The role of adenosine and prostaglandin-E2 on the outcome of the Rhipicephalus sanguineus tick infestation

• Grant number: 11/00905-8
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Duration: June 01, 2011 - May 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Pathology
• Principal Investigator: Beatriz Rossetti Ferreira
• Grantee: Beatriz Rossetti Ferreira
• Host Institution: Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto (EERP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Carlo José Freire de Oliveira ; Isabel Kinney Ferreira de Miranda Santos ; João Santana da Silva ; Thiago Mattar Cunha

Abstract

Ticks are obligate hematophagous arthropod parasites that feed on the blood of every class of vertebrates and they can transmit a variety of infectious agents. During the parasitic stage, ticks inoculate saliva into the feeding site in attempting to counteract the host protective barriers and facilitate their feeding and propagation. Tick saliva contains a cocktail of potent anti-haemostatic, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory molecules that help these arthropods obtain their blood meal during all the parasitic stage. In line with these information our group have been demonstrated that saliva from Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks modulate the functions of a diversity of immune cells including macrophages, lymphocytes and dendritic cells (DCs). In attempting to investigate which molecules are related with these immunomodulatory effects we demonstrated that R. sanguineus tick saliva contains adenosine (ADO) and prostaglandin-E2 (PGE2) and these non-proteic molecules are able to modulate, in vitro, the production of cytokines and inhibit the expression of co-stimulatory molecules in DCs activated by Toll-Like receptor ligands. Many works show that ADO and PGE2 are molecules key to the modulation of DCs, and many other host immune cells, and its modulation could impair the capacity of host in developing protective immunity against ticks. Then, the present study was undertaken to investigate, in vivo, the role of ADO and PGE2 during tick infestation. Hence, we will evaluate the reproductive and biological parameters of R. sanguineus ticks feed on mice knockouts to adenosine receptors or mice treated with antagonist of PGE2 receptors. Moreover, we will assess the capacity of ticks in modulating the cellular immune response (e.g. DCs), intracellular signaling pathways and antibody production of mice under the same conditions. The results from this work will provide information about tick-host interaction, vaccine development and other forms of intervention in substitution of actual control methods to this parasite. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

ANATRIELLO, ELEN; FREIRE OLIVEIRA, CARLO JOSE; OLIVEIRA, NATHALIA BAPTISTA; FISCH, ANDRESSA; MILANEZI, CRISTIANE MARIA; DA SILVA, JOAO SANTANA; FERREIRA DE MIRANDA-SANTOS, ISABEL KINNEY; FERREIRA, BEATRIZ ROSSETTI. Interaction between saliva's adenosine and tick parasitism: effects on feeding and reproduction. PARASITES & VECTORS, v. 10, JUL 10 2017. (10/11285-8, 11/00905-8)