Exercise may cause an imbalance between pro-oxidants and antioxidants. In skeletal muscle, oxygen flow can increase considerably during vigorous exercise. The antioxidant system in athletes contributes to neutralize the concomitant rise in reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. The objective of this study was to compare the antioxidant system in muscle of three species of elasmobranchs and teleosts, considering differences in swimming capacity among species within each group and evolutionary differences between the two groups. Muscle samples were collected from elasmobranchs (Isurus oxyrinchus, Prionace glauca, Mustelus henlei) and teleosts (Totoaba macdonaldi, Kajikia audax and Coryphaena hippurus) in the coast of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico. The enzymatic activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) was determined by spectrophotometry. The activity of the antioxidant enzymes CAT, GPx and GST was higher in elasmobranchs, as a group, than in teleosts. In fish species with high swimming capacities, P. glauca, K. audax and C. hippurus, antioxidant enzyme activity was higher in comparison with species with lower swimming capacities, M. henlei and T. macdonaldi. It is possible that antioxidant enzymes, particularly SOD, GPx and GST, contribute to avoidance of oxidative damage in teleost and elasmobranch species with higher swimming capacities. The antioxidant enzyme activities in fish appear to depend mainly on their swimming capacity and life style rather than the evolutionary group (elasmobranchs, teleosts).
Keywords: Antioxidant enzymes; Exercise; Fish; Muscle; Shark; Swimming.
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