Coping with dry spells: Investigating oxidative balance and metabolic responses in the subtropical tree frog Boana pulchella (Hylidae) during dehydration and rehydration exposure

Abstract

In the face of climate change, understanding the metabolic responses of vulnerable animals to abiotic stressors like anurans is crucial. Water restriction and subsequent dehydration is a condition that can threaten populations and lead to species decline. This study examines metabolic variations in the subtropical frog Boana pulchella exposed to dehydration resulting in a 40% loss of body water followed by 24 h of rehydration. During dehydration, the scaled mass index decreases, and concentrations of metabolic substrates alter in the brain and liver. The activity of antioxidant enzymes increases in the muscle and heart, emphasizing the importance of catalase in the rehydration period. Glycogenesis increases in the muscle and liver, indicating a strategy to preserve tissue water through glycogen storage. These findings suggest that B. pulchella employs specific metabolic mechanisms to survive exposure to water restriction, highlighting tissue-specific variations in metabolic pathways and antioxidant defenses. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of anuran adaptation to water stress and emphasize the importance of further research in other species to complement existing knowledge and provide physiological tools to conservation.

Keywords: Dehydration; Frogs; Metabolism; Oxidative balance; Water loss.