Williams Jason B, Roberts Stephen P, Elekonich Michelle M
School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV 89154-4004, USA.
Exp Gerontol. 2008 Jun;43(6):538-49. doi: 10.1016/j.exger.2008.02.001. Epub 2008 Feb 13.
Flying honey bees have among the highest mass-specific metabolic rates ever measured, suggesting that their flight muscles may experience high levels of oxidative stress during normal daily activities. We measured parameters of oxidative stress and antioxidant capacity in highly metabolic flight muscle and less active head tissue in cohorts of age-matched nurse bees, which rarely fly, and foragers, which fly several hours per a day. Naturally occurring foraging flight elicited an increase in flight muscle Hsp70 content in both young and old foragers; however catalase and total antioxidant capacity increased only in young flight muscle. Surprisingly, young nurse bees also showed a modest daily increase in Hsp70, catalase levels and antioxidant capacity, and these effects were likely due to collecting the young nurses soon after orientation flights. There were no differences in flight muscle carbonyl content over the course of daily activity and few differences in Hsp70, catalase, total antioxidant capacity and protein carbonyl levels in head tissue regardless of age or activity. In summary, honey bee flight likely produces high levels of reactive oxygen species in flight muscle that, when coupled with age-related decreases in antioxidant activity may be responsible for behavioral senescence and reduced longevity.
飞行中的蜜蜂具有有记录以来最高的质量特异性代谢率之一，这表明它们的飞行肌肉在正常日常活动中可能会经历高水平的氧化应激。我们测量了年龄匹配的保育蜂（很少飞行）和觅食蜂（每天飞行数小时）群体中高代谢飞行肌肉和活动较少的头部组织的氧化应激参数和抗氧化能力。自然发生的觅食飞行导致年轻和年老觅食蜂的飞行肌肉中热休克蛋白70（Hsp70）含量增加；然而，过氧化氢酶和总抗氧化能力仅在年轻的飞行肌肉中增加。令人惊讶的是，年轻的保育蜂在Hsp70、过氧化氢酶水平和抗氧化能力方面也表现出适度的每日增加，这些影响可能是由于年轻保育蜂在定向飞行后不久开始采集活动所致。在日常活动过程中，飞行肌肉中的羰基含量没有差异，并且无论年龄或活动如何，头部组织中的Hsp70、过氧化氢酶、总抗氧化能力和蛋白质羰基水平几乎没有差异。总之，蜜蜂飞行可能在飞行肌肉中产生高水平的活性氧，当与抗氧化活性的年龄相关下降相结合时，可能导致行为衰老和寿命缩短。
