Production of Reactive Oxygen Species by Hemocytes from the Cattle Tick Boophilus microplus

• Published in: Experimental parasitology Vol. 99; no. 2; pp. 66 - 72
• Main Authors: Pereira, Lourivaldo S., Oliveira, Pedro L., Barja-Fidalgo, Christina, Daffre, Sirlei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: San Diego, CA Elsevier Inc 01.10.2001; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Boophilus microplus; Catalase - metabolism; Cattle; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hemocytes - classification; Hemocytes - metabolism; Hydrogen Peroxide - metabolism; Ixodidae; Ixodidae - metabolism; Medically important nuisances and vectors, pests of stored products and materials: population survey and control; Phagocytosis; Reactive Oxygen Species - metabolism; Superoxide Dismutase - metabolism; Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate - pharmacology; Vectors. Intermediate hosts; Zymosan - pharmacology; NADPH, reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate; EDTA, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid; PMA, phorbol 12-miristate 13-acetate; H2O2, hydrogen peroxide; SOD, superoxide dismutase; PBS, phosphate-buffered saline; NO, nitric oxide; PBSS, supplemented phosphate-buffered saline; CAT, catalase; CFU, colony forming units; LPS, lipopolysaccharide; Boophilus microplus; ROS, reactive oxygen species; POX, peroxidase; Ixodidae; Parasitiformes; Host parasite relation; Oxygen; Hemolymph; Ox; Biosynthesis; Host; Free radical; Arachnida; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Hemocyte; Acari; Ixodida; Arthropoda; Artiodactyla; Invertebrata; Vector; Ungulata; Phagocytosis
• ISSN: 0014-4894; 1090-2449
• DOI: 10.1006/expr.2001.4657

Pereira, L. S., Oliveira, P. L., Barja-Fidalgo, C., and Daffre, S. 2001. Production of reactive oxygen species by hemocytes from the cattle tick Boophilus microplus. Experimental Parasitology99, 66–72. We have investigated the phagocytic activity and the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by hemocytes from the cattle tick Boophilus microplus. Two main types of hemocytes were detected in tick hemolymph: plasmatocytes and granulocytes. The plasmocytes were the most abundant cells, being responsible for the in vivo phagocytosis of yeast. ROS production was evaluated by luminol-amplified luminescence and phenol red oxidation. The luminescence increased when hemocytes were incubated with bacteria, zymosan, or phorbol 12-miristate 13-acetate (PMA). The luminescence was inhibited by superoxide dismutase and catalase, which are antioxidant enzymes that remove superoxide and hydrogen peroxide, respectively. The phenol red oxidation assay also showed an increase in the level of hydrogen peroxide produced by hemocytes stimulated with bacteria and PMA. Taken all together, our data indicate that tick hemocytes are able to produce ROS during the phagocytic process similarly to vertebrate phagocytes.