Tissue-specific changes in the activities of antioxidant enzymes during the development of the chicken embryo

1. Tissue-specific profiles of the expression of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and catalase (CAT) and the concentrations of reduced glutathione (GSH) during the development of the chick embryo were investigated. 2. The liver, brain, yolk sac membrane (YSM), kidney, lung, heart and skeletal muscles were collected at the following days of embryo development: 10, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21 and 22 (day-old chicks). 3. The different tissues of the embryo displayed distinct development strategies with regard to the acquisition of antioxidant capacity. In the liver the specific activity of SOD increased between days 10 and 11 of development, then significantly decreased up to day 15 and remained at the same value during the rest of the developmental period. GSH-Px specific activity increased through the time of development. CAT had 2 peaks of specific activity at day 10 of the development and in day-old chicks. 4. The brain was characterised by comparatively high SOD-specific activity especially during the last days of incubation. The specific activities of GSH-Px and CAT were low throughout development. 5. In the YSM maximal GSH-Px and CAT-specific activities were found on day 15 of incubation. In the kidney and heart GSH-Px-specific activity increased at hatching time. CAT-specific activity in the kidney increased just after hatching. 6. It is concluded that each tissue studied expressed a profile of antioxidant defence mechanisms to deal with oxidative stress at hatching time.