Effect of winter torpor upon antioxidative defence in Helix pomatia

Arousal of land snails from torpor is inseparably connected with an increase in oxygen consumption leading to oxidative stress. Therefore, activity of antioxidant defence system (antioxidant enzymes and reduced glutathione) and degree of oxidative damage (concentration of malondialdehyde as an index of lipid peroxidation) in the snail Helix pomatia L., 1758 were tested to check whether torpid snails are able to activate their antioxidative defence against oxidative damage prior to arousal from winter torpor. Snails, which were collected from their natural habitats, were tested at the beginning, in the middle part, and at the end of winter torpor. Active snails collected in autumn and spring were taken as control groups. Snails were immediately killed and their foot, hepatopancreas, and kidney were used for the biochemical assays. Winter torpor induced significant changes in activities of the crucial antioxidant substances. The lowest activities were observed at the beginning of torpor, whereas activity of some of these enzymes was significantly enhanced prior to spring arousal. Reduced glutathione concentration did not show time-dependent changes during winter torpor. MDA (1,3-propanedial) level was elevated in the kidney and foot but was unchanged in the hepatopancreas. In conclusion, the snail H. pomatia is able to maintain REDOX balance necessary to prevent oxidative injury during arousal.

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Enhanced accumulation of reduced glutathione by Scopoletin improves survivability of dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson’s model

Cell Death and Disease ◽

10.1038/s41419-020-02942-8 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (9) ◽

Author(s):

Priyadarshika Pradhan ◽

Olivia Majhi ◽

Abhijit Biswas ◽

Vinod Kumar Joshi ◽

Devanjan Sinha

Keyword(s):

Oxidative Stress ◽

Oxidative Damage ◽

Dopaminergic Neurons ◽

Genetic Factors ◽

Genetic Model ◽

Reduced Glutathione ◽

Redox Balance ◽

Oxidative Markers ◽

Cellular Inclusions ◽

Antioxidant Machinery

Abstract Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neuromotor disorder, primarily manifested by motor anomalies due to progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons. Although alterations in genetic factors have been linked with its etiology, exponential accumulation of environmental entities such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) initiate a cyclic chain reaction resulting in accumulation of cellular inclusions, dysfunctional mitochondria, and overwhelming of antioxidant machinery, thus accelerating disease pathogenesis. Involvement of oxidative stress in PD is further substantiated through ROS induced Parkinsonian models and elevated oxidative markers in clinical PD samples; thereby, making modulation of neuronal oxidative load as one of the major approaches in management of PD. Here we have found a potent antioxidant moiety Scopoletin (Sp), a common derivative in most of the nootropic herbs, with robust neuroprotective ability. Sp increased cellular resistance to ROS through efficient recycling of GSH to prevent oxidative damage. The Sp treated cells showed higher loads of reduced glutathione making them resistant to perturbation of antioxidant machinery or neurotoxin MPP+. Sp could restore the redox balance, mitochondrial function, and prevented oxidative damage, leading to recovery of dopaminergic neural networks and motion abilities in Drosophila genetic model of PD. Our data also suggest that Sp, in combination increases the therapeutic potency of L-DOPA by mitigating its chronic toxicity. Together, we highlight the possible ability of Sp in preventing oxidative stress mediated loss of dopaminergic neurons and at the same time enhance the efficacy of dopamine recharging regimens.

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Reproduction of the Roman snail (Helix pomatia L.) from a local natural population in farm conditions and in a natural habitat

Annals of Animal Science ◽

10.2478/aoas-2020-0090 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 0 (0) ◽

Author(s):

Maciej Ligaszewski ◽

Przemysław Pol

Keyword(s):

Natural Population ◽

Natural Habitat ◽

Local Population ◽

Helix Pomatia ◽

Second Phase ◽

Animal Reproduction ◽

Snail Helix Pomatia ◽

June July ◽

A Site

AbstractThe aim of this study was to compare the quality of clutches and reproduction results of two groups of Roman snails (Helix pomatia) from the same local population, laying eggs simultaneously in semi-natural farm conditions and in a natural habitat. The study material were Roman snails aged 2 or more years which had entered the third phenological season of their life and thus the first season of sexual maturity. Observations were conducted at an earthen enclosure in a greenhouse belonging to the experimental farm for edible snails at the National Research Institute of Animal Reproduction in Balice near Kraków (Poland) as well as at a site where a local population naturally occurs in the uncultivated park surrounding the Radziwiłł Palace. In the June-July season, differences among such parameters as weight of clutch, number of eggs in clutch, mean egg weight, and hatchling percentage when compared to the total number of eggs in the clutch were compared. It was determined that clutches of eggs from the natural population laid in the greenhouse were of lesser weight (P<0.01), contained fewer eggs (P<0.05), and the mean weight of individual eggs was less (P<0.05) than in clutches laid simultaneously in a natural habitat. Both in the greenhouse and the natural habitat, in the first phase of laying eggs (June) the weight of the clutch and number of eggs its contained were greater than in the second phase (July). However, only for snails laying eggs in the greenhouse were these differences statistically significant (P<0.05) and highly significant (P<0.01), respectively. Statistically significant differences were not observed in hatchling percentage between eggs laid in the greenhouse and the natural habitat. The lower number of eggs laid in the farmed conditions of the greenhouse was successfully compensated for by the absence of mass destruction by rodents which occurred in the natural habitat.

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