Effect of heat stress on the antioxidant defense system and erythrocyte morphology of Antarctic fishes

• Published in: Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências
• Main Authors: MARIA ROSA D.P. DE SOUZA, TANIA ZALESKI, CINTIA MACHADO, PRISCILA K. KANDALSKI, MARIANA FORGATI, ELVIRA D’ BASTIANI, CLÁUDIO A. PIECHNIK, LUCÉLIA DONATTI
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Academia Brasileira de Ciências 2021
• Subjects: Admiralty bay; nototheniidae; oxidative stress; red blood cells; temperature; Science; Q; Antarctic; Antarctic Peninsula; Admiralty Bay; Antarc*; Notothenia rossii
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1590/0001-3765202220190657; https://doaj.org/article/423a07dd3f4d4696bf0d803bff9c5ee9

Abstract This study analyzed the effect of thermal stress on erythrocytes of Notothenia rossii and Notothenia coriiceps, abundant notothenioids in Admiralty Bay, Antarctic Peninsula. In both species, the antioxidant defense system enzymes, superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione-S transferase, glutathione reductase were punctually altered (8°C for 1, 3 and 6 days) in erythrocytes, indicating that these markers are not ideal for termal stress. However, under the influence of thermal stress, morphological changes in Notothenia coriiceps erythrocytes were observed at all exposure times (1, 3 and 6 days at 8°C), and in Notothenia rossii occurred in 6 days. These results suggest that Notothenia corriceps presents a lower tolerance to thermal stress at 8°C for up to 6 days, since the cellular and nuclear alterations recorded are pathological and may be deleterious to the cells. Among the morphological markers analyzed in this work, we believe that the shape change and nuclear bubble formation may be good stress biomarkers in erythrocytes of Notothenia rossii and Notothenia coriiceps.