Plasmodium infection and oxidative status in breeding great tits, Parus major.

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Version: Final published version
Serval ID
serval:BIB_27A1107590AC
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
Plasmodium infection and oxidative status in breeding great tits, Parus major.
Journal
Malaria Journal
Author(s)
Delhaye J., Jenkins T., Christe P.
ISSN
1475-2875 (Electronic)
ISSN-L
1475-2875
Publication state
Published
Issued date
2016
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
15
Number
1
Pages
531
Language
english
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Plasmodium parasites may affect the oxidative status of their hosts, defined as the balance of pro-oxidant compounds and antioxidant defences in an organism. An increased energy requirement, the activation of immune functions or the parasite itself may lead to a higher production of pro-oxidants and/or an antioxidant depletion resulting in a higher oxidative stress and associated damage in infected individuals. Relatively little is known about the mechanisms underlying oxidative processes at play during host-Plasmodium interaction in the wild.
METHODS: The effect of Plasmodium infection on host oxidative status was investigated in wild populations of breeding great tits, Parus major, naturally infected by Plasmodium spp. When chicks were 14 days old, the parents were blood-sampled to measure four complementary oxidative status markers: pro-oxidant production as mitochondrial superoxide production in red blood cells (RBC), antioxidant defences as plasma antioxidant capacity and oxidative damage as reactive oxygen metabolites in the plasma and RBC membrane resistance to oxidative attack.
RESULTS: Plasmodium-infected individuals produced more pro-oxidants compared to uninfected ones and pro-oxidant production positively correlated to infection intensity. There was also a conditional effect of reproductive effort on oxidative damage depending on Plasmodium infection status. There was no direct effect of infection on oxidative damage and no effect on antioxidant defences.
CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that Plasmodium parasites may impose a cost in terms of increased oxidative stress possibly mediated via a higher energy requirement in infected hosts. This further suggests that Plasmodium parasites may modify host life history traits via an induction of oxidative stress. This study highlights that measuring several complementary oxidative status markers may enable to capture oxidative processes at play during host-Plasmodium interactions.
Keywords
Antioxidants, Avian malaria, Oxidative damage, Parasitism, Pro-oxidants, Reproduction
Pubmed
Web of science
Open Access
Yes
Create date
26/10/2016 10:23
Last modification date
20/08/2019 13:06
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