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Meza Cerda MI, Gray R, Thomson PC, Butcher L, Simpson K, Cameron A, Marcus AD, Higgins DP. Developing Immune Profiles of Endangered Australian Sea Lion ( Neophoca cinerea) Pups Within the Context of Endemic Hookworm ( Uncinaria sanguinis) Infection. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:824584. [PMID: 35529837 PMCID: PMC9069138 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.824584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
As a top predator, the endangered Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea) is a sentinel of ecosystem change, where population trends can reflect broader shifts in the marine environment. The population of this endemic pinniped was historically diminished by commercial sealing, and recovery has been slowed by fishery interactions, disease and, potentially, pollutants. Hookworm infects 100% of neonatal pups and has been identified as a contributor to population decline. Here, a multivariable approach using traditional serological and novel molecular tools such as qPCR and ddPCR was used to examine immune phenotypes of developing Australian sea lion pups infected with the endemic hookworm (Uncinaria sanguinis) from two South Australian colonies. Results show changing immunophenotypes throughout the patent period of infection represented by pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6), IgG and acute-phase proteins. Although cytokines may prove useful as markers of resistance, in this study, IL-6 is determined to be an early biomarker of inflammation in Australian sea lion pups, excluding the alternative hypothesis. Additionally, immunological differences between animals from high- and low-intensity hookworm seasons, as well as ivermectin-treated animals, indicate hookworm infection modulation of the host immune response, as evidenced by a lower IL-6 mRNA expression in the non-treated groups. This study of the Australian sea lion is an example of an ecoimmunological approach to disease investigation, which can be applied to evaluate the impact of environmental and anthropogenic factors on susceptibility to infectious diseases in free-ranging species
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Affiliation(s)
- María-Ignacia Meza Cerda
- Faculty of Science, Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Rachael Gray
- Faculty of Science, Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Peter C Thomson
- Faculty of Science, Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Loreena Butcher
- Faculty of Science, Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Kelly Simpson
- Faculty of Science, Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Abby Cameron
- Faculty of Science, Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Alan D Marcus
- Faculty of Science, Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Damien P Higgins
- Faculty of Science, Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Kavtsevich NN, Erokhina IA, Minzyuk TV. Phagocytic Activity of Leukocytes in Harp Seals. DOKLADY BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES : PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE USSR, BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES SECTIONS 2021; 495:268-271. [PMID: 33486661 DOI: 10.1134/s0012496620060022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Revised: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Phagocytic and cytochemical parameters of peripheral blood leukocytes in adult and 1.5-month-old harp seal pups were studied. Phagocytic number, proportion of phagocytic leukocytes, and phagocytic activity, average number of absorbed latex particles per leukocyte, were determined. Differences between groups of seals by average values of these indicators have not been revealed. A correlation analysis revealed a significant relationship between the phagocytic activity of leukocytes and their glycogen content in adult seals (r = 0.89). Content of cationic bactericidal protein (CP) in leukocytes of adult animals was 10-12 times higher than in pups. Correlation of CP and eosinophil count in adults was high (r = 0.88). Adult had significantly more eosinophils than pups. The noted features can provide higher efficiency of phagocytosis and destruction of absorbed bacteria in adult seals as compared to pups, despite the high level of indicators of the first, absorbing, phase of phagocytosis in the latter.
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Affiliation(s)
- N N Kavtsevich
- Murmansk Marine Biological Institute, Kola Science Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, 183010, Murmansk, Russian Federation.
| | - I A Erokhina
- Murmansk Marine Biological Institute, Kola Science Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, 183010, Murmansk, Russian Federation
| | - T V Minzyuk
- Murmansk Marine Biological Institute, Kola Science Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, 183010, Murmansk, Russian Federation
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Gelain ME, Bonsembiante F. Acute Phase Proteins in Marine Mammals: State of Art, Perspectives and Challenges. Front Immunol 2019; 10:1220. [PMID: 31191557 PMCID: PMC6549532 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.01220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2018] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The term “acute phase response” (APR) is referred to a nonspecific and complex reaction of an organism that occurs shortly after any tissue damage, such as infection, trauma, neoplasia, inflammation, and stress. The APR can be identified and monitored with some laboratory tests, such as the concentration of several plasma proteins, the acute phase proteins (APPs). The APPs are components of the non-specific innate immune response, and their plasma concentration is proportional to the severity and/or the extent of tissue damage. The evaluation of health status of marine mammals is difficult because the classical clinical signs of illness used for human and domestic animals are difficult to recognize and understand. For this reason, in the past years, several efforts were done to identify laboratory markers of disease in these animals. The APPs have demonstrated their role as early markers of inflammation in veterinary medicine, thus several APPs were tested in marine mammals, such as C-reactive protein (CRP), serum amyloid-A (SAA), and Haptoglobin (Hp). However, the difficulty to extrapolate the knowledge about APPs in one species to another, the lack of specie-specific reagents, the absence of data about negative APPs have hampered their extent use in marine mammals. Herein, the state of art of APPs in marine mammals is reviewed, with particular attention to pre-analytical and analytical factors that should be taken into account in validation and interpretation of APPs assays. Moreover, the current application, potential utility and the future developments of APPs in marine mammals is highlighted and discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Elena Gelain
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science (BCA), University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Federico Bonsembiante
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science (BCA), University of Padova, Padova, Italy.,Department of Animal Medicine, Productions and Health, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
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Villagra-Blanco R, Silva LMR, Conejeros I, Taubert A, Hermosilla C. Pinniped- and Cetacean-Derived ETosis Contributes to Combating Emerging Apicomplexan Parasites ( Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum) Circulating in Marine Environments. BIOLOGY 2019; 8:biology8010012. [PMID: 30857289 PMCID: PMC6466332 DOI: 10.3390/biology8010012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Revised: 02/25/2019] [Accepted: 03/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Leukocytes play a major role in combating infections either by phagocytosis, release of antimicrobial granules, or extracellular trap (ET) formation. ET formation is preceded by a certain leukocyte cell death form, known as ETosis, an evolutionarily conserved mechanism of the innate immune system also observed in marine mammals. Besides several biomolecules and microbial stimuli, marine mammal ETosis is also trigged by various terrestrial protozoa and metazoa, considered nowadays as neozoan parasites, which are circulating in oceans worldwide and causing critical emerging marine diseases. Recent studies demonstrated that pinniped- and cetacean-derived polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) and monocytes are able to form different phenotypes of ET structures composed of nuclear DNA, histones, and cytoplasmic peptides/proteases against terrestrial apicomplexan parasites, e.g., Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum. Detailed molecular analyses and functional studies proved that marine mammal PMNs and monocytes cast ETs in a similar way as terrestrial mammals, entrapping and immobilizing T. gondii and N. caninum tachyzoites. Pinniped- and cetacean leukocytes induce vital and suicidal ETosis, with highly reliant actions of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase (NOX), generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and combined mechanisms of myeloperoxidase (MPO), neutrophil elastase (NE), and DNA citrullination via peptidylarginine deiminase IV (PAD4).This scoping review intends to summarize the knowledge on emerging protozoans in the marine environment and secondly to review limited data about ETosis mechanisms in marine mammalian species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Liliana M R Silva
- Institute of Parasitology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany.
| | - Iván Conejeros
- Institute of Parasitology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany.
| | - Anja Taubert
- Institute of Parasitology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany.
| | - Carlos Hermosilla
- Institute of Parasitology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany.
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Hing S, Currie A, Broomfield S, Keatley S, Jones K, Thompson RCA, Narayan E, Godfrey SS. Host stress physiology and Trypanosoma haemoparasite infection influence innate immunity in the woylie (Bettongia penicillata). Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 2016; 46:32-9. [PMID: 27260808 DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2016.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2015] [Revised: 04/08/2016] [Accepted: 04/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Understanding immune function is critical to conserving wildlife in view of infectious disease threats, particularly in threatened species vulnerable to stress, immunocompromise and infection. However, few studies examine stress, immune function and infection in wildlife. We used a flow cytometry protocol developed for human infants to assess phagocytosis, a key component of innate immunity, in a critically endangered marsupial, the woylie (Bettongia penicillata). The effects of stress physiology and Trypanosoma infection on phagocytosis were investigated. Blood and faecal samples were collected from woylies in a captive facility over three months. Trypanosoma status was determined using PCR. Faecal cortisol metabolites (FCM) were quantified by enzyme-immunoassay. Mean phagocytosis measured was >90%. An interaction between sex and FCM influenced the percentage of phagocytosing leukocytes, possibly reflecting the influence of sex hormones and glucocorticoids. An interaction between Trypanosoma status and FCM influenced phagocytosis index, suggesting that stress physiology and infection status influence innate immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Hing
- Murdoch University, School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, 90 South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia.
| | - Andrew Currie
- Murdoch University, School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, 90 South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia
| | - Steven Broomfield
- Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Kent Street, Bentley, Western Australia 6102, Australia
| | - Sarah Keatley
- Murdoch University, School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, 90 South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia
| | - Krista Jones
- Murdoch University, School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, 90 South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia
| | - R C Andrew Thompson
- Murdoch University, School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, 90 South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia
| | - Edward Narayan
- Charles Sturt University, School of Animal and Veterinary Science, Boorooma Street, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2678, Australia
| | - Stephanie S Godfrey
- Murdoch University, School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, 90 South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia
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Reichel M, Muñoz-Caro T, Sanchez Contreras G, Rubio García A, Magdowski G, Gärtner U, Taubert A, Hermosilla C. Harbour seal (Phoca vitulina) PMN and monocytes release extracellular traps to capture the apicomplexan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2015; 50:106-115. [PMID: 25681075 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2015.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2014] [Revised: 02/03/2015] [Accepted: 02/05/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Extracellular traps (ETs) are composed of nuclear DNA as backbone adorned with histones, cytoplasmic antimicrobial peptides/proteins which are released from a range of vertebrate and invertebrate host immune cells in response to several invading pathogens. Until now this ancient novel innate defence mechanism has not been demonstrated in any marine mammal. Interactions of harbour seal (Phoca vitulina)-PMN and -monocytes with viable tachyzoites of Toxoplasma gondii were investigated in this respect in vitro. For the demonstration and quantification of harbour seal PMN- and monocyte-derived ETs, extracellular DNA was stained with Sytox Orange. Fluorescence assays as well as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses demonstrated PMN- and monocyte-promoted ET formation rapidly being induced upon contact with T. gondii-tachyzoites. The co-localisation of extracellular DNA decorated with histones (H3), neutrophil elastase (NE) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) in parasite entrapping structures confirmed the classical characteristics of PMN- and monocyte-promoted ETs. Exposure of harbour seal PMN and monocytes to viable tachyzoites resulted in a significant induction of ETs when compared to negative controls. Harbour seal-ETs were efficiently abolished by DNase I treatment and were reduced after PMN and monocytes pre-incubation with the NADPH oxidase inhibitor diphenilane iodondium. Tachyzoites of T. gondii were firmly entrapped and immobilised within harbour seal-ET structures. To our best knowledge, we here report for the first time on T. gondii-induced ET formation in harbour seal-PMN and -monocytes. Our results strongly indicate that PMN- and monocyte-triggered ETs represent a relevant and ancient conserved effector mechanism of the pinniped innate immune system as reaction against the pathogenic protozoon T. gondii and probably against other foreign pathogens occurring in the ocean environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Reichel
- Institute of Parasitology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Tamara Muñoz-Caro
- Institute of Parasitology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | | | - Ana Rubio García
- Seal Rehabilitation and Research Centre, Pieterburen, The Netherlands
| | - Gerd Magdowski
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Ulrich Gärtner
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Anja Taubert
- Institute of Parasitology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Carlos Hermosilla
- Institute of Parasitology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany.
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Frouin H, Haulena M, Akhurst L, Raverty S, Ross P. Immune status and function in harbor seal pups during the course of rehabilitation. Vet Immunol Immunopathol 2013; 155:98-109. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vetimm.2013.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2012] [Revised: 04/23/2013] [Accepted: 06/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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