Effect of dopamine activity inhibition on the immune response of Rhipicephalus microplus inoculated with Metarhizium anisopliae
Hemocytes, biological control, antagonist, ticks, entomopathogenic fungi
Dopamine (DA) is a biogenic monoamine that modulates ticks and insect hemocytes related to the immune system of these arthropods. However, the detailed role of DA in the immune response of ticks is yet to be elucidated. The present study analyzed the effect of a DA receptor antagonist when ticks were challenged with the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae. Our study evaluated the survival and biologic parameters of Rhipicephalus microplus, its hemolymph’s phenoloxidase activity, the hemocytes’ phagocytic index, DA detection in the hemocytes, and hemocyte quantification. Seven groups were formed as follow: control ticks (CTR), ticks inoculated with phosphate buffer (PBS), inoculated with antagonist 1ɳM (SCH A), 1μM (SCH B), M. anisopliae conidia (MA) and associations (SCH A + MA and SCH B + MA). There was a reduction in survival comparing the means of MA (7 days), with SCH A + MA (5 ½ days; P=0.0253) and SCH B + MA (4 ½ days; P=0.0291). The egg production index (IPO) was lower in the SCH A + MA (9.6%) and SCH B + MA (8.9%) compared to CTR (49.7%; P<0.0001) and the MA (25.1%) (P=0.0098; P=<0.01). The phagocytic index observed in ticks treated with Metarhizium alone was 57.3% in contrast to 18.1% (SCH A+MA) (P<0.0001) and 25.3% (SCH B+MA) (P<0. 0001). No changes in phenoloxidase activity and DA levels in R. microplushemocytes were detected in the presence of the antagonist. The quantification of hemocytes treated with antagonist associated or not with the fungus was similar. This result supports the hypothesis that DA is crucial in the tick defense process, changing the phagocytic capacity of hemocytes and the susceptibility of ticks to infection by entomopathogenic fungi.