Melatonin affects conjugation of 4-hydroxynonenal with glutathione in liver of pacu, a hypoxia-tolerant fish

In cytosol from liver of pacu, Piaractus mesopotamicus, a hypoxia-tolerant fish that dwells in Pantanal, we found an enzyme activity capable of modulating the alkenal 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE) by conjugating it with glutathione (GST–HNE activity). HNE is a downstream metabolite from the oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids by reactive oxygen species arisen from mitochondria of animal cells. HNE production may increase more intensively under oxidative stress. Harmful effects to cell survival may occur when HNE increases over 10⁻⁴ M. Pacus submitted to hypoxia in July (cold season in Pantanal) showed 40 % less of this GST–HNE conjugating activity in their liver cytosol. Injecting pacus subjected to hypoxia during the cold season with a summer physiological dose of melatonin caused their liver cytosolic GST–HNE activity to increase up to the levels found in the warm season. From October to March (warm season in Pantanal), pacus are prone to oxidative stress particularly during potamodromous active oxygen-demanding swimming, when they migrate up rivers to spawn. Thus, our findings point out that the higher levels of melatonin in circulation during the summer are important to avoid the increase of 4-HNE inside liver cells of this fish species.