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Oxidative stress and antioxidant capacity of a terrestrially hibernating hatchling turtle

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Abstract

Hatchlings of the painted turtle, Chrysemys picta, hibernate terrestrially and can survive subfreezing temperatures by supercooling or by tolerating the freezing of their tissues. Whether supercooled or frozen, an ischemic hypoxia develops because tissue perfusion is limited by low temperature and/or freezing. Oxidative stress can occur if hatchlings lack sufficient antioxidant defenses to minimize or prevent damage by reactive oxygen species. We examined the antioxidant capacity and indices of oxidative damage in hatchling C. picta following survivable, 48 h bouts of supercooling (−6°C), freezing (−2.5°C), or hypoxia (4°C). Samples of plasma, brain, and liver were collected after a 24 h period of recovery (4°C) and assayed for Trolox-equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and carbonyl proteins. Antioxidant capacity did not vary among treatments in any of the tissues studied. We found a significant increase in TBARS in plasma, but not in the brain or liver, of frozen/thawed hatchlings as compared to untreated controls. No changes were found in the concentration of TBARS or carbonyl proteins in supercooled or hypoxia-exposed hatchlings. Our results suggest that hatchling C. picta have a well-developed antioxidant defense system that minimizes oxidative damage during hibernation.

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Abbreviations

ABTS:

2,2-Azino-di (3-ethylbenzthiazoline)

DNPH:

2,4 Dinitrophenylhydrazine

FPeq :

Equilibrium freezing point

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

TEAC:

Trolox-equivalent antioxidant capacity

TBARS:

Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances

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Acknowledgments

The field work was conducted with the assistance of J. Iverson, B. Dishong, T. Loeffler, and T. Muir. We are grateful to P. Callahan, S. Connelly, R. Sherman, T. Muir, and K. Zullig for providing plasma from mice, frogs, and adult turtles. M. Nickoli assisted us in the laboratory. M. Elnitsky, T. Muir, and B. Philip provided useful comments on the early drafts of the manuscript. The manuscript was improved by the comments of three anonymous reviewers. Collecting permits were obtained from Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Experimental procedures were approved by the Animal Care and Use Committee of Miami University. This work was funded by grants from the National Science Foundation (IOB 0416750) to JPC and by the Miami University summer workshop (PJB).

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Correspondence to Patrick J. Baker.

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Communicated by H.V. Carey.

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Baker, P.J., Costanzo, J.P. & Lee, R.E. Oxidative stress and antioxidant capacity of a terrestrially hibernating hatchling turtle. J Comp Physiol B 177, 875–883 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00360-007-0185-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00360-007-0185-0

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