An Update on Environmental Stressors and Their Effects on Oxidative Parameters in Limpets

Abstract

Intertidal limpets are subjected to several environmental changes, and how theselimpets cope with these stressful conditions plays a key role in the understanding of themechanisms leading to their habitat adaptation. The main aim of this work was to updatethe information on oxidative metabolism generated in these molluscs in relation to theexposure to environmental abiotic and biotic factors, that could even be linked and actsynergistically among them. Ecological patters (e.g., seasonality, starvation, natural metalpresence and parasitism), tidal cycles (e.g., desiccation, hypoxia and air exposure) andthermal effects are relevant issues since they represent potential critical stress factors tolimpet?s survival. Under such conditions, oxidative and nitrosative stress, redox balance,antioxidant enzyme activities and lipid peroxidation are affected. Thus, environmentalchanges may influence adaptations such as the zonation and distribution of the animals.This chapter intends to contribute to the deeper understanding of the main pathwaysplaying a role in the complex mechanisms triggered in stress-exposed animals that arelikely to undergo a fast amplification of pro-oxidant processes. Moreover, the antioxidantenzymes were strongly involved in the protective mechanisms, and the triggering of theheat shock proteins seems to be a critical player in the general response scenario aftertemperature changes in almost all the limpets.