Meeting Abstract
P1.72 Jan. 4 Does exercise affect oxidative damage in Bengalese Finches (Lonchura domestica)? KREFT, J.M.**; NAUSEEF, J.T.; LEE, J.P.; RODD, Z.D; KIM, J.H.; HAUSSMANN, M.F.; Univ. of California, Berkeley; Weill Medical College of Cornell Univ.; Univ. of California, San Francisco; Swarthmore College; Swarthmore College; Kenyon College jkreft1@berkeley.edu
Exercise has been shown to provide many positive health benefits, but the mechanisms behind those benefits are still being unraveled. Past research suggests that an exercise-induced increase in endogenous reactive oxygen species such as superoxide may lead to higher antioxidant levels, which could also reduce the negative impact of exogenous free radicals. Bengalese finches (Lonchura domestica) were placed for four weeks either in small cages to restrict movement or in a large aviary to encourage exercise. In addition to measuring the glutathione ratio, a metric of oxidative stress, we determined levels of lipid peroxidation and protein carbonylation, which are indicators of oxidative damage in lipids and proteins, respectively. Levels of lipid peroxidation, protein carbonylation and the glutathione ratio did not differ significantly between cage sizes (p > 0.05). Lipid peroxidation did increase after the first week for all treatments and remained at this higher level for the remainder of the study (F = 5.1, p = 0.001). In addition, after the first week there was a significant decrease in the glutathione ratio, which subsequently returned to initial levels (F=4.2, p=0.004). While birds in the aviary were qualitatively more active, our results suggest that the larger cage size alone may have failed to induce enough of a change in exercise to produce measurable changes in oxidative stress. Interestingly, both cage sizes provided more space per bird than was provided at the breeding facility where the birds were housed before the experiment, which may have allowed exercise levels to increase sufficiently to induce the observed rise in oxidative damage.
