Increased expression of ATP binding cassette transporter genes following exposure of Haemonchus contortus larvae to a high concentration of monepantel in vitro

Background There is some evidence that ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporters play a role in resistance to anthelmintics, particularly against macrocyclic lactones. Some anthelmintics, including ivermectin (IVM), have been shown to induce transcription of multiple ABC transporters in nematodes; however, the effects of monepantel (MPL) on transcription of these transporter genes has not been studied. Methods Larvae of two MPL-susceptible isolates of Haemonchus contortus were exposed to MPL at two concentrations (2.5 and 250 μg/ml) for periods of 3, 6 and 24 h. Transcription levels of sixteen ABC transporter genes were measured at the end of the incubation periods. The consequences of MPL exposure were examined by measuring rhodamine-123 efflux from the larvae, and their sensitivity to subsequent treatment with IVM or levamisole. Results Multiple ABC transporter genes showed significantly higher transcription in both worm isolates following exposure to MPL at 250 μg/ml for 3, 6 or 24 h, particularly the P-glycoprotein (P-gp) genes pgp-11, pgp-12 and pgp-14. Of these, only pgp-11 maintained the elevated levels 24 h after the end of the drug exposure period. In contrast, there was only a single instance of low-level upregulation as a result of exposure to MPL at 2.5 μg/ml. Larvae exposed to MPL at 250 μg/ml showed an increased efflux of rhodamine-123 and a proportion of the larval population showed an ability to subsequently tolerate higher concentrations of IVM in migration assays. There was no increased tolerance to IVM following pre-exposure to MPL at 2.5 μg/ml. Conclusions Exposure of H. contortus larvae to 250 μg/ml MPL results in increased transcription of multiple transporter genes and increased R-123 efflux. The subsequent ability of a proportion of the larvae to tolerate IVM suggests a protective role of ABC transporters across different chemical entities. However, these observations were only made at a concentration of MPL well above that experienced by parasitic life stages in vivo, and hence their significance remains unclear. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-016-1806-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.