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Catitti B, Grüebler MU, Kormann UG, Scherler P, Witczak S, van Bergen VS, Jenni-Eiermann S. Hungry or angry? Experimental evidence for the effects of food availability on two measures of stress in developing wild raptor nestlings. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:276255. [PMID: 35775647 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.244102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Food shortage challenges the development of nestlings; yet, to cope with this stressor, nestlings can induce stress responses to adjust metabolism or behaviour. Food shortage also enhances the antagonism between siblings, but it remains unclear whether the stress response induced by food shortage operates via the individual nutritional state or via the social environment experienced. In addition, the understanding of these processes is hindered by the fact that effects of food availability often co-vary with other environmental factors. We used a food supplementation experiment to test the effect of food availability on two complementary stress measures, feather corticosterone (CORTf) and Heterophil/Lymphocyte-ratio (H/L) in developing red kite (Milvus milvus) nestlings, a species with competitive brood hierarchy. By statistically controlling for the effect of food supplementation on the nestlings' body condition, we disentangled the effects of food and ambient temperature on nestlings during development. Experimental food supplementation increased body condition, and both CORTf and H/L were reduced in nestlings of high body condition. Additionally, CORTf decreased with age in non-supplemented nestlings. H/L decreased with age in all nestlings and was lower in supplemented last-hatched nestlings compared to non-supplemented ones. Ambient temperature showed a negative effect on H/L. Our results indicate that food shortage increases the nestlings' stress levels through both, a reduced food intake affecting nutritional state and the nestlings' social environment. Thus, food availability in conjunction with ambient temperature shape between- and within-nest differences in stress load, which may have carry-over effects on behaviour and performance in further life-history stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedetta Catitti
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204 Sempach, Switzerland.,Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Martin U Grüebler
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204 Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Urs G Kormann
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204 Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Patrick Scherler
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204 Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Stephanie Witczak
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204 Sempach, Switzerland.,Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Switzerland
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2
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Leukocyte counts in blood smears of Antarctic seals and penguins: a new less time-consuming method. Polar Biol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-021-02950-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Caccavo JA, Raclot T, Poupart T, Ropert-Coudert Y, Angelier F. Anthropogenic activities are associated with shorter telomeres in chicks of Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae). Polar Biol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-021-02892-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
AbstractDefining the impact of anthropogenic stressors on Antarctic wildlife is an active aim for investigators. Telomeres represent a promising molecular tool to investigate the fitness of wild populations, as their length may predict longevity and survival. We examined the relationship between telomere length and human exposure in Adélie penguin chicks (Pygoscelis adeliae) from East Antarctica. Telomere length was compared between chicks from areas with sustained human activity and on neighboring protected islands with little or no human presence. Adélie penguin chicks from sites exposed to human activity had significantly shorter telomeres than chicks from unexposed sites in nearby protected areas, with exposed chicks having on average 3.5% shorter telomeres than unexposed chicks. While sampling limitations preclude our ability to draw more sweeping conclusions at this time, our analysis nonetheless provides important insights into measures of colony vulnerability. More data are needed both to understand the proximate causes (e.g., stress, feeding events) leading to shorter telomeres in chicks from human exposed areas, as well as the fitness consequences of reduced telomere length. We suggest to further test the use of telomere length analysis as an eco-indicator of stress in wildlife among anthropized sites throughout Antarctica.
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HEMATOLOGY AND PLASMA CHEMISTRY VALUES IN BEACHED MAGELLANIC PENGUIN ( SPHENISCUS MAGELLANICUS) IN NORTHERN ARGENTINA DURING THE NONBREEDING SEASON. J Zoo Wildl Med 2020; 50:927-936. [PMID: 31926525 DOI: 10.1638/2019-0012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Seabirds have been widely used for monitoring the health of the oceans in diverse marine regions. Among low-cost survey strategies, systematic surveys of seabirds beached on coasts have been developed since the 20th century. However, these studies do not always address blood aspects. The assessment of the health status of birds based on the analysis of hematological and plasma chemistry is crucial to evaluate the overall health status profile of live organisms. Here, the authors study the variability of blood parameters by sex, age class, and year of beached Magellanic Penguin during the nonreproductive period in northern Argentina. Of 44 penguins, 77% were categorized as younger juveniles and the rest as older juveniles, and were captured and studied in coastal areas of Buenos Aires Province during the summers of 2017 and 2018. The mean body weight of beached penguins was affected by the age class of the individuals; most of the younger juveniles showed poor condition in terms of body mass (1,761 ± 235 g). No significant differences were observed in body weight between years and sex. Still, there were significant differences between years for alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and creatine phosphokinase (CPK) values. Twelve of the 20 blood parameters analyzed differ significantly with the age class of the beached penguins; younger juveniles were in a state of inanition. Our results may serve as a necessary first step in improving the conservation status of the Magellanic Penguin in nonbreeding grounds of Argentina, and call for a better knowledge of the health status of the species along its annual cycle.
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Bílková B, Bainová Z, Janda J, Zita L, Vinkler M. Different breeds, different blood: Cytometric analysis of whole blood cellular composition in chicken breeds. Vet Immunol Immunopathol 2017; 188:71-77. [PMID: 28615130 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetimm.2017.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2016] [Revised: 03/16/2017] [Accepted: 05/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
While haematological variation is well known in birds, variation in avian breeds (distinct morphotypes of the same species) remains unexplored. Poultry breeds, in particular, may show interesting evolutionary patterns and economically-relevant physiological differences. We performed a comparative examination of blood cellular composition in five chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) breeds: Araucana, Booted bantam, Czech, Minorca and Rosecomb bantam. In standard-environment-reared hens whole-blood flow cytometry revealed remarkable differences in most erythrocyte- and leukocyte-related parameters. We identified two extremes: Czech, a European breed, with a low heterophil/lymphocyte (H/L) ratio and high CD4+ levels, and Araucana, a South-American breed, with a high H/L ratio and high relative monocyte count. Such variation may reflect a combination of artificial and natural selection acting on health- and stress-related traits in domestic populations. Different breeds have evolved different immunological adaptations reflecting their original need to fight pathogens and physiological constraint resulting from dissimilar physiological trade-offs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbora Bílková
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Viničná 7, 128 44 Prague, Czech Republic, EU
| | - Zuzana Bainová
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Viničná 7, 128 44 Prague, Czech Republic, EU; Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Cell Biology, Viničná 7, 128 44 Prague, EU, Czech Republic, EU
| | - Jozef Janda
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Cell Biology, Viničná 7, 128 44 Prague, EU, Czech Republic, EU
| | - Lukáš Zita
- Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Department of Animal Husbandry, Kamýcká 129, 165 00 Prague, EU, Czech Republic, EU
| | - Michal Vinkler
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Viničná 7, 128 44 Prague, Czech Republic, EU.
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López-Jiménez L, Blas J, Tanferna A, Cabezas S, Marchant T, Hiraldo F, Sergio F. Effects of Ontogeny, Diel Rhythms, and Environmental Variation on the Adrenocortical Physiology of Semialtricial Black Kites (Milvus migrans). Physiol Biochem Zool 2016; 89:213-24. [DOI: 10.1086/684966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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7
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Regulation of breeding expenditure in the blue-footed booby, Sula nebouxii : an experimental approach. Anim Behav 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.06.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Braasch A, Becker PH, Groothuis TGG. Response of testosterone and corticosterone plasma levels to the challenge of sibling competition: a study in common terns. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2014; 204:95-103. [PMID: 24859255 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2014.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2013] [Revised: 05/03/2014] [Accepted: 05/05/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The hormonal response to social challenges has been widely studied, however, most work focused on adult behavior in a reproductive context although developing animals also encounter important social challenges early in life. We studied the relationship between acute sibling competition and plasma corticosterone (CORT) and testosterone (T) in common tern (Sterna hirundo) chicks, a species whose young compete for access to food by scramble interactions. Blood samples were taken in nests with two and only one single chick both immediately after a feeding bout and in non-challenged controls. We found that T levels were lower in siblings challenged by a feeding bout as compared to controls, which may be explained by the fact that T suppresses begging behavior and is only elevated in response to territorial intrusion but not sibling competition in a related species. Singletons had, corrected for body condition, generally lower CORT levels than siblings suggesting that growing up with siblings creates a competitive environment in which high CORT levels are sustained irrespective of a social challenge. CORT levels were also negatively correlated with body condition and were higher in males than in females. The latter may be related to sex-specific food requirements and susceptibility to stress. Our results suggest a possible suppressive effect of acute sibling competition on T secretion, and a positive effect on CORT levels by longer term sibling competition. The degree to which these dynamics are related to begging or aggression, or both, needs further experimental work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Braasch
- Institute of Avian Research "Vogelwarte Helgoland", An der Vogelwarte 21, D-26386 Wilhelmshaven, Germany.
| | - Peter H Becker
- Institute of Avian Research "Vogelwarte Helgoland", An der Vogelwarte 21, D-26386 Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - Ton G G Groothuis
- Behavioural Biology, Centre for Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
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Will AP, Suzuki Y, Elliott KH, Hatch SA, Watanuki Y, Kitaysky AS. Feather corticosterone reveals developmental stress in seabirds. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 217:2371-6. [PMID: 24744418 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.098533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
In nest-bound avian offspring, food shortages typically trigger a release of the stress hormone corticosterone (CORT). Recent studies indicate that CORT is passively deposited in the tissue of growing feathers and thus may provide an integrated measure of stress incurred during development in the nest. The current hypothesis predicts that, assuming a constant rate of feather growth, elevated CORT circulating in the blood corresponds to higher levels of CORT in feather tissue, but experimental evidence for nutritionally stressed chicks is lacking. Here, we examined how food limitation affects feather CORT content in the rhinoceros auklet (Cerorhinca moncerata). We (i) used captive chicks reared on control versus restricted diets, and (ii) applied this technique to free-living chicks with unknown nutritional histories that fledged at three separate colonies. We found that (i) feather growth was not affected by experimentally induced nutritional stress; (ii) captive chicks raised on a restricted diet had higher levels of CORT in their primary feathers; (iii) feather CORT deposition is a sensitive method of detecting nutritional stress; and (iv) free-living fledglings from the colony with poor reproductive performance had higher CORT in their primary feathers. We conclude that feather CORT is a sensitive integrated measure revealing the temporal dynamics of food limitations experienced by rhinoceros auklet nestlings. The use of feather CORT may be a powerful endocrine tool in ecological and evolutionary studies of bird species with similar preferential allocation of limited resources to feather development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis P Will
- Institute of Arctic Biology, 311 Irving 1, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
| | - Yuya Suzuki
- Graduate School of Fisheries Sciences, Hokkaido University, Minato-cho 3-1-1, Hakodate, 041-8611, Japan
| | - Kyle H Elliott
- Department of Zoology, Z320 Duff Roblin Building, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada, R3T 2N2
| | - Scott A Hatch
- Institute for Seabird Research and Conservation, 12850 Mountain Place, Anchorage, AK 99516, USA
| | - Yutaka Watanuki
- Graduate School of Fisheries Sciences, Hokkaido University, Minato-cho 3-1-1, Hakodate, 041-8611, Japan
| | - Alexander S Kitaysky
- Institute of Arctic Biology, 311 Irving 1, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
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Salaberria C, Muriel J, de Luna M, Gil D, Puerta M. The PHA test as an indicator of phagocytic activity in a passerine bird. PLoS One 2013; 8:e84108. [PMID: 24391896 PMCID: PMC3877195 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0084108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2013] [Accepted: 11/12/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Several techniques in ecological immunology have been used to assess bird immunocompetence thus providing useful information to understand the contribution of the immunological system in life-history decisions. The phytohaemagglutinin (PHA)-skin test has been the most widely employed technique being interpreted as the sole result of T lymphocytes proliferation and hence used to evaluate acquired immunological capacity. However, the presence of high numbers of phagocytic cells in the swelling point has cast some doubt about such an assumption. To address this issue, we collected blood from 14 days-old nestlings of spotless starling (Sturnus unicolor), administered subcutaneous PHA immediately after and then measured the swelling response 24 hours later. Differential counts of white blood cells suggested that an intense development of acquired immunological defences was taking place. The phagocytic activity of both heterophiles and monocytes was also very intense as it was the swelling response. Moreover, our results show, for the first time in birds, a positive relationship between the phagocytic activity of both kinds of cells and the swelling response. This broadens the significance of the PHA test from reflecting T lymphocytes proliferation -as previously proposed but still undetermined in vivo- to evaluate phagocytosis as well. In other words, our data suggest that the PHA swelling response may not be considered as the only consequence of processes of specific and induced immunity -T lymphocytes proliferation- but also of constitutive and nonspecific immunity -heterophiles and monocytes phagocytosis. We propose the extensive use of PHA-skin test as an optimal technique to assess immunocompetence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Concepción Salaberria
- Department of Evolutive Ecology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (Centro Superior de Investigaciones Científicas), Madrid, Spain
| | - Jaime Muriel
- Department of Evolutive Ecology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (Centro Superior de Investigaciones Científicas), Madrid, Spain
| | - María de Luna
- Department of Evolutive Ecology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (Centro Superior de Investigaciones Científicas), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Animal Physiology, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas (Universidad Complutense de Madrid), Madrid, Spain
| | - Diego Gil
- Department of Evolutive Ecology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (Centro Superior de Investigaciones Científicas), Madrid, Spain
| | - Marisa Puerta
- Department of Animal Physiology, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas (Universidad Complutense de Madrid), Madrid, Spain
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Sanyal T, Kumar V, Nag TC, Jain S, Sreenivas V, Wadhwa S. Prenatal loud music and noise: differential impact on physiological arousal, hippocampal synaptogenesis and spatial behavior in one day-old chicks. PLoS One 2013; 8:e67347. [PMID: 23861759 PMCID: PMC3702537 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0067347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2013] [Accepted: 05/15/2013] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Prenatal auditory stimulation in chicks with species-specific sound and music at 65 dB facilitates spatial orientation and learning and is associated with significant morphological and biochemical changes in the hippocampus and brainstem auditory nuclei. Increased noradrenaline level due to physiological arousal is suggested as a possible mediator for the observed beneficial effects following patterned and rhythmic sound exposure. However, studies regarding the effects of prenatal high decibel sound (110 dB; music and noise) exposure on the plasma noradrenaline level, synaptic protein expression in the hippocampus and spatial behavior of neonatal chicks remained unexplored. Here, we report that high decibel music stimulation moderately increases plasma noradrenaline level and positively modulates spatial orientation, learning and memory of one day-old chicks. In contrast, noise at the same sound pressure level results in excessive increase of plasma noradrenaline level and impairs the spatial behavior. Further, to assess the changes at the molecular level, we have quantified the expression of functional synapse markers: synaptophysin and PSD-95 in the hippocampus. Compared to the controls, both proteins show significantly increased expressions in the music stimulated group but decrease in expressions in the noise group. We propose that the differential increase of plasma noradrenaline level and altered expression of synaptic proteins in the hippocampus are responsible for the observed behavioral consequences following prenatal 110 dB music and noise stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tania Sanyal
- Department of Anatomy, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Vivek Kumar
- Department of Anatomy, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Tapas Chandra Nag
- Department of Anatomy, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Suman Jain
- Department of Physiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Vishnu Sreenivas
- Department of Biostatistics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Shashi Wadhwa
- Department of Anatomy, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
- * E-mail:
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Kozlowski CP, Ricklefs RE. The effects of brood size on growth and steroid hormone concentrations in nestling eastern bluebirds (Sialia sialis). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2011; 173:447-53. [PMID: 21819987 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2011.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2011] [Revised: 07/14/2011] [Accepted: 07/16/2011] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Birds in multi-nestling broods often experience reduced growth and elevated nutritional and social stress as a result of competition for parental resources. While responses are often species-specific, experimentally increasing brood size has been shown to decrease growth and increase production of both testosterone and corticosterone in nestling passerines. To investigate the relationship between brood size, growth, and steroid hormone production in eastern bluebirds, we cross-fostered nestlings to small, medium, and large broods. Body mass, skeletal size, serum testosterone, and baseline serum corticosterone concentration were measured prior to fledging. Bluebird nestlings raised in large broods weighed less than nestlings in small and medium-sized broods and secreted elevated concentrations of testosterone. Nestling corticosterone concentrations did not vary in response to brood size or body condition, but concentrations were higher in males compared to females. Our results suggest that nestling bluebirds experiencing nutritional and social stress increase testosterone production. Elevated concentrations may enhance begging and competitive abilities in smaller young. Higher concentrations of corticosterone in males may be related to sex-biased provisioning. Further experimental work is needed to ascertain the effects of elevated testosterone concentrations in nestling bluebirds, as well as the causes and consequences of elevated corticosterone for male nestlings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corinne P Kozlowski
- Saint Louis Zoo, Research Department, 1 Government Drive, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
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