Behavioral and Redox Effects of Lithium and Curcumin in a Planarian Model of Sublethal Stress
Description
This dataset contains the complete statistical outputs and underlying numerical data supporting the behavioral and biochemical analyses reported in the manuscript entitled “Behavioral and Redox Effects of Lithium and Curcumin in a Planarian Model of Sublethal Stress”. Our working hypothesis was that chemically distinct neuroactive compounds produce dissociable functional outcomes under sublethal stress conditions, such that behavioral recovery depends on qualitative redox signaling rather than on the magnitude of generalized antioxidant activation. To test this, freshwater planarians (Girardia tigrina) were exposed to different stress modalities (mechanical, intense light, and predator odor) and subsequently treated with lithium carbonate (Li₂CO₃), curcumin (CUR), or their combination. The dataset includes raw and processed behavioral measures (time spent in compartments, preference scores, and delta change values), enzymatic activities (SOD, CAT, GST, and AChE), and the corresponding statistical analyses (ANOVA, mixed-effects models, non-parametric tests, post hoc comparisons, and effect sizes). Each file is organized by experiment and figure, with replicates representing independent biological units. Behavioral data demonstrate stress-induced alterations in exploratory preference and learning performance. CUR consistently restored adaptive behavior and facilitated extinction, whereas Li₂CO₃ produced limited or stressor-dependent recovery. Biochemical data show divergent antioxidant signatures: CUR selectively increased SOD and reduced CAT activity (elevated SOD/CAT ratio), while Li₂CO₃ increased both enzymes. These results indicate that functional behavioral recovery is more closely associated with redox signaling balance than with global antioxidant reinforcement. The data can be reused for independent verification, reanalysis with alternative statistical approaches, meta-analyses, or comparative studies of sublethal neurotoxicity and redox-dependent neural modulation in invertebrate models.
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Methods and data acquisition Data were generated from controlled laboratory experiments using the freshwater planarian Girardia tigrina as an invertebrate model for sublethal neurotoxicity and stress-related behavioral modulation. Animals were maintained in Montjuïch salts solution under standard laboratory conditions and randomly assigned to experimental groups. Chemical treatments consisted of lithium carbonate (Li₂CO₃, ≥99% purity) dissolved in ultrapure water and curcumin (CUR, ≥94% curcuminoids) dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide (final solvent ≤ 0.05% v/v). Working concentrations (37 mg/L Li₂CO₃ and 10 mg/L CUR) were selected based on preliminary range-finding assays confirming sublethal and behaviorally active exposure. Stress paradigms included: (i) mechanical stress by centrifugation (3 × g, 60 min, darkness), (ii) intense light exposure (50 W cool white light, 60 min), and (iii) predator odor exposure using fish-conditioned water prepared from adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) maintained for 24 h in aerated tanks without feeding to accumulate kairomones. Conditioned water was filtered and used undiluted. Behavior was quantified using two conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigms: a light/dark arena and a textured two-compartment arena. Time spent in each compartment was recorded and converted to preference or delta change scores. Behavioral tests were repeated across baseline, post-stress, post-treatment, extinction, and reinstatement phases. Each biological replicate consisted of pooled animals and was treated as one independent experimental unit. For biochemical analyses, pooled animals were homogenized in potassium phosphate buffer with EDTA and Triton X-100. Supernatants obtained after centrifugation (12,000 × g, 20 min, 4 °C) were used to measure superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione S-transferase (GST), and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activities using standard spectrophotometric assays. Statistical analyses were performed using GraphPad Prism and R. Tests included repeated-measures ANOVA, mixed-effects modeling, one-way ANOVA with Tukey post hoc comparisons, and Kruskal–Wallis with Dunn’s test. Raw measurements, summary statistics, and complete test outputs are provided in the associated data files. These procedures allow full reproduction of the behavioral and biochemical datasets supplied in this repository.