Does Vitamin E Supplementation Enhance Growth Benefits of Breeding Helpers at No Oxidative Costs?
Physiol Biochem Zool
; 93(1): 37-48, 2020.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-31718435
ABSTRACT
During early postnatal development, biomolecules are particularly exposed to the detrimental actions of unneutralized reactive oxygen species. These prooxidant molecules have been claimed to mediate the trade-off between growth and somatic maintenance. Vitamin E is a key exogenous antioxidant that plays an important role in protecting biological membranes against oxidative damage. However, evidence of the effect of vitamin E supplementation during early life on growth and oxidative status in wild populations is equivocal. We tested the effect of supplementing western bluebird nestlings (Sialia mexicana) with vitamin E on growth rate, antioxidant capacity, and oxidative damage to lipids. During the period of accelerated growth (5-8 d), bill growth rate was 21% higher in supplemented nestlings from nests with breeding helpers than in supplemented nestlings from unassisted nests. Vitamin E also boosted tarsus growth rate during the period of slow growth (11-18 d), and this effect was independent of the presence of breeding helpers. Differences in body size and mass, oxidative damage to lipids, and antioxidant capacity were not evident between supplemented and control nestlings at 18 d. Therefore, we conclude that vitamin E promoted faster bill and tarsus growth, but this transient effect disappeared as soon as the supplementation ceased. Our experimental study also supports the idea that tocopherols are rapidly metabolized, since we failed to detect any evident increase of vitamin E in supplemented nestlings at age 18 d. These results provide partial support for the hypothesis that growth rate is constrained by its costs in terms of increased susceptibility to oxidative stress.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Vitamina E
/
Estrés Oxidativo
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Micronutrientes
/
Pájaros Cantores
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Metabolismo de los Lípidos
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Antioxidantes
Tipo de estudio:
Health_economic_evaluation
Límite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Año:
2020
Tipo del documento:
Article