPARATIVE PHYSIOLOGY.

Elsevier

Año: 2013 vol. 164 p. 605 - 611

0300-9629

Several physiological processes can induce daily variations in aerobic metabolism. Lithodes santolla is adecapod crustacean of special concern since it is a sub-Antarctic species of commercial interest. The aim of thiswork was to study in L. santolla the daily variations in levels of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants,lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation, and haemolymphatic pH. Males of L. santolla of commercial size wererandomly dissected every 4 h during a period of 24 h. Enzymatic activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD),catalase (CAT), glutathione-S-transferase and glutathione peroxidase were determined in samples of gills,muscle, hepatopancreas and haemolymph. Ascorbic acid, total glutathione, lipid peroxidation and protein oxidationwere also determined in all tissues. Gills showed the highest enzymatic activity and hepatopancreas thehighest concentration of non-enzymatic antioxidants. Maximum antioxidant activity was during the dark phasein gills and during the photophase in the haemolymph. Muscle showed significant daily variations, with peaksduring the photophase and scotophase. Overall, an antioxidant protective mechanism is present in all tissues,where SOD and CAT represent the first line of defense. The defense mechanism in L. santolla seems to be moreactive during the dark phase,with slight differences among the analyzed tissues, indicating a highermetabolic rate.