Temporal Changes in Physiological Responses of Bay Scallop: Performance of Antioxidant Mechanism in <i>Argopecten irradians</i> in Response to Sudden Changes in Habitat Salinity

• Main Authors: Jin Ah Song (Author), Cheol Young Choi (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: MDPI AG, 2021-10-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 10.3390/antiox10111673; 2076-3921
• Keywords: bay scallop; <i>Argopecten irradians</i>; antioxidant mechanism; reactive oxygen species; salinity change; digestive diverticula; Therapeutics. Pharmacology; RM1-950
• Source: Antioxidants, Vol 10, Iss 11, p 1673 (2021)

Changes to habitat salinity may induce oxidative stress in aquatic organisms. The effect of salinity on the antioxidant function of bay scallops was investigated at 55, 70, 85 and 120% of seawater salinity (SW), with 100% SW as the control. The scallops were sampled 0, 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h after the salinity change to measure superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), and lipid peroxidation (LPO) levels, as well as apoptosis in the digestive diverticula and/or hemolymph. The SOD immunohistochemistry and apoptotic response were assessed at 55% and 120% SW at 12 h. Antioxidant expressions at 55% and 70% SW peaked at 24 h or 48 h, and then decreased. At 120% SW, they increased with exposure time. The H₂O₂ and LPO levels at each SW increased significantly with time. A comet assay also revealed that changes in salinity increased the rate of nuclear DNA damage in all the salinity groups. Thus, variations in salinity result in significant physiological responses in bay scallops. A change in habitat salinity of 15% or more produces oxidative stress that cannot be resolved by the body's antioxidant mechanism, suggesting that excessive generation of reactive oxygen species can lead to cell death.