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Zhang D, Yang Y, Li M, Lu Y, Liu Y, Jiang J, Liu R, Liu J, Huang X, Li G, Qu J. Ecological Barrier Deterioration Driven by Human Activities Poses Fatal Threats to Public Health due to Emerging Infectious Diseases. ENGINEERING (BEIJING, CHINA) 2022; 10:155-166. [PMID: 33903827 PMCID: PMC8060651 DOI: 10.1016/j.eng.2020.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and concerns about several other pandemics in the 21st century have attracted extensive global attention. These emerging infectious diseases threaten global public health and raise urgent studies on unraveling the underlying mechanisms of their transmission from animals to humans. Although numerous works have intensively discussed the cross-species and endemic barriers to the occurrence and spread of emerging infectious diseases, both types of barriers play synergistic roles in wildlife habitats. Thus far, there is still a lack of a complete understanding of viral diffusion, migration, and transmission in ecosystems from a macro perspective. In this review, we conceptualize the ecological barrier that represents the combined effects of cross-species and endemic barriers for either the natural or intermediate hosts of viruses. We comprehensively discuss the key influential factors affecting the ecological barrier against viral transmission from virus hosts in their natural habitats into human society, including transmission routes, contact probability, contact frequency, and viral characteristics. Considering the significant impacts of human activities and global industrialization on the strength of the ecological barrier, ecological barrier deterioration driven by human activities is critically analyzed for potential mechanisms. Global climate change can trigger and expand the range of emerging infectious diseases, and human disturbances promote higher contact frequency and greater transmission possibility. In addition, globalization drives more transmission routes and produces new high-risk regions in city areas. This review aims to provide a new concept for and comprehensive evidence of the ecological barrier blocking the transmission and spread of emerging infectious diseases. It also offers new insights into potential strategies to protect the ecological barrier and reduce the wide-ranging risks of emerging infectious diseases to public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dayi Zhang
- School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yunfeng Yang
- School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Miao Li
- School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yun Lu
- School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yi Liu
- School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jingkun Jiang
- School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Ruiping Liu
- School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jianguo Liu
- School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Xia Huang
- School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Guanghe Li
- School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jiuhui Qu
- School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
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2
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Demina I, Tsvey A. Total white blood cell counts but not HL ratio changes in the transition from post-juvenile molt to autumn migration in the first-year Eurasian blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla). JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART 2021; 337:159-170. [PMID: 34609791 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Theoretically, seasonal changes in immune functioning in animals are shaped by the trade-off between a probability of encountering pathogens and availability of resources. We used leukocyte profile (absolute and relative leukocyte counts) as a simple measure of immune system condition to study how it changes during the transition from postjuvenile molt to autumn migration in a free-living migratory songbird, the Eurasian blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla). We observed the higher white blood cells (WBC) and lymphocyte counts in molting birds compared to migrating individuals, but we did not find differences in heterophils and ratio of heterophils to lymphocytes (HL ratio). We suppose that the high number of WBC in molting blackcaps could reflect the heightened ability of their immune system to resists infections. The lower WBC counts in migrants compared to molting birds were mostly due to reduced lymphocyte numbers, thus representing in a downregulation of specific immunity. An absence of heterophil differences between molt and migration might indicate that various components of immunity can change relatively independently (or at different pace). Fat scores had no effect on WBC counts and HL ratio. Therefore, we found no strong evidence for a resource-immune functionality trade-off during transition from postjuvenile molt to autumn migration in immature Eurasian blackcap. This study is an important step in understanding how immune system in general and leukocyte profile in particular changes in transition between life-history stages in migratory songbirds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Demina
- Biological Station Rybachy, Zoological Institute of RAS, Rybachy, Kaliningrad Reg., Russia
| | - Arseny Tsvey
- Biological Station Rybachy, Zoological Institute of RAS, Rybachy, Kaliningrad Reg., Russia
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3
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Association between social factors and gastrointestinal parasite product excretion in a group of non-cooperatively breeding carrion crows. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-02967-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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4
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Hernández-Arciga U, Herrera M LG, Königsberg M, Valdez RA, Flores-Martínez JJ, Romano MC. Synergetic effects of immune challenge and stress depress cortisol, inflammatory response and antioxidant activity in fish-eating Myotis. J Exp Biol 2020; 223:jeb234914. [PMID: 33161382 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.234914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
One of the most common tools in conservation physiology is the assessment of environmental stress via glucocorticoid measurement. However, little is known of its relationship with other stress-related biomarkers, and how the incidence of an immune challenge during long-term stress could affect an individual's overall stress response. We investigated here the relationship between basal and post-acute stress fecal cortisol metabolite (FC) with different antioxidant enzymes, oxidative damage and immune parameters in the fish-eating bat, Myotis vivesi We found that in both basal and post-stress conditions, FC was highly related with a number of antioxidant enzymes and immune parameters, but not to oxidative damage. We also assessed changes of FC through the seasons. Basal FC samples and stress reactivity after short-duration stress displayed similar levels during summer, autumn and early winter, but lower concentrations in late winter. Stress reactivity after long-duration stress was greater in summer and early winter. Finally, we tested the effect of a simultaneous exposure to a long, strong stress stimulus with an immune response stimulation by administrating adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and phytohemagglutinin (PHA) after 42 h. Results showed that when both stimuli were administrated, FC concentrations, inflammation and some antioxidant activity were lowered in comparison with the control and individual administration of the challenges. Our findings support the idea that animals maintain constant basal glucocorticoid levels when living in challenging environments, but response to acute stress differs seasonally and immune defense mechanisms and stress responses might be compromised when confronted with multiple challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulalume Hernández-Arciga
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apartado Postal 70-153, Ciudad de México, 04510 Mexico
- Laboratorio de Bioenergética y Envejecimiento Celular, Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Unidad Iztapalapa, Ciudad de México, 09340 Mexico
| | - L Gerardo Herrera M
- Estación de Biología Chamela, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apartado Postal 21, San Patricio, JAL, 48980 Mexico
| | - Mina Königsberg
- Laboratorio de Bioenergética y Envejecimiento Celular, Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Unidad Iztapalapa, Ciudad de México, 09340 Mexico
| | - Ricardo A Valdez
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biofísica y Neurociencias, Centro de Investigación y Estudios Avanzados, Ciudad de México, 07360 Mexico
| | - José Juan Flores-Martínez
- Laboratorio de Sistemas de Información Geográfica, Departamento de Zoología, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, 04510 Mexico
| | - Marta C Romano
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biofísica y Neurociencias, Centro de Investigación y Estudios Avanzados, Ciudad de México, 07360 Mexico
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5
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Hammond TT, Ortiz-Jimenez CA, Smith JE. Anthropogenic Change Alters Ecological Relationships via Interactive Changes in Stress Physiology and Behavior within and among Organisms. Integr Comp Biol 2020; 60:57-69. [PMID: 31960928 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icaa001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic change has well-documented impacts on stress physiology and behavior across diverse taxonomic groups. Within individual organisms, physiological and behavioral traits often covary at proximate and ultimate timescales. In the context of global change, this means that impacts on physiology can have downstream impacts on behavior, and vice versa. Because all organisms interact with members of their own species and other species within their communities, the effects of humans on one organism can impose indirect effects on one or more other organisms, resulting in cascading effects across interaction networks. Human-induced changes in the stress physiology of one species and the downstream impacts on behavior can therefore interact with the physiological and behavioral responses of other organisms to alter emergent ecological phenomena. Here, we highlight three scenarios in which the stress physiology and behavior of individuals on different sides of an ecological relationship are interactively impacted by anthropogenic change. We discuss host-parasite/pathogen dynamics, predator-prey relationships, and beneficial partnerships (mutualisms and cooperation) in this framework, considering cases in which the effect of stressors on each type of network may be attenuated or enhanced by interactive changes in behavior and physiology. These examples shed light on the ways that stressors imposed at the level of one individual can impact ecological relationships to trigger downstream consequences for behavioral and ecological dynamics. Ultimately, changes in stress physiology on one or both sides of an ecological interaction can mediate higher-level population and community changes due in part to their cascading impacts on behavior. This framework may prove useful for anticipating and potentially mitigating previously underappreciated ecological responses to anthropogenic perturbations in a rapidly changing world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talisin T Hammond
- San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, Escondido, CA 92027, USA
| | - Chelsea A Ortiz-Jimenez
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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Lelono A, Robledo-Ruiz DA, Berghof TVL, Parmentier HK, Riedstra B, Groothuis TG. Does paternal immunocompetence affect offspring vulnerability to maternal androgens? A study in domestic chickens. Biol Open 2019; 8:bio.045096. [PMID: 31748241 PMCID: PMC6899007 DOI: 10.1242/bio.045096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure of yolk androgens can positively stimulate chick growth and competitive ability, but may negatively affect immunity. It has been hypothesized that only chicks from immunologically superior fathers can bear the cost of prenatal exposure to high androgen levels. To test this hypothesis, we paired roosters from two selection lines, one up- and one down-selected for natural antibodies (NAbs), with hens from a control line. We measured yolk testosterone and androstenedione levels, and we injected the treatment group of eggs of each female with testosterone suspended in sesame oil and the control group with sesame oil only. We then measured hatching success and growth, and characterized the humoral and cellular immune responses using three different challenges: a phyto-hemagglutinin, a lipopolysaccharide and a sheep red blood cell challenge. We found that the hatching success, body mass, initial levels of natural antibodies and the chicks’ immunological responses to the three different challenges and development were affected neither by paternal immunocompetence nor by treatment. These results do not support the hypothesis that chicks from low-NAb line fathers are more sensitive to testosterone exposure during embryonic development than chicks from high-NAb line fathers. Summary: Our study shows that there were no effects of paternal natural antibody line, increased embryonic testosterone exposure or the interaction of both on immunocompetence of chicks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asmoro Lelono
- Behavioural Biology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands .,Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Jember, 68121 Jember, East Java, The Republic of Indonesia
| | - Diana A Robledo-Ruiz
- Behavioural Biology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Tom V L Berghof
- Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University & Research Animal Breeding and Genomics, P.O. Box 338, 6700 AH Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Henk K Parmentier
- Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University & Research Adaptation Physiology, P.O. Box 338, 6700 AH Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Bernd Riedstra
- Behavioural Biology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Ton G Groothuis
- Behavioural Biology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
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7
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O’Dwyer K, Dargent F, Forbes MR, Koprivnikar J. Parasite infection leads to widespread glucocorticoid hormone increases in vertebrate hosts: A meta‐analysis. J Anim Ecol 2019; 89:519-529. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2019] [Accepted: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Katie O’Dwyer
- Department of Chemistry and Biology Ryerson University Toronto ON Canada
| | - Felipe Dargent
- Department of Biology Carleton University Ottawa ON Canada
| | - Mark R. Forbes
- Department of Biology Carleton University Ottawa ON Canada
| | - Janet Koprivnikar
- Department of Chemistry and Biology Ryerson University Toronto ON Canada
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8
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Campbell L, Bower DS, Clulow S, Stockwell M, Clulow J, Mahony M. Interaction between temperature and sublethal infection with the amphibian chytrid fungus impacts a susceptible frog species. Sci Rep 2019; 9:83. [PMID: 30643160 PMCID: PMC6331562 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-35874-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis is an emerging infectious pathogen present on every continent except Antarctica. It causes the disease chytridiomycosis in a subset of species but does not always result in disease or death for every host. Ambient temperature influences both amphibian metabolism and chytrid pathogenicity, however the interactive effects on host physiology is not well understood. We investigated the sublethal effect of B. dendrobatidis infection on a susceptible host, Litoria aurea to test (1) whether the infection load, metabolic activity, body fat and gonad size differed in L. aurea at either 24 °C or 12 °C ambient temperatures and (2) whether previous Bd infection caused long-term changes to body fat and gonad size. Litoria aurea in 12 °C treatments had higher infection loads of B. dendrobatidis and lower survivorship. Metabolic rate was higher and fat mass was lower in infected individuals and in animals in 24 °C treatments. Male L. aurea previously infected with B. dendrobatidis had smaller testes 5 months-post clearance of infection, an effect likely to translate to fitness costs in wild populations. These experiments demonstrate a physiological cost to sublethal B. dendrobatidis infection, which suggests a reduction in host fitness mediated by temperature in the host's environment regardless of whether infection leads to mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lachlan Campbell
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Newcastle, 2300, NSW, Australia.
| | - Deborah S Bower
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Newcastle, 2300, NSW, Australia.,James Cook University, Townsville, 4811, Qld, Australia
| | - Simon Clulow
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Newcastle, 2300, NSW, Australia.,Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Michelle Stockwell
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Newcastle, 2300, NSW, Australia
| | - John Clulow
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Newcastle, 2300, NSW, Australia
| | - Michael Mahony
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Newcastle, 2300, NSW, Australia
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9
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Pedro R, Claudio N, Elena C, Claudio V. Low occurrence of hemosporidian parasites in the Neotropic cormorant (Phalacrocorax brasilianus) in Chile. Parasitol Res 2018; 118:325-333. [PMID: 30448937 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-018-6146-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Hemosporidian parasites rarely infect aquatic birds. Few studies have been conducted in South America identifying some lineages of the genera Plasmodium, Leucocytozoon, and Haemoproteus, but none has been done in the Neotropic cormorant (Phalacrocorax brasilianus). This species is widely distributed through the American continent, from Southern USA to Tierra del Fuego, using a wide range of aquatic habitats. We molecularly studied the occurrence and diversity of hemosporidian lineages infecting individuals of Neotropic cormorant across a broad latitudinal gradient in Chile (Arica to Tierra del Fuego). As expected, a very low occurrence of individuals infected by Plasmodium sp. (4/123, 3.3%) and Leucocytozoon sp. (2/123, 1.6%) was detected. We found no evidence of Haemoproteus sp. We identified one lineage of Plasmodium (ZEMAC01) and one new lineage of Leucocytozoon (PHABRA01) infecting cormorants. Individuals infected by Plasmodium sp. were birds from only one site (i.e., Chillán), whereas Leucocytozoon sp. was found in one bird from Valdivia and another one from Tierra del Fuego. Our results expand the known range of hemosporidian parasite lineages in aquatic birds providing an essential baseline data that contribute to a better understanding of the geographic range of hemosporidian parasites infecting Phalacrocoracidae in South America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigues Pedro
- Instituto de Patología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Navarrete Claudio
- Instituto de Patología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Campos Elena
- Instituto de Patología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Verdugo Claudio
- Instituto de Patología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile. .,Programa de Investigación Aplicada en Fauna Silvestre, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile.
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10
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Hoffman AJ, Finger JW, Wada H. Early stress priming and the effects on fitness‐related traits following an adult stress exposure. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART 2018; 329:323-330. [DOI: 10.1002/jez.2190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2018] [Revised: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 05/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - John W. Finger
- Department of Biological Sciences Auburn University Auburn Alabama, USA
| | - Haruka Wada
- Department of Biological Sciences Auburn University Auburn Alabama, USA
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11
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Ruoss S, Becker NI, Otto MS, Czirják GÁ, Encarnação JA. Effect of sex and reproductive status on the immunity of the temperate bat Myotis daubentonii. Mamm Biol 2018; 94:120-126. [PMID: 32218715 PMCID: PMC7091572 DOI: 10.1016/j.mambio.2018.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2018] [Accepted: 05/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Studies of immunity in bat species are rare. However, it is important to determine immunological variations to identify factors influencing the health status of these endangered mammals from an evolutionary, ecological, conservation, and public health point of view. Immunity is highly variable and can be influenced by both internal (e.g. hormone levels, energy demand) and external factors (e.g. pathogens, climate). As bats have some peculiar ecological, energetic, and putative immunological characteristics, they are outstanding study organisms for ecoimmunological studies. We tested if (i) female bats have a higher immunity than males similar to most other mammalian species and (ii) individuals differ according to their energy demand (e.g. reproductive status). To study these questions, we sampled female and male Myotis daubentonii with different reproductive states and estimated their bacterial killing activity, hemolysis/hemagglutination titer, immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentration, and total and differential white blood cell counts. These methods characterize the cellular and humoral branches of both the adaptive and the innate immune responses of these individuals. Reproductively active males had lower cellular immunity compared to non-reproductive individuals. Pregnant females had increased IgG concentrations while hemolysis was enhanced during lactation. No clear trade-off between immunity and reproduction was found; instead immunity of males and female bats seems to be modulated differently due to varying hormonal and energetic states. Our data suggest that both adaptive and innate immunity as well as individual differences (i.e. sex and reproductive state) need to be considered to get a comprehensive overall picture of immunity in wild mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Ruoss
- Mammalian Ecology Group, Department of Animal Ecology and Systematics, Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26 (IFZ), 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Nina I. Becker
- Institute for Applied Animal Ecology and Ecoinformatics (inatu.re), Im Brühl 2, 35457 Lollar, Germany
| | - Matthias S. Otto
- Mammalian Ecology Group, Department of Animal Ecology and Systematics, Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26 (IFZ), 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Gábor Á. Czirják
- Department of Wildlife Diseases, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, 10315 Berlin, Germany
| | - Jorge A. Encarnação
- Mammalian Ecology Group, Department of Animal Ecology and Systematics, Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26 (IFZ), 35392 Giessen, Germany
- Institute for Applied Animal Ecology and Ecoinformatics (inatu.re), Im Brühl 2, 35457 Lollar, Germany
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12
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Vágási CI, Pătraș L, Pap PL, Vincze O, Mureșan C, Németh J, Lendvai ÁZ. Experimental increase in baseline corticosterone level reduces oxidative damage and enhances innate immune response. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0192701. [PMID: 29432437 PMCID: PMC5809056 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0192701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2017] [Accepted: 01/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Glucocorticoid (GC) hormones are significant regulators of homeostasis. The physiological effects of GCs critically depend on the time of exposure (short vs. long) as well as on their circulating levels (baseline vs. stress-induced). Previous experiments, in which chronic and high elevation of GC levels was induced, indicate that GCs impair both the activity of the immune system and the oxidative balance. Nonetheless, our knowledge on how mildly elevated GC levels, a situation much more common in nature, might influence homeostasis is limited. Therefore, we studied whether an increase in GC level within the baseline range suppresses or enhances condition (body mass, hematocrit and coccidian infestation) and physiological state (humoral innate immune system activity and oxidative balance). We implanted captive house sparrows Passer domesticus with either 60 days release corticosterone (CORT) or control pellets. CORT-treated birds had elevated baseline CORT levels one week after the implantation, but following this CORT returned to its pre-treatment level and the experimental groups had similar CORT levels one and two months following the implantation. The mass of tail feathers grown during the initial phase of treatment was smaller in treated than in control birds. CORT implantation had a transient negative effect on body mass and hematocrit, but both of these traits resumed the pre-treatment values by one month post-treatment. CORT treatment lowered oxidative damage to lipids (malondialdehyde) and enhanced constitutive innate immunity at one week and one month post-implantation. Our findings suggest that a relatively short-term (i.e. few days) elevation of baseline CORT might have a positive and stimulatory effect on animal physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Csongor I. Vágási
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj Napoca, Romania
- Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
- * E-mail: (CIV); (ÁZL)
| | - Laura Pătraș
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj Napoca, Romania
| | - Péter L. Pap
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj Napoca, Romania
- Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Orsolya Vincze
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj Napoca, Romania
- Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Cosmin Mureșan
- Emergency Hospital, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj Napoca, Romania
| | - József Németh
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Ádám Z. Lendvai
- Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
- * E-mail: (CIV); (ÁZL)
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13
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Schoenle LA, Schoepf I, Weinstein NM, Moore IT, Bonier F. Higher plasma corticosterone is associated with reduced costs of infection in red-winged blackbirds. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2018; 256:89-98. [PMID: 28697920 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2017.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2017] [Revised: 06/06/2017] [Accepted: 07/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Glucocorticoid hormones allow individuals to rapidly adjust their physiology and behavior to meet the challenges of a variable environment. An individual's baseline concentration of glucocorticoids can reflect shifts in life history stage and resource demands while mediating a suite of physiological and behavioral changes that include immune modulation and resource allocation. Thus, glucocorticoids could facilitate a response to parasites that is optimized for an individual's specific challenges and life history stage. We investigated the relationship between endogenous circulating glucocorticoids and measures of resistance and tolerance to Haemosporidian parasites (including those that cause avian malaria) in red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus). We found that higher endogenous concentrations of circulating glucocorticoids were associated with reduced costs of parasite infection, which is indicative of higher tolerance, but were unrelated to parasite burden in free ranging, breeding male birds. Post-breeding, both males and females with higher glucocorticoid concentrations had higher measures of tolerance to Haemosporidian infection. Our findings suggest a potentially adaptive role for glucocorticoids in shifting the response to parasites to align with an individual's current physiological state and the challenges they face.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura A Schoenle
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, 1405 Perry St., Blacksburg, VA 24061, United States.
| | - Ivana Schoepf
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, 1405 Perry St., Blacksburg, VA 24061, United States; Biology Department, Queen's University, Biosciences Complex 3523, Kingston ON K7L 3N6, Canada.
| | - Nicole M Weinstein
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3900 Spruce St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States.
| | - Ignacio T Moore
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, 1405 Perry St., Blacksburg, VA 24061, United States.
| | - Frances Bonier
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, 1405 Perry St., Blacksburg, VA 24061, United States; Biology Department, Queen's University, Biosciences Complex 3523, Kingston ON K7L 3N6, Canada.
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Hernández-Arciga U, Herrera M. LG, Ibáñez-Contreras A, Miranda-Labra RU, Flores-Martínez JJ, Königsberg M. Baseline and post-stress seasonal changes in immunocompetence and redox state maintenance in the fishing bat Myotis vivesi. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0190047. [PMID: 29293551 PMCID: PMC5749750 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0190047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2017] [Accepted: 12/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Little is known of how the stress response varies when animals confront seasonal life-history processes. Antioxidant defenses and damage caused by oxidative stress and their link with immunocompetence are powerful biomarkers to assess animal´s physiological stress response. The aim of this study was A) to determine redox state and variation in basal (pre-acute stress) immune function during summer, autumn and winter (spring was not assessed due to restrictions in collecting permit) in the fish-eating Myotis (Myotis vivesi; Chiroptera), and B) to determine the effect of acute stress on immunocompetence and redox state during each season. Acute stress was stimulated by restricting animal movement for 6 and 12 h. The magnitude of the cellular immune response was higher during winter whilst that of the humoral response was at its highest during summer. Humoral response increased after 6 h of movement restriction stress and returned to baseline levels after 12 h. Basal redox state was maintained throughout the year, with no significant changes in protein damage, and antioxidant activity was modulated mainly in relation to variation to environment cues, increasing during high temperatures and decreasing during windy nights. Antioxidant activity increased after the 6 h of stressful stimuli especially during summer and autumn, and to a lesser extent in early winter, but redox state did not vary. However, protein damage increased after 12 h of stress during summer. Prolonged stress when the bat is engaged in activities of high energy demand overcame its capacity to maintain homeostasis resulting in oxidative damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulalume Hernández-Arciga
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
- Laboratorio de Bioenergética y Envejecimiento Celular, Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud, Unidad Iztapalapa, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Ciudad de México, México
| | - L. Gerardo Herrera M.
- Estación de Biología Chamela, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, San Patricio, Jalisco, México
| | - Alejandra Ibáñez-Contreras
- Laboratorio de Neurofisiología, Applied Research in Experimental Biomedicine S.A. de C.V. (APREXBIO), Ciudad de México, México
- Unidad de Experimentación Animal, Biología Integral para Vertebrados (BIOINVERT®), Estado de México, México
| | - Roxana U. Miranda-Labra
- Laboratorio de Fisiología Celular, Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud, Unidad Iztapalapa, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Ciudad de México, México
| | - José Juan Flores-Martínez
- Laboratorio de Sistemas de Información Geográfica, Departamento de Zoología, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Mina Königsberg
- Laboratorio de Bioenergética y Envejecimiento Celular, Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud, Unidad Iztapalapa, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Ciudad de México, México
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PHYSIOLOGIC PARAMETERS AND THEIR RESPONSE TO HANDLING STRESS IN A NEOTROPICAL MIGRATORY SHOREBIRD DURING THE NONBREEDING SEASON. J Wildl Dis 2017; 53:437-446. [DOI: 10.7589/2016-02-039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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16
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Lobato E, Moreno J, Merino S, Sanz JJ, Arriero E. Haematological variables are good predictors of recruitment in nestling pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca). ECOSCIENCE 2016. [DOI: 10.2980/i1195-6860-12-1-27.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Lobato
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, E-28006 British Madrid, Spain,
| | - Juan Moreno
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, E-28006 British Madrid, Spain,
| | - Santiago Merino
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, E-28006 British Madrid, Spain,
| | - Juan J. Sanz
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, E-28006 British Madrid, Spain,
| | - Elena Arriero
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, E-28006 British Madrid, Spain,
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Calero-Riestra M, García JT. Sex-dependent differences in avian malaria prevalence and consequences of infections on nestling growth and adult condition in the Tawny pipit, Anthus campestris. Malar J 2016; 15:178. [PMID: 27001667 PMCID: PMC4802721 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-016-1220-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2015] [Accepted: 03/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Parasites play pivotal roles in host population dynamics and can have strong ecological impacts on hosts. Knowledge of the effects of parasites on hosts is often limited by the general observation of a fraction of individuals (mostly adults) within a population. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of malaria parasites in adult (≥ 1 year old) and nestling (7-11 day old) Tawny pipits Anthus campestris, to evaluate the influence of the host sex on parasite prevalence in both groups of age, and explore the association between infections and body condition (adults) and growth (nestlings). METHODS Two hundred Tawny pipits (105 adults and 95 nestlings) from one Spanish population were screened for avian malaria parasites (Haemoproteus and Plasmodium) using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based methods. Body condition (body mass against a linear measure of size) was measured in adults and growth rate (daily mass gain) was calculated for nestlings. RESULTS The overall prevalence of infection was 46%. Sixteen different mitochondrial cytochrome b haplotypes of Plasmodium spp. and one Haemoproteus spp. haplotype were found. Malaria parasites were equally prevalent in nestlings and adults (45 and 46%, respectively). Males were more likely to be infected by parasites than females, and this sex-bias parasitism was evident in both adults and nestlings. Furthermore, a lower daily mass gain during nestling growth in males than in females following infections were found, whereas the effect of infections on body condition of adults was detrimental for females but not for males. CONCLUSIONS Age-specific differences in physiological trade-offs and ecological factors, such as nest predation would explain, at least in part, the observed host sex and age-related patterns in Tawny pipits.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Calero-Riestra
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Jesus T García
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain.
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18
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Sebastiano M, Chastel O, de Thoisy B, Eens M, Costantini D. Oxidative stress favours herpes virus infection in vertebrates: a meta-analysis. Curr Zool 2016; 62:325-332. [PMID: 29491920 PMCID: PMC5829443 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zow019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2014] [Accepted: 11/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Herpes viruses are responsible for a variety of pathological effects in humans and in both wild and domestic animals. One mechanism that has been proposed to facilitate replication and activity of herpes viruses is oxidative stress (OS). We used meta-analytical techniques to test the hypotheses that (1) herpes virus infection causes OS and (2) supplementation of antioxidants reduces virus load, indicating that replication is favoured by a state of OS. Results based on studies on mammals, including humans, and birds show that (1) OS is indeed increased by herpes virus infection across multiple tissues and species, (2) biomarkers of OS may change differently between tissues, and (3) the effect size does not differ among different virus strains. In addition, the increase of oxidative damage in blood (tissue commonly available in ecological studies) was similar to that in the tissues most sensitive to the herpes virus. Our results also show that administration of antioxidants reduces virus yield, indicating that a condition of OS is favorable for the viral replication. In addition, some antioxidants may be more efficient than others in reducing herpes virus yield. Our results point to a potential mechanism linking herpes virus infection to individual health status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manrico Sebastiano
- Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Olivier Chastel
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR7372 - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique/Université La Rochelle
| | - Benoît de Thoisy
- Laboratory of Virus-Host Interactions. Institut Pasteur de la Guyane, French Guiana, France, and
| | - Marcel Eens
- Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - David Costantini
- Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium.,Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine (IBAHCM), University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
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Zhao Q, Pan L, Ren Q, Wang L, Miao J. Effect of salinity on regulation mechanism of neuroendocrine-immunoregulatory network in Litopenaeus vannamei. FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY 2016; 49:396-406. [PMID: 26766179 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2015.12.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2015] [Revised: 12/29/2015] [Accepted: 12/30/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The effects of low salinity (transferred from 31‰ to 26‰, 21‰, and 16‰) on the regulation pathways of neuroendocrine-immunoregulatory network were investigated in Litopenaeus vannamei. The results showed that the hormones (corticotrophin-releasing hormone, adrenocorticotropic hormone) and biogenic amines (dopamine, noradrenaline, 5-hydroxytryptamine) concentrations in lower salinity groups increased significantly within 12 h. The gene expression of biogenic amine receptors showed that dopamine receptor D4 and α2 adrenergic receptor in lower salinity groups decreased significantly within 12 h, whereas the 5-HT7 receptor significantly increased within 1d. The second messenger synthetases (adenylyl cyclase, phospholipase C) and the second messengers (cyclic adenosine monophosphate, cyclic guanosine monophosphate) of lower salinity groups shared a similar trend in which adenylyl cyclase and cyclic adenosine monophosphate reached the maximum at 12 h, whereas phospholipase C and cyclic guanosine monophosphate reached the minimum. The immune parameters (total hemocyte count, phenoloxidase activity, phagocytic activity, crustin expression, antibacterial activity, C-type lectin expression, hemagglutinating activity) in lower salinity groups decreased significantly within 12 h. Except for the total hemocyte count, all the parameters recovered to the control levels afterwards. Therefore, it may be concluded that the neuroendocrine-immunoregulatory network plays a principal role in adapting to salinity changes as the main center for sensing the stress and causes immune response in L. vannamei.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qun Zhao
- The Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, PR China
| | - Luqing Pan
- The Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, PR China.
| | - Qin Ren
- The Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, PR China
| | - Lin Wang
- The Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, PR China
| | - Jingjing Miao
- The Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, PR China
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20
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Hing S, Narayan EJ, Thompson RCA, Godfrey SS. The relationship between physiological stress and wildlife disease: consequences for health and conservation. WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2016. [DOI: 10.1071/wr15183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Wildlife populations are under increasing pressure from a variety of threatening processes, ranging from climate change to habitat loss, that can incite a physiological stress response. The stress response influences immune function, with potential consequences for patterns of infection and transmission of disease among and within wildlife, domesticated animals and humans. This is concerning because stress may exacerbate the impact of disease on species vulnerable to extinction, with consequences for biodiversity conservation globally. Furthermore, stress may shape the role of wildlife in the spread of emerging infectious diseases (EID) such as Hendra virus (HeV) and Ebola virus. However, we still have a limited understanding of the influence of physiological stress on infectious disease in wildlife. We highlight key reasons why an improved understanding of the relationship between stress and wildlife disease could benefit conservation, and animal and public health, and discuss approaches for future investigation. In particular, we recommend that increased attention be given to the influence of anthropogenic stressors including climate change, habitat loss and management interventions on disease dynamics in wildlife populations.
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21
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D’Amico VL, Marcelo B, Benzal J, Coria N, Vidal V, Diaz JI, Barbosa A. Leukocyte counts in different populations of Antarctic Pygoscelid penguins along the Antarctic Peninsula. Polar Biol 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-015-1771-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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22
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Carroll JA, Burdick Sanchez NC. BILL E. KUNKLE INTERDISCIPLINARY BEEF SYMPOSIUM: Overlapping physiological responses and endocrine biomarkers that are indicative of stress responsiveness and immune function in beef cattle123. J Anim Sci 2014; 92:5311-8. [DOI: 10.2527/jas.2014-8123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- J. A. Carroll
- Livestock Issues Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Lubbock, TX 79403
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23
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Zhang C, Tian Y, Yan F, Kang X, Han R, Sun G, Zhang H. Modulation of growth and immunity by dietary supplementation with resveratrol in young chickens receiving conventional vaccinations. Am J Vet Res 2014; 75:752-9. [DOI: 10.2460/ajvr.75.8.752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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24
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Goedert D, Dias RI, Macedo RH. Nestling use of alternative acoustic antipredator responses is related to immune condition and social context. Anim Behav 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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25
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Deng H, Jin X, Hu D, Liu D. Fecal cortisol content of wild giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) to monitor human disturbance level in natural habitats. ANIM BIOL 2014. [DOI: 10.1163/15707563-00002432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Wild animals are affected by growing human interference in their habitats and inevitably react internally to such stimuli. This study explores inherent physiological parameters to assess the effect of human interference on giant pandas in their wild habitat. Ninety-one fecal samples were collected within four nature reserves on Qinling Mountain. Fecal cortisol determinations were performed by radioimmunoassay. We categorized the intensity of local human disturbance and tested for correlations between the intensity of human disturbance and fecal cortisol metabolite levels. The results show a significant positive correlation between giant panda fecal cortisol metabolite levels and the degree of disturbance in their habitat. This study is the first to use a non-invasive monitoring method to analyze wild giant panda habitat disturbance, and demonstrates that cortisol metabolite levels in panda dung can objectively reflect the degree of panda habitat disturbance. The results provide a relatively objective means and method with which to evaluate the quality of wild giant panda habitat. This study highlights the need to monitor the effects of human disturbance on wildlife and to implement new policies in the management of nature reserves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huaiqing Deng
- School of Life Sciences, Guizhou Normal University, Guizhou 550001, China
- College of Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Laboratory of Non-invasive Technology for Endangered Species, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Xuelin Jin
- Shaanxi Rare Wildlife Rescuing and Breeding Research Center, Shaanxi 710402, China
| | - Defu Hu
- College of Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Laboratory of Non-invasive Technology for Endangered Species, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Dingzhen Liu
- MOE, Key Laboratory of Biological Diversity and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
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Marino JA, Holland MP, Middlemis Maher J. Predators and trematode parasites jointly affect larval anuran functional traits and corticosterone levels. OIKOS 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2013.00896.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
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27
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Selman W, Qualls C, Owen JC. Effects of human disturbance on the behavior and physiology of an imperiled freshwater turtle. J Wildl Manage 2013. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Will Selman
- Department of Biological Sciences; The University of Southern Mississippi; 118 College Drive Hattiesburg MS 39406 USA
- Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge; Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries; 5476 Grand Chenier Highway Grand Chenier LA 70643 USA
| | - Carl Qualls
- Department of Biological Sciences; The University of Southern Mississippi; 118 College Drive Hattiesburg MS 39406 USA
| | - Jennifer C. Owen
- Departments of Fisheries and Wildlife and Large Animal Clinical Sciences; Michigan State University; 13 Natural Resources East Lansing MI 48824 USA
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28
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Differential association between circulating testosterone and infection risk by several viruses in natural cat populations: a behavioural-mediated effect? Parasitology 2013; 140:521-9. [DOI: 10.1017/s0031182012001862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARYTestosterone is involved in the development and expression of physiological, morphological and behavioural traits. High levels are often associated with high infection risk and/or intensity, suggesting a trade-off between sexual traits and immunity. Classically invoked mechanisms are immunological or behavioural, i.e., testosterone increases susceptibility or resistance to parasites via an impact on immunity or modulates behaviours involved in parasite transmission. However, studies report contrasted patterns. Given its modes of action and the diversity of host-parasite interactions, testosterone should not act similarly on all interactions. To reduce host and context diversity, we studied 3 viruses in the same cat population: the aggressively transmitted Feline Immunodeficiency virus (FIV), and the Feline Calicivirus (FCV) and Herpesvirus (FHV) both transmitted during friendly contacts. Testosterone had a strong effect on the probability of being positive to FIV whereas its effect was significantly weaker on FCV and FHV. These findings demonstrate that testosterone can be differentially associated with parasites of the same type (viruses). The difference we observed was consistent with a behavioural-mediated effect (increased aggressiveness), supporting the idea that the testosterone effect on infection risk is at least partially driven by behavioural mechanisms in our system. Further investigations (e.g., individual immunity measures) are required to confirm this hypothesis.
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29
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Selman W, Jawor JM, Qualls CP. Seasonal Variation of Corticosterone Levels in Graptemys flavimaculata, an Imperiled Freshwater Turtle. COPEIA 2012. [DOI: 10.1643/cp-11-112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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30
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Concentration of fecal cortisol metabolites in chamois in relation to tourist pressure in Tatra National Park (South Poland). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-012-0108-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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31
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Gutiérrez JS, Abad-Gómez JM, Villegas A, Sánchez-Guzmán JM, Masero JA. Effects of salinity on the immune response of an 'osmotic generalist' bird. Oecologia 2012; 171:61-9. [PMID: 22782496 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-012-2405-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2011] [Accepted: 06/19/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Salt stress can suppress the immune function of fish and other aquatic animals, but such an effect has not yet been examined in air-breathing vertebrates that frequently cope with waters (and prey) of contrasting salinities. We investigated the effects of seawater salinity on the strength and cost of mounting an immune response in the dunlin Calidris alpina, a long-distance migratory shorebird that shifts seasonally from freshwater environments during the breeding season to marine environments during migration and the winter period. Phytohaemagglutinin (PHA)-induced skin swelling, basal metabolic rate (BMR), body mass, fat stores, and plasma ions were measured in dunlins acclimated to either freshwater or seawater (salinity: 0.3 and 35.0 ‰, respectively). Seawater-acclimated dunlins mounted a PHA-induced swelling response that was up to 56 % weaker than those held under freshwater conditions, despite ad libitum access to food. Freshwater-acclimated dunlins significantly increased their relative BMR 48 h after PHA injection, whereas seawater-acclimated dunlins did not. However, this differential immune and metabolic response between freshwater- and seawater-acclimated dunlins was not associated with significant changes in body mass, fat stores or plasma ions. Our results indicate that the strength of the immune response of this small-sized migratory shorebird was negatively influenced by the salinity of marine habitats. Further, these findings suggest that the reduced immune response observed under saline conditions might not be caused by an energy or nutrient limitation, and raise questions about the role of osmoregulatory hormones in the modulation of the immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge S Gutiérrez
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Zoology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Extremadura, Badajoz, Spain.
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Kankova Z, Zeman M, Okuliarova M. Growth and innate immunity are not limited by selection for high egg testosterone content in Japanese quail. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012; 215:617-22. [PMID: 22279068 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.064030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The effects of maternal androgens on fitness-related traits of offspring are generally assumed to be epigenetic adaptations to the environment that may be encountered by the next generation. Possible constraints of high yolk androgen transfer are still not understood, although a suppressed immune response in offspring is frequently considered. The aim of our study was to examine the innate immune defence in high (HET) and low egg testosterone (LET) lines of Japanese quail, which differ in the hormonal milieu of their eggs, thus providing a good physiological model for the study of androgen-mediated maternal effects. Acute phase response was induced by a lipopolysaccharide injection in 12-day-old quail and plasma corticosterone and the heterophil:lymphocyte ratio were measured at 1 and 3 h post-treatment. Basal levels of non-specific antibodies (IgY) were determined in the circulation. We found that HET quail were heavier than LET quail from the second week of age, indicating enhanced post-hatching growth. At 1 h post-lipopolysaccharide challenge, plasma corticosterone concentrations increased in the HET but not in the LET line. The heterophil:lymphocyte ratio rose in both lines at 3 h post-immune challenge, with a more pronounced response in HET quail. Moreover, HET chicks displayed higher IgY levels than LET chicks, suggesting either enhanced passive immunoprotection or stimulated endogenous antibody production. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that the genetic selection for high egg testosterone content positively influences growth and, simultaneously, does not limit the acute phase response in young quail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuzana Kankova
- Department of Animal Physiology and Ethology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
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Merrill L, Angelier F, O’Loghlen AL, Rothstein SI, Wingfield JC. Sex-specific variation in brown-headed cowbird immunity following acute stress: a mechanistic approach. Oecologia 2012; 170:25-38. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-012-2281-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2011] [Accepted: 02/03/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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35
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Nebel S, Bauchinger U, Buehler DM, Langlois LA, Boyles M, Gerson AR, Price ER, McWilliams SR, Guglielmo CG. Constitutive immune function in European starlings, Sturnus vulgaris, is decreased immediately after an endurance flight in a wind tunnel. J Exp Biol 2012; 215:272-8. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.057885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARY
Life-history theory predicts that animals face a trade-off in energy allocation between performing strenuous exercise, such as migratory flight, and mounting an immune response. We experimentally tested this prediction by studying immune function in European starlings, Sturnus vulgaris, flown in a wind tunnel. Specifically, we predicted that constitutive immune function decreases in response to training and, additionally, in response to immediate exercise. We compared constitutive immune function among three groups: (1) ‘untrained’ birds that were kept in cages and were not flown; (2) ‘trained’ birds that received flight training over a 15 day period and performed a 1-4 h continuous flight, after which they rested for 48 h before being sampled; and (3) ‘post-flight’ birds that differed from the ‘trained’ group only in being sampled immediately after the final flight. A bird in our trained group represents an individual during migration that has been resting between migratory flights for at least 2 days. A bird in our post-flight group represents an individual that has just completed a migratory flight and has not yet had time to recover. Three of our four indicators (haptoglobin, agglutination and lysis) showed the predicted decrease in immune function in the post-flight group, and two indicators (haptoglobin, agglutination) showed the predicted decreasing trend from the untrained to trained to post-flight group. Haptoglobin levels were negatively correlated with flight duration. No effect of training or flight was detected on leukocyte profiles. Our results suggest that in European starlings, constitutive immune function is decreased more as a result of immediate exercise than of exercise training. Because of the recent emergence of avian-borne diseases, understanding the trade-offs and challenges faced by long-distance migrants has gained a new level of relevance and urgency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silke Nebel
- Department of Biology, Advanced Facility for Avian Research, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5B7
| | - Ulf Bauchinger
- Department of Natural Resources Science, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA
| | - Deborah M. Buehler
- Department of Natural History, Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen's Park Circle, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 2C6
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3B2
| | - Lillie A. Langlois
- Department of Natural Resources Science, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA
| | - Michelle Boyles
- Department of Natural Resources Science, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA
| | - Alexander R. Gerson
- Department of Biology, Advanced Facility for Avian Research, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5B7
| | - Edwin R. Price
- Department of Biology, Advanced Facility for Avian Research, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5B7
| | - Scott R. McWilliams
- Department of Natural Resources Science, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA
| | - Christopher G. Guglielmo
- Department of Biology, Advanced Facility for Avian Research, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5B7
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36
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Reduced investment in immune function in invasion-front populations of the cane toad (Rhinella marina) in Australia. Biol Invasions 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-011-0135-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
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37
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Reperant LA, van de Bildt MWG, van Amerongen G, Buehler DM, Osterhaus ADME, Jenni-Eiermann S, Piersma T, Kuiken T. Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 infection in a long-distance migrant shorebird under migratory and non-migratory states. PLoS One 2011; 6:e27814. [PMID: 22132150 PMCID: PMC3222657 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0027814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2011] [Accepted: 10/25/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Corticosterone regulates physiological changes preparing wild birds for migration. It also modulates the immune system and may lead to increased susceptibility to infection, with implications for the spread of pathogens, including highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) H5N1. The red knot (Calidris canutus islandica) displays migratory changes in captivity and was used as a model to assess the effect of high plasma concentration of corticosterone on HPAIV H5N1 infection. We inoculated knots during pre-migration (N = 6), fueling (N = 5), migration (N = 9) and post-migration periods (N = 6). Knots from all groups shed similar viral titers for up to 5 days post-inoculation (dpi), peaking at 1 to 3 dpi. Lesions of acute encephalitis, associated with virus replication in neurons, were seen in 1 to 2 knots per group, leading to neurological disease and death at 5 to 11 dpi. Therefore, the risk of HPAIV H5N1 infection in wild birds and of potential transmission between wild birds and poultry may be similar at different times of the year, irrespective of wild birds' migratory status. However, in knots inoculated during the migration period, viral shedding levels positively correlated with pre-inoculation plasma concentration of corticosterone. Of these, knots that did not become productively infected had lower plasma concentration of corticosterone. Conversely, elevated plasma concentration of corticosterone did not result in an increased probability to develop clinical disease. These results suggest that birds with elevated plasma concentration of corticosterone at the time of migration (ready to migrate) may be more susceptible to acquisition of infection and shed higher viral titers--before the onset of clinical disease--than birds with low concentration of corticosterone (not ready for take-off). Yet, they may not be more prone to the development of clinical disease. Therefore, assuming no effect of sub-clinical infection on the likelihood of migratory take-off, this may favor the spread of HPAIV H5N1 by migratory birds over long distances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leslie A. Reperant
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
- Department of Virology, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Debbie M. Buehler
- Animal Ecology Group, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Theunis Piersma
- Animal Ecology Group, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Texel, The Netherlands
| | - Thijs Kuiken
- Department of Virology, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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38
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Selva N, Cortés-Avizanda A, Lemus JA, Blanco G, Mueller T, Heinrich B, Donázar JA. Stress associated with group living in a long-lived bird. Biol Lett 2011; 7:608-10. [PMID: 21307048 PMCID: PMC3130225 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2010.1204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2010] [Accepted: 01/18/2011] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Many long-lived avian species adopt life strategies that involve a gregarious way of life at juvenile and sub-adult stages and territoriality during adulthood. However, the potential associated costs of these life styles, such as stress, are poorly understood. We examined the effects of group living, sex and parasite load on the baseline concentration of faecal stress hormone (corticosterone) metabolites in a wild population of common ravens (Corvus corax). Corticosterone concentrations were significantly higher in non-breeding gregarious ravens than in territorial adults. Among territorial birds, males showed higher stress levels than their mates. Parasite burdens did not affect hormone levels. Our results suggest a key role of the social context in the stress profiles of the two population fractions, and that group living may be more energetically demanding than maintaining a territory. These findings have implications for understanding hormonal mechanisms under different life styles and may inspire further research on the link between hormone levels and selective pressures modulating gregarious and territorial strategies in long-lived birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuria Selva
- Institute of Nature Conservation PAS, Mickiewicza 33, 31120 Kraków, Poland.
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39
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Hawley DM, Etienne RS, Ezenwa VO, Jolles AE. Does Animal Behavior Underlie Covariation Between Hosts’ Exposure to Infectious Agents and Susceptibility to Infection? Implications for Disease Dynamics. Integr Comp Biol 2011; 51:528-39. [DOI: 10.1093/icb/icr062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
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40
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Fairhurst GD, Navarro J, González-Solís J, Marchant TA, Bortolotti GR. Feather corticosterone of a nestling seabird reveals consequences of sex-specific parental investment. Proc Biol Sci 2011; 279:177-84. [PMID: 21632628 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2011.0884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Offspring of long-lived species should face costs of parental trade-offs that vary with overall energetic demands encountered by parents during breeding. If sex differences exist in how parents make the trade-off, sex-specific differences may exist in the contribution of each parent to those costs. Adaptations of offspring facing such costs are not well understood, but the hormone corticosterone probably plays a role. We manipulated breeding effort in Cory's shearwaters (Calonectris diomedea) to increase costs to offspring and used an integrated measure of corticosterone from chick feathers to investigate how experimental variation in parental investment influences offspring physiology. Average foraging trip duration and foraging efficiency (FE) of breeding pairs were not related to chick corticosterone, but sex biases in FE were. Adult male investment was more strongly related to chick corticosterone than was female investment. Importantly, we show for the first time suppression of adrenocortical activity in nestling Procellariiform seabirds, and explain how our results indicate an adaptive mechanism invoked by chicks facing increased costs of parental trade-offs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graham D Fairhurst
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.
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41
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42
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Bourgeon S, Kauffmann M, Geiger S, Raclot T, Robin JP. Relationships between metabolic status, corticosterone secretion and maintenance of innate and adaptive humoral immunities in fasted re-fed mallards. J Exp Biol 2010; 213:3810-8. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.045484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARY
The prolonged exposure of birds to environmental stressors known to affect energy status and glucocorticoid secretion may have several physiological consequences including a decrease in immunocompetence, further compromising the survival of individuals. However, the relationships between these parameters remain poorly understood. To this end, changes in body energy content, plasma corticosterone, adaptive (total plasma immunoglobulin Y; IgY) and innate (natural antibodies; NAbs) immune systems were assessed in female mallards (Anas plathyrhynchos) throughout prolonged fasts of different intensities and subsequent re-feeding. Plasma IgY and NAb scores were decreased by 36% and 50%, respectively, during phase II of fasting (protein-sparing phase) and by up to 40% and 80%, respectively, during phase III (protein-wasting phase), indicating a selective regulation of immune function. These results are consistent with the hypothesis of a trade-off between immune function and other energy-demanding activities. However, despite full repletion of fuel reserves and NAbs, only 76% of initial IgY levels were recovered, further supporting a trade-off between innate and adaptive branches of immunity. Although fasting induced significant increases in corticosterone levels to up to 6 times higher than baseline levels during phase III, baseline levels were recovered within 1 day of re-feeding. Our data do not support the hypothesis of a direct regulation of immunocompetence by corticosterone, at least during periods of energy repletion. Finally, the mismatch between the kinetics of body fuels and the two arms of the immune system during fasting and re-feeding suggests that variations in immune system components do not strictly covary with body mass under fluctuating food conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Bourgeon
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), The Polar Environmental Centre, NO-9296, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Marion Kauffmann
- Université de Strasbourg, IPHC, 23 rue Becquerel, 67087 Strasbourg, France
- CNRS, UMR7178, 67037 Strasbourg, France
| | - Sylvie Geiger
- Université de Strasbourg, IPHC, 23 rue Becquerel, 67087 Strasbourg, France
- CNRS, UMR7178, 67037 Strasbourg, France
| | - Thierry Raclot
- Université de Strasbourg, IPHC, 23 rue Becquerel, 67087 Strasbourg, France
- CNRS, UMR7178, 67037 Strasbourg, France
| | - Jean-Patrice Robin
- Université de Strasbourg, IPHC, 23 rue Becquerel, 67087 Strasbourg, France
- CNRS, UMR7178, 67037 Strasbourg, France
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43
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Meylan S, Haussy C, Voituron Y. Physiological actions of corticosterone and its modulation by an immune challenge in reptiles. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2010; 169:158-66. [PMID: 20709066 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2010.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2009] [Revised: 07/05/2010] [Accepted: 08/06/2010] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Hormones are an important interface between genome and environment, because of their ability to modulate the animal's phenotype. In particular, corticosterone, the stress hormone in lizards, is known to reallocate energy from non-essential functions to affect morphological, physiological and behavioral traits that help the organism to deal with acute or chronic stressors. However, the effects of corticosterone on life history stages are still unclear primarily because of the dependence of life history stages on both internal and external factors. Using a cross-design, we tested the effect of elevated levels of exogenous corticosterone on the physiology of pregnant females in different immune contexts in a wild population of common lizards (Lacerta vivipara). Immune challenge was induced by the injection of sheep red blood cells (SRBC) and corticosterone levels were increased using a transdermal administration of corticosterone. Thereafter, reproductive traits, metabolism and cellular immune responses were measured. The elevation of corticosterone in pregnant females significantly altered reproductive and physiological performance. The corticosterone treatment decreased clutch success, juvenile size and body condition, but enhanced measures of physiological performance, such as metabolism and catalase activity. These first results reinforce the understanding of the physiological actions of corticosterone in reptiles. The data also demonstrated different direct impacts of immune challenge by SRBC on inflammatory response and antioxidant activity. The injection of SRBC stimulated the SOD activity in larger females. Finally, we demonstrated experimentally the modulation of the corticosterone action by the immune challenge on stamina and hatching date.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandrine Meylan
- Laboratoire Ecologie et Evolution, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, UMR CNRS 7625, Paris, France.
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44
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Edler R, Klump G, Friedl T. Do blood parasites affect reproductive performance in male red bishops (Euplectes orix)? A test of the Hamilton-Zuk hypothesis. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2010. [DOI: 10.1080/08927014.2004.9522623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- R. Edler
- a Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg , Institut für Biologie und Umweltwissenschaften, AG Zoophysiologie & Verhalten , Carl von Ossietzky Str. 9-11, Postfach 2503, D-26111, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - G.M. Klump
- a Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg , Institut für Biologie und Umweltwissenschaften, AG Zoophysiologie & Verhalten , Carl von Ossietzky Str. 9-11, Postfach 2503, D-26111, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - T.W.P. Friedl
- a Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg , Institut für Biologie und Umweltwissenschaften, AG Zoophysiologie & Verhalten , Carl von Ossietzky Str. 9-11, Postfach 2503, D-26111, Oldenburg, Germany
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45
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Stier KS, Almasi B, Gasparini J, Piault R, Roulin A, Jenni L. Effects of corticosterone on innate and humoral immune functions and oxidative stress in barn owl nestlings. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009; 212:2085-91. [PMID: 19525435 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.024406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
The costs of coping with stressful situations are traded-off against other functions such as immune responses. This trade-off may explain why corticosterone secretion reduces immune reactions. Corticosterone differentially affects various immunity components. However, which component is suppressed varies between studies. It remains unclear whether the trade-off in energy, nutrition, autoimmunity or oxidative stress accounts for differential immunosuppression. In this study, we investigated whether corticosterone differentially affects the constitutive innate and humoral acquired immunity. We used barn owl nestlings, implanting 50% with a corticosterone-releasing pellet and the other 50% with a placebo pellet. To measure the effect on humoral immunity we vaccinated 50% of the corticosterone-nestlings and 50% of the placebo-nestlings with the antigens 'Tetravac' and the other 50% were injected with PBS. To assess the costs of elevated corticosterone, we measured body mass and resistance to oxidative stress. Administration of corticosterone increased corticosterone levels whereas vaccination induced the production of antibodies. Corticosterone reduced the production of antibodies, but it did not significantly affect the constitutive innate immunity. Corticosterone reduced body growth and resistance to oxidative stress. Under stressful conditions barn owl nestlings seem to keep the constitutive innate immunity, whereas elevated corticosterone levels negatively affected inducible immune responses. We found evidence that mounting a humoral immune reaction is not costly in terms of growth, but reduces the resistance to oxidative stress independently of corticosterone administration. We suggest that humoral immunity is suppressed because the risk of immunopathologies may be disproportionately high when mounting an antibody response under stressful situations.
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46
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Martin LB. Stress and immunity in wild vertebrates: timing is everything. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2009; 163:70-6. [PMID: 19318107 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2009.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 304] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2008] [Revised: 03/05/2009] [Accepted: 03/17/2009] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Stress has profound effects on vertebrate immunity, but most studies have considered stress-immune interactions in terms of wild animals enduring demanding, but predictable activities (e.g., immune alterations during breeding). A growing biomedical literature, however, indicates that stress may not be obligatorily immunosuppressive; in response to transient, unpredictable stressors, immune activity can be enhanced, especially in body areas requiring immune protection. Also, immune sensitivity to stressors is not fixed throughout life; oftentimes, glucocorticoid (GC) insensitivity can be induced. Further GC sensitivity can be programmed early in life; greater exposure to stressors prior to maturity heightens GC effects on immunity in adulthood. In the present paper, I review the cellular and molecular mechanisms that link stress responses to immune adjustments over short time scales in domesticated species then I attempt to place stress-immune interactions in a naturalistic, organismal context. When, how and why stressors affect immunity in wild animals remains practically unstudied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynn B Martin
- University of South Florida, Department of Integrative Biology, Tampa, FL 33620, USA.
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47
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Bourgeon S, Le Maho Y, Raclot T. Proximate and ultimate mechanisms underlying immunosuppression during the incubation fast in female eiders: roles of triiodothyronine and corticosterone. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2009; 163:77-82. [PMID: 19063892 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2008.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2008] [Revised: 11/18/2008] [Accepted: 11/19/2008] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Available resources being limited, life-history theory predicts that natural selection favours the evolution of physiological mechanisms that ensure their optimal allocation between competing activities. Accordingly, to maximize their selective value, long-lived species face a trade-off between survival and reproduction. Immunity is hypothesized to share limited resources with other physiological functions and this may partly account for the fitness costs of reproduction. However, both ultimate and proximate factors underlying the observed trade-off between reproductive effort and immunocompetence remain poorly documented. Using female common eiders (Somateria mollissima) as a model, it was earlier shown that acquired immunity is negatively affected during the incubation fast, while its activation has a negative impact on females' fitness. The current paper reports data on corticosterone and triiodothyronine manipulations designed to shed more light onto both ultimate and proximate mechanisms involved in the control of immunosuppression in breeding female eiders. It was found that corticosterone is not the main proximate factor responsible for immunosuppression and that the immunosuppressive effects of both hormones may be mediated by their negative effects on body mass. These observations are consistent with the proposed link between the immune system and body fat reserves and, with the resource-limitation hypothesis for stress-induced immunosuppression. However the alternative hypothesis, the immunopathology-avoidance hypothesis cannot be discarded and the two hypotheses are not mutually exclusive in breeding female eiders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Bourgeon
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, The Polar Environmental Centre, NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway.
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48
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Ashley NT, Hays QR, Bentley GE, Wingfield JC. Testosterone treatment diminishes sickness behavior in male songbirds. Horm Behav 2009; 56:169-76. [PMID: 19374904 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2009.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2009] [Revised: 04/02/2009] [Accepted: 04/03/2009] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Males of many vertebrate species are typically more prone to disease and infection than female conspecifics, and this sexual difference is partially influenced by the immunosuppressive properties of testosterone (T) in males. T-induced immunosuppression has traditionally been viewed as a pleiotropic handicap, rather than an adaptation. Recently, it has been hypothesized that suppression of sickness behavior, or the symptoms of infection, may have adaptive value if sickness interferes with the expression of T-mediated behaviors important for male reproductive success. We conduct a classic hormone replacement experiment to examine if T suppresses sickness behavior in a seasonally-breeding songbird, Gambel's white-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii). Triggered experimentally by bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), sickness behavior includes decreased activity, anorexia, and weight loss. Gonadectomized (GDX) males that were treated with silastic implants filled with T exhibited suppression of behavioral and physiological responses to LPS compared to GDX and sham-GDX controls given empty implants. Sickness responses of control groups were statistically indistinguishable. T-implanted birds had significantly higher plasma T than control groups and levels were within the range associated with aggressive interactions during male-to-male contests. These findings imply that suppression of sickness behavior could occur when T is elevated to socially-modulated levels. Alternatively, it is possible that this suppressive effect is mediated through a stress-induced mechanism, as corticosterone levels were elevated in T-implanted subjects compared to controls. We propose that males wounded and infected during contests may gain a brief selective advantage by suppressing sickness responses that would otherwise impair competitive performance. The cost of immunosuppression would be manifested in males through an increased susceptibility to disease, which is presumably offset by capitalizing upon limited reproductive opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noah T Ashley
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-1800, USA.
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49
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Gill RE, Tibbitts TL, Douglas DC, Handel CM, Mulcahy DM, Gottschalck JC, Warnock N, McCaffery BJ, Battley PF, Piersma T. Extreme endurance flights by landbirds crossing the Pacific Ocean: ecological corridor rather than barrier? Proc Biol Sci 2009; 276:447-57. [PMID: 18974033 PMCID: PMC2664343 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2008.1142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 298] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Mountain ranges, deserts, ice fields and oceans generally act as barriers to the movement of land-dependent animals, often profoundly shaping migration routes. We used satellite telemetry to track the southward flights of bar-tailed godwits (Limosa lapponica baueri), shorebirds whose breeding and non-breeding areas are separated by the vast central Pacific Ocean. Seven females with surgically implanted transmitters flew non-stop 8117–11 680 km (10 153±1043 s.d.) directly across the Pacific Ocean; two males with external transmitters flew non-stop along the same corridor for 7008–7390 km. Flight duration ranged from 6.0 to 9.4 days (7.8±1.3 s.d.) for birds with implants and 5.0 to 6.6 days for birds with externally attached transmitters. These extraordinary non-stop flights establish new extremes for avian flight performance, have profound implications for understanding the physiological capabilities of vertebrates and how birds navigate, and challenge current physiological paradigms on topics such as sleep, dehydration and phenotypic flexibility. Predicted changes in climatic systems may affect survival rates if weather conditions at their departure hub or along the migration corridor should change. We propose that this transoceanic route may function as an ecological corridor rather than a barrier, providing a wind-assisted passage relatively free of pathogens and predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert E Gill
- USGS Alaska Science Center, 4210 University Drive, Anchorage, AK 99508, USA.
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Lendvai AZ, Loiseau C, Sorci G, Chastel O. Early developmental conditions affect stress response in juvenile but not in adult house sparrows (Passer domesticus). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2009; 160:30-5. [PMID: 18955057 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2008.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2008] [Revised: 09/17/2008] [Accepted: 10/06/2008] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The short- and long-term consequences of developmental conditions on fitness have received growing attention because the environmental conditions during early life may influence growth, condition at independence, recruitment, reproductive success or survival. We tested here, in a natural house sparrow population, if early conditions during nestling stage affected the stress response of the birds (i) shortly after fledging and (ii) next year, during their first breeding. We experimentally manipulated brood size to mimic different rearing conditions, creating reduced (-2 chicks) and enlarged broods (+2 chicks), while in a third group brood size was not manipulated. Nestling nutrition state decreased with post-manipulation brood sizes as indicated by lower body mass. Fledglings with higher body mass at the age of ten days showed lower stress response than birds that were leaner at the same age. Fledglings reared in large broods showed a higher response to stress protocol than chicks from small broods, and this effect was in significant interaction with the age of fledglings at capture. This interaction indicates that the effects of the brood size became gradually smaller as the fledglings grew older and were further from their nestling period. The effects of early conditions vanished by the next year: the stress response of adult first time breeders was unrelated to the brood size they fledged from. These results suggest that stress response may reflect the actual state of an individual, rather than its developmental history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adám Z Lendvai
- Centre d'Etudes Biologique de Chizé, Beauvoir-sur-Niort, France.
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