An update on environmental stressors and their effects on oxidative parameters in limpets

GONZÁLEZ PAULA M.; OSTRERA, J.M.; PUNTARULO S.; MALANGA, G.

Advances in Environmental Research

Nova Science Publishers Inc.

Año: 2016; p. 61 - 76

Intertidal limpets are subjected to several environmentalchanges, and how these limpets cope with these stressful conditions plays a keyrole in the understanding of the mechanisms leading to their habitatadaptation. The main aim of this work was to update the information onoxidative metabolism generated in these molluscs in relation to the exposure toenvironmental abiotic and biotic factors, that could even be linked and actsynergistically among them. Ecological patters (e.g., seasonality, starvation,natural metal presence and parasitism), tidal cycles (e.g., desiccation,hypoxia and air exposure) and thermal effects are relevant issues since theyrepresent potential critical stress factors to limpet?s survival. Under suchconditions, oxidative and nitrosative stress, redox balance, antioxidant enzymeactivities and lipid peroxidation are affected. Thus, environmental changes mayinfluence adaptations such as the zonation and distribution of the animals.This chapter intends to contribute to the deeper understanding of the mainpathways playing a role in the complex mechanisms triggered in stress-exposedanimals that are likely to undergo a fast amplification of pro-oxidantprocesses. Moreover, the antioxidant enzymes were strongly involved in theprotective mechanisms, and the triggering of the heat shock proteins seems tobe a critical player in the general response scenario after temperature changesin almost all the limpets.