Comparison of redox metabolism during hibernation in the apple snail Pomacea canaliculata under natural and laboratory-controlled conditions

Preparation for oxidative stress (POS) is an adaptive strategy for tolerating adverse environmental conditions. It has been demonstrated in over one hundred animals, but the vast majority of the work was done under controlled-laboratory conditions and not in nature. There are no studies evaluating this strategy in the same species comparing laboratory and natural conditions. This study aimed to determine whether POS happens in Pomacea canaliculata snails both in the laboratory (controls versus 7-day hibernation) and in animals collected in the wild (summer versus cold-winter hibernation). The activity of antioxidant enzymes, antioxidant capacity (ABTS), lipid peroxidation levels (TBARS), uric acid, and expression of redox-sensitive transcription factors were determined in foot muscle. Hibernating wild-snails presented increased TBARS compared to summer ones, as well as the activities of SOD and catalase and levels of uric acid; ABTS decreased in winter animals. In laboratory conditions, hibernating snails also exhibited increased TBARS, catalase and glutathione S-transferase and a decrease in ABTS levels. Gene expression of Nrf2 increased in laboratory-hibernation whereas HIF-1α decreased in field-hibernation. Our study shows for the first time that the POS phenotype is similar in lab and wild conditions—hibernating snails exhibit higher lipid peroxidation and antioxidant protection in both.