Plasmodium infection and oxidative status in breeding great tits, Parus major. (December 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Delhaye, Jessica; Jenkins, Tania; Christe, Philippe
• Is Part Of: Malaria journal. Volume 15:Number 1(2016)
• Page Start: 1
• Page End: 11
• Publication Date: 2016-12
• Subjects: Antioxidants -- Avian malaria -- Oxidative damage -- Parasitism -- Pro-oxidants -- Reproduction; Malaria -- Periodicals; 616.9362
• DOI: 10.1186/s12936-016-1579-9
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1475-2875

Abstract

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 ofPlasmodium infection on host oxidative status was investigated in wild populations of breeding great tits, Parus major, naturally infected byPlasmodium 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 onPlasmodium infection status. There was no direct effect of infection on oxidative damage and no effect on antioxidant defences. Conclusions The results suggest thatPlasmodium parasites may impose a cost in terms of increased oxidative stress possibly mediated via a higher energy requirement in infected hosts. This further suggests thatPlasmodium 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.