Controllable oxidative stress and tissue specificity in major tissues during the torpor–arousal cycle in hibernating Daurian ground squirrels

Mammalian hibernators experience repeated hypoxic ischaemia and reperfusion during the torpor–arousal cycle. We investigated levels of oxidative stress, antioxidant capacity, and the underlying mechanism in heart, liver, brain and kidney tissue as well as plasma during different periods of hibernation in Daurian ground squirrels (Spermophilus dauricus). Our data showed that the levels of hydrogen peroxide significantly increased in the heart and brain during late torpor (LT) compared with levels during the summer active (SA) state. The content of malondialdehyde (MDA) was significantly lower during interbout arousal (IBA) and early torpor (ET) than that during SA or pre-hibernation (PRE), and MDA levels in the LT brain were significantly higher than the levels in other states. Superoxide dismutase 2 protein levels increased markedly in the heart throughout the entire torpor–arousal cycle. Catalase expression remained at an elevated level in the liver during the hibernation cycle. Superoxide dismutase 1 and glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPx1) expression increased considerably in all tissues during the IBA and ET states. In addition, the activities of the various antioxidant enzymes were higher in all tissues during IBA and ET than during LT; however, GPx activity in plasma decreased significantly during the hibernation season. The expression of p-Nrf2 decreased in all tissue types during IBA, but significantly increased during LT, especially in liver tissue. Interestingly, most changed indicators recovered to SA or PRE levels in post-hibernation (POST). These results suggest that increased reactive oxygen species during LT may activate the Nrf2/Keap1 antioxidant pathway and may contribute to the decreased MDA levels found during the IBA and ET states, thereby protecting organisms from oxidative damage over the torpor-arousal cycle of hibernation. This is the first report on the remarkable controllability of oxidative stress and tissue specificity in major oxidative tissues of a hibernator.