Meeting Abstract
36.1 Friday, Jan. 4 The stress of stopping over: oxidative stress associated with long-duration flights and its implications for the ecology of migrants at stopover sites. MCWILLIAMS, S.R.*; BAUCHINGER, U.; BOLSER, J.A.; ALAN, R.R.; SMITH, A.D.; SEERAM, N.P.; PIERCE, B.J.; BOYLES, M.; LANGLOIS, L.; GERSON, A.; PRICE, E.; GUGLIELMO, C.; Univ. Rhode Island, Kingston; Univ. Rhode Island, Kingston; Univ. Rhode Island, Kingston; Univ. Rhode Island, Kingston; Univ. Rhode Island, Kingston; Univ. Rhode Island, Kingston; Sacred Heart Univ., Fairfield, CT; Univ. Rhode Island, Kingston; Univ. Rhode Island, Kingston; Univ. Western Ontario, London; Univ. Western Ontario, London; Univ. Western Ontario, London srmcwilliams@uri.edu
Birds during migration use primarily fats to fuel their long-duration flights and this high rate of fat metabolism during exercise substantially increases the bird’s oxidative stress. We tested the following series of related hypotheses: (a) free-living birds at migration stopover sites select fruits based on antioxidant content; (b) dietary protein consumption in uricotelic birds is positively related to circulating antioxidant levels; and (c) exercise training such as flight causes upregulation of liver antioxidant enzymes. We report evidence from field and captive studies that support all three hypotheses. Thus, birds actively select antioxidant-rich fruits during autumn migration and upregulate their endogenous antioxidant capacity during migration, and this protects them from the potentially damaging effects of oxidative stress caused by long-distance fasting flight. Supported by NSF (IOS-0748349), USDA (RIAES-538748), and Canadian Foundation for Innovation (AFAR).
