Astaxanthin enhances antioxidant capacity to alleviate thermal stress-induced liver inflammation in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides): a multi-omics insight into glutathione metabolism remodeling

Continuing global warming intensifies the thermal stress suffered by fish, urgently necessitating effective mitigating techniques. This study aims to investigate the mechanisms by which astaxanthin alleviates oxidative stress and inflammatory damage induced by thermal stress. Under thermal stress, a...

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Main Authors: Yulong Sun, Wenzhuo Zong, Jiteng Wang, Jiale He, Jiankun Zhang, Tao Han
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-05-01
Series:Frontiers in Marine Science
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2025.1595039/full
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author Yulong Sun
Wenzhuo Zong
Jiteng Wang
Jiale He
Jiankun Zhang
Tao Han
author_facet Yulong Sun
Wenzhuo Zong
Jiteng Wang
Jiale He
Jiankun Zhang
Tao Han
author_sort Yulong Sun
collection DOAJ
description Continuing global warming intensifies the thermal stress suffered by fish, urgently necessitating effective mitigating techniques. This study aims to investigate the mechanisms by which astaxanthin alleviates oxidative stress and inflammatory damage induced by thermal stress. Under thermal stress, an increase in oxidative stress was observed in the myocytes of Micropterus salmoides, however, intervention of astaxanthin exerted a notable alleviating effect on oxidative stress. Evidence of thermal stress experiment on primary myocytes indicates that astaxanthin resists thermal stress by enhancing the activity of antioxidant enzymes, heat shock proteins and activating the antioxidant gene Nrf2. Further integrated multi-omics analysis revealed a significant upregulation of several antioxidant biomarkers, such as Glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and glutathione S-transferase (GST). This study proposes the hypothesis that astaxanthin may enhance the GSH-dependent endogenous antioxidant enzyme system by activating the Keap1-Nrf2 signaling pathway. Notably, the supplementation of astaxanthin, compared to thermal stress alone, inhibited the expression of inflammatory factors and apoptosis-related genes, including TLR2, IL8, EIF4E, IL2RB, CASP3, and CASP9. These results, combined with the observed inhibition of the Toll-like receptor signaling pathway and the NF-κB signaling pathway, indicate that the TLR2/4-NF-κB signaling pathway plays a crucial role in mediating the alleviation of oxidative stress-induced inflammatory damage by astaxanthin. Furthermore, astaxanthin remodels amino acid and lipid metabolism under thermal stress, establishing an adaptive anti-thermal stress metabolic mechanism that encompasses both phase I and phase II metabolism. These findings offer novel insights into the mechanisms underlying astaxanthin-induced protection against oxidative stress and inflammatory damage.
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spelling doaj-art-e3d7c32e3615419dbc1cabbfe19f25bd2025-08-20T02:29:08ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Marine Science2296-77452025-05-011210.3389/fmars.2025.15950391595039Astaxanthin enhances antioxidant capacity to alleviate thermal stress-induced liver inflammation in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides): a multi-omics insight into glutathione metabolism remodelingYulong SunWenzhuo ZongJiteng WangJiale HeJiankun ZhangTao HanContinuing global warming intensifies the thermal stress suffered by fish, urgently necessitating effective mitigating techniques. This study aims to investigate the mechanisms by which astaxanthin alleviates oxidative stress and inflammatory damage induced by thermal stress. Under thermal stress, an increase in oxidative stress was observed in the myocytes of Micropterus salmoides, however, intervention of astaxanthin exerted a notable alleviating effect on oxidative stress. Evidence of thermal stress experiment on primary myocytes indicates that astaxanthin resists thermal stress by enhancing the activity of antioxidant enzymes, heat shock proteins and activating the antioxidant gene Nrf2. Further integrated multi-omics analysis revealed a significant upregulation of several antioxidant biomarkers, such as Glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and glutathione S-transferase (GST). This study proposes the hypothesis that astaxanthin may enhance the GSH-dependent endogenous antioxidant enzyme system by activating the Keap1-Nrf2 signaling pathway. Notably, the supplementation of astaxanthin, compared to thermal stress alone, inhibited the expression of inflammatory factors and apoptosis-related genes, including TLR2, IL8, EIF4E, IL2RB, CASP3, and CASP9. These results, combined with the observed inhibition of the Toll-like receptor signaling pathway and the NF-κB signaling pathway, indicate that the TLR2/4-NF-κB signaling pathway plays a crucial role in mediating the alleviation of oxidative stress-induced inflammatory damage by astaxanthin. Furthermore, astaxanthin remodels amino acid and lipid metabolism under thermal stress, establishing an adaptive anti-thermal stress metabolic mechanism that encompasses both phase I and phase II metabolism. These findings offer novel insights into the mechanisms underlying astaxanthin-induced protection against oxidative stress and inflammatory damage.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2025.1595039/fullastaxanthinthermal stressanti-oxidativeMicropterus salmoidesglutathione metabolismKeap1-Nrf2 signaling pathways
spellingShingle Yulong Sun
Wenzhuo Zong
Jiteng Wang
Jiale He
Jiankun Zhang
Tao Han
Astaxanthin enhances antioxidant capacity to alleviate thermal stress-induced liver inflammation in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides): a multi-omics insight into glutathione metabolism remodeling
Frontiers in Marine Science
astaxanthin
thermal stress
anti-oxidative
Micropterus salmoides
glutathione metabolism
Keap1-Nrf2 signaling pathways
title Astaxanthin enhances antioxidant capacity to alleviate thermal stress-induced liver inflammation in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides): a multi-omics insight into glutathione metabolism remodeling
title_full Astaxanthin enhances antioxidant capacity to alleviate thermal stress-induced liver inflammation in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides): a multi-omics insight into glutathione metabolism remodeling
title_fullStr Astaxanthin enhances antioxidant capacity to alleviate thermal stress-induced liver inflammation in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides): a multi-omics insight into glutathione metabolism remodeling
title_full_unstemmed Astaxanthin enhances antioxidant capacity to alleviate thermal stress-induced liver inflammation in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides): a multi-omics insight into glutathione metabolism remodeling
title_short Astaxanthin enhances antioxidant capacity to alleviate thermal stress-induced liver inflammation in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides): a multi-omics insight into glutathione metabolism remodeling
title_sort astaxanthin enhances antioxidant capacity to alleviate thermal stress induced liver inflammation in largemouth bass micropterus salmoides a multi omics insight into glutathione metabolism remodeling
topic astaxanthin
thermal stress
anti-oxidative
Micropterus salmoides
glutathione metabolism
Keap1-Nrf2 signaling pathways
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2025.1595039/full
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