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Oxidative stress in wild European rabbits naturally infected with myxoma virus and rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus

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Abstract

The European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is one of the most important vertebrate species in the Mediterranean Basin ecosystem. Over the last 60 years, the arrival of two viral diseases, myxomatosis and rabbit haemorrhagic disease, have led to dramatic declines in wild rabbit populations across the Iberian Peninsula. These diseases are currently endemic. Periodic outbreaks occur and have significant impacts on wild populations. Both infection types have diverse physiological effects on their hosts that are rooted in aerobic metabolic processes. To fight off these viruses, rabbits activate their immune systems. However, the production of immune defences generates reactive oxygen species that may consequently damage host tissues. Hypothesising that immune responses increase oxidative stress, we examined whether wild rabbits naturally infected with myxoma virus (MV) and rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) had high oxidative stress. Using blood samples, we measured anti-MV and anti-RHDV antibody concentrations and different oxidative stress markers (i.e., glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and malondialdehyde). Our results show that rabbits that were seropositive for both MV and RHDV had high concentrations of malondialdehyde. Age and body condition were also positively related to dual seropositivity. No significant relationships were observed between serostatus and the concentrations of the other oxidative stress markers. Although we expected infection with MV and RHDV to be correlated with oxidative stress, the influence of external sources of oxidative stress (e.g., climatic conditions) likely made it more difficult to detect such relationships in wild rabbits.

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Abbreviations

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

OS:

Oxidative stress

AOX:

Antioxidant

MV:

Myxoma virus

RHD:

Rabbit haemorrhagic disease

RHDV:

Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus

GPX:

Glutathione peroxidase

GR:

Glutathione reductase

SOD:

Superoxide dismutase

CAT:

Catalase

MDA:

Malondialdehyde

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Acknowledgements

Isabel Pacios Palma was supported by a predoctoral Severo Ochoa grant from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, through the Severo Ochoa Program for Centers of Excellence in R+D+I (SEV-2012-0262). Carlos Rouco was funded by XXII Propio de Investigación of the University of Córdoba and “Programa Operativo de fondos FEDER Andalucía”. Special thanks to J. Pearce (www.englishservicesforscientists.com) for her language editing services and to Dr. Alberto Maceda-Veiga and Laura Rios Pena for their helpful comments, which improved the manuscript. Finally, thanks to V. Morlanes, C. Marfil, G. Macías, and A. Bertó for their assistance in the field.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ethology and Biodiversity Conservation Department, Doñana Biological Station-CSIC, Avda Américo Vespucio, 26, Isla de la Cartuja, 41092, Seville, Spain

    Isabel Pacios-Palma & Sacramento Moreno

  2. Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK

    Colin Selman

  3. Zoology Department, Campus de Rabanales, University of Córdoba, 14071, Córdoba, Spain

    Carlos Rouco

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  1. Isabel Pacios-Palma
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  2. Sacramento Moreno
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  3. Colin Selman
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  4. Carlos Rouco
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Correspondence to Isabel Pacios-Palma.

Ethics declarations

All animal experimentation was carried out in accordance with Spanish and European regulations (Law 32/2007, Council Directive 2010/63/EU, R.D. 53/2013, ECC/566/2015).

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Pacios-Palma, I., Moreno, S., Selman, C. et al. Oxidative stress in wild European rabbits naturally infected with myxoma virus and rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus. Eur J Wildl Res 64, 47 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-018-1203-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-018-1203-0

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