Temperature increase results in oxidative stress in goldfish tissues. 1. Indices of oxidative stress.

Levels of lipid peroxides (LOOH), thiobarbituric-acid reactive substances (TBARS), protein carbonyls and low- and high-molecular weight thiols were measured in brain, liver, kidney, and white muscle of goldfish, Carassius auratus L., over 1-12 h of high temperature (35 degrees C) exposure followed by 4 or 24 h of lower (21 degrees C) temperature recovery. LOOH and TBARS contents increased during heat shock exposure with a maximal rise of 20-fold for liver TBARS, but both mainly reversed at recovery. Protein carbonyl content was unaffected by heat shock but rose in brain, liver, and kidney during recovery. Low-molecular weight thiol concentrations unexpectedly increased up to approximately 4-fold in brain, kidney and muscle under heat shock and remained high during recovery. Protein thiol contents also rose in liver and muscle during high temperature exposure by 2- and 3-fold, respectively, and decreased to control values or below in all tissues at late recovery. Low- and high-molecular weight thiol levels inversely correlated in liver (R2=0.87) suggesting that the former was used to reduce the latter over the experiment. It is concluded that the redox balance in goldfish tissues is strictly maintained probably contributing to the high tolerance of this species to heat shock.