Evaluation of the oxidative stress using biomarker malondialdehyde in atretic eggs of brazilian snakes from Bothrops genus

Abstract

Atresia is a process of cell death or apoptosis of the majority of ovarian follicles, known by a variety of morphological or pathological conditions. A large number of atretic eggs was released by diferent groups of captive females snakes, in the Laboratory of Ecologia and Biological Museum, from Instituto Butantan. Lipoperoxidation induces tissue damage, related to the pathogenesis of distinct diseases, which can lead to cell death. We investigated the released atretic eggs doing analysis of lipoperoxidation. Extraction and purification of the lipids were done by the method adapted from Bligh & Dyer. The reaction method of the malondialdehyde biomarker (MDA), a secondary product of lipid peroxidation complexed with thiobarbituric acid (TBA), was used. The Reading was done at 532 nm. Analyzing the results, a great variation in MDA concentration was found in different atretic eggs at the same pit viper specimen. For example: Bothrops insularis (from 7.4 to 58 nmols/mL ±13.7 of lipid), B. jararaca (from 9.4 to 100 nmols/mL±26), B. leucurus (from 6.1 to 182 nmols/mL ±53.7), B. erythromelas (from 3.6 to 66nmol/mL ± 21.6) and B. moojeni (from 6.1 to 428.4 nmols/mL ± 32.7). However, in comparisons of species, using a KruskalWallis test, B. moojeni presented highest value of oxidative stress when compared to the other species (> 100 nmols/mL). This is the first lipoperoxidation assay with atretic snake eggs, showing a high content of MDA and of oxidative stress. This could induce apoptosis or control cell proliferation and may induce the repair of this damage.