Can acclimation of amphipods change their antioxidative response?

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether experimental conditions, particularly duration of acclimation in the laboratory with artificial water and diet prior to the actual experiment, can affect the antioxidant response of amphipods. This issue was evaluated using the Baikalian amphipod Eulimnogammarus cyaneus (Dyb.) exposed to two sources of natural organic matter (NOM). NOM elicits several oxidative stress symptoms and we used peroxidase activity as a representative response parameter. Pretest acclimation periods of the amphipods lasted from 3 days to 5 months. The exposure of E. cyaneus to NOM resulted in significant modulation of the peroxidase activity with a clear dependence on the duration of the acclimation period. Animals experiencing short-term acclimation showed reduced activity, whereas long-term acclimated animals exhibited an increase in peroxidase activity. We suggest that this difference was due to laboratory conditions particularly the artificial diet. This fact should be considered in future studies using field-collected animals kept in the laboratory for different periods of time.

Salinity modulates thermotolerance, energy metabolism and stress response in amphipodsGammarus lacustris

“…A decrease in peroxidase activity at intermediate temperatures (±6 °C around the optimum) may reflect either a decrease in ROS production, or serve as an energy-saving mechanism that redirects resources to other protective mechanisms (e.g., chaperones) to ensure optimal cellular protection at high temperatures. A similar decrease in activities of antioxidant enzymes has been previously shown in response to a variety of environmental stressors in amphipods (Timofeyev et al, 2008; Timofeyev et al, 2009). No changes in activity of catalase and glutathione S-transferase were found in the freshwater or saltwater populations of amphipods.…”

“…Lower baseline levels of some antioxidants (such as catalase) and a lack of increase in antioxidant levels during heat stress in the saltwater amphipods may reflect the reliance of these organisms on other antioxidants, such as low molecular weight antioxidants obtained from the diet (Lesser, 2006). An earlier study showed that dietary antioxidants can strongly affect the degree and direction of the antioxidant response to environmental stressors in amphipods (Timofeyev et al, 2009). The differences in the predominant diet in amphipods from the saltwater and freshwater habitats could affect the tissue levels of non-enzymatic antioxidants.…”

Stress by poor food quality and exposure to humic substances: Daphnia magna responds with oxidative stress, lifespan extension, but reduced offspring numbers

“…Recently, Timofeyev et al (2009) showed that laboratory acclimation of amphipods changed their antioxidant pattern when stressed by HSs. Since the most drastic change during the acclimation of the animals was in their diet, it is very likely that the lack of spontaneous antioxidants or an excess of carbon in the laboratory food were the main reason for the change.…”

Modulation of longevity in Daphnia magna by food quality and simultaneous exposure to dissolved humic substances

“…As with many other stresses, the HS-mediated stress may also be overcome, at least partly, if the diet of the exposed animals contains spontaneous antioxidants, such as ascorbic acid. There are indications that different diets have a significant impact on the antioxidant response of aquatic invertebrates (Elser et al 2000;Jensen and Hessen 2007;Timofeyev et al 2009), particularly excess of carbon leads to oxidative stress (Darchambeau et al 2003).…”