title: Effect of resveratrol on oxygen consumption by Philasterides dicentrarchi, a scuticociliate parasite of turbot.
abstract: The phytoalexin resveratrol (RESV) displays antiparasitic activity against Philasterides dicentrarchi, a scuticociliate pathogen of turbot, and causes oxidative stress, inhibition of antioxidant enzyme activity and morphological alterations in the parasite mitochondria. In this study, we analysed the mitochondrial biology of P. dicentrarchi and assessed the effect of RESV on mitochondrial metabolism. We found that RESV caused dose-dependent inhibition of mitochondrial electron transport and O₂ consumption in ciliates permeabilized with digitonin. Although the RESV molecule has a high capacity for antiradical and antioxidant activity, it induced a high level of pro-oxidant activity against the ciliate, thus causing a significant increase in intracellular ROS production. The increased ROS production was accompanied by mitochondrial collapse and dysfunction of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) and by a significant increase in intracellular Ca⁺² levels. RESV inhibited parasite growth in a similar way to antimycin A, an inhibitor of mitochondrial electron transport and ROS generator. The findings confirm the mitochondria as a target in the potential development of effective antiparasitic treatments.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Parasitología, Instituto de Investigación y Análisis Alimentarios,Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Morais
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Piazzon
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lamas
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mallo
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Leiro
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000977:Antiparasitic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D004579:Electron Transport / Q000187:drug effects; D005412:Flatfishes / Q000469:parasitology; D053078:Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial / Q000187:drug effects; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects*; D016802:Oligohymenophorea / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000187:drug effects*; D021261:Parasitic Sensitivity Tests; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D000077185:Resveratrol; D013267:Stilbenes / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000977:Antiparasitic Agents; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D013267:Stilbenes; D000077185:Resveratrol; D002118:Calcium