This paper studied the association between metals accumulation in selected tissues and the shell and antioxidant defence system in Helix aspersa snails.
Accumulation of Zn, Fe, Pb, Cd, and Mg was organ-specific and was the highest in the hepatopancreas. Hepatopancreatic catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities were the highest, whereas the highest glutathione reductase activity was recorded in the foot. Concentration of GSH was inversely proportional to hepatopancreatic accumulation of the metals. The metals accumulation did not affect hepatopancreatic lipids peroxidation, which means that the hepatopancreatic antioxidant defence was quite capable of eliminating the overproduction of reactive oxygen species evoked by metals.