Abstract
Host susceptibility to parasites is likely to be influenced by intrinsic factors, such as host oxidative status determined by the balance between pro-oxidant production and antioxidant defences. As a result, host oxidative status acts as an environmental factor for parasites and may constrain parasite development. We evaluated the role of host oxidative status on infection dynamics of an avian malarial parasite by providing canaries (Serinus canaria) with an antioxidant supplementation composed of vitamin E (a lipophilic antioxidant) and olive oil, a source of monounsaturated fatty acids. Another group received a standard, non-supplemented food. Half of the birds in each group where then infected with the haemosporidian parasite, Plasmodium relictum. We monitored the parasitaemia, haematocrit level, and red cell membrane resistance, as well as the transmission success of the parasite to its mosquito vector, Culex pipiens. During the acute phase, the negative effect of the infection was more severe in the supplemented group, as shown by a lower haematocrit level. Parasitaemia was lower in the supplemented group during the chronic phase only. Mosquitoes fed on supplemented hosts were more often infected than mosquitoes fed on the control group. These results suggest that dietary antioxidant supplementation conferred protection against Plasmodium in the long term, at the expense of a short-term negative effect. Malaria parasites may take advantage of antioxidants, as shown by the increased transmission rate in the supplemented group. Overall, our results suggest an important role of oxidative status in infection outcome and parasite transmission.
Highlights
Section Editor: Tobili Sam-Yellowe Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.Inter-individual variation in susceptibility to a parasite is likely to depend on variations in a host’s intrinsic factors (Bichet et al 2014)
We investigated the role of host antioxidant defences on parasite infection dynamics and transmission success in an avian malaria system
Our parasite lineage (SGS1) was isolated from infected great tits caught in the region of Lausanne (Switzerland) and transferred to canaries who have never been exposed to avian malaria in the laboratory
Summary
Infection intensity may be positively correlated to host nutritional status when parasites take advantage of host resources for their own development (Christe et al 2003; Pulkkinen and Ebert 2004). A poor host nutritional status may allow a higher infection intensity (Cornet et al 2014), by impairing the host’s immune functions (Chandra 1996; Christe et al 1998). Parasites may adapt to the environment provided by their hosts. Plasmodium parasites were shown to better exploit subsequent hosts when they first grew on control hosts than parasites grown on diet-enriched ones (Cornet et al 2014). Host oxidative status may influence parasite development as well. The oxidative status of an organism is determined by the levels of pro-oxidant production and antioxidant defences
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