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Rogalla S, Shawkey MD, Vanthournout B, D'Alba L. Thermoregulation and heat exchange in ospreys (Pandion haliaetus). J Therm Biol 2021; 96:102857. [PMID: 33627285 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2021.102857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Revised: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The osprey (Pandion haliaetus) is a cosmopolitan and long-distant migrant, found at all thermal extremes ranging from polar to tropical climates. Since ospreys may have an unusually flexible thermal physiology due to their migration over, and use of, a wide range of habitats, they represent an interesting study system to explore thermoregulatory adaptations in a raptor. In this study, we investigated the efficiency of heat exchange between body and environment in ospreys using micro-computed tomography (μ-CT), infrared thermography and behavioral observations. μ-CT revealed that the osprey bill has its largest potential for heat exchange at the proximal bill region, where arteries are situated most closely under the surface. However, thermal images of 10 juvenile ospreys showed that the bill contributes to only 0.3% of the bird's total heat exchange. The long legs and protruding claws played a more prominent role as heat dissipation areas with a contribution of 6% and 7%, respectively. Operative thresholds, i.e. the ambient temperature below which heat is lost, were high (>38.5 °C) in these body parts. However, we found no indication of active regulation of heat exchange. Instead we observed multiple behavioral adaptations starting at relatively low ambient temperatures. At 26.3 °C ospreys had a 50% probability of showing panting behavior and above 27.9 °C they additionally spread their wings to enable heat dissipation from the less insulated ventral side. The thermal images revealed that at an ambient temperature of 32.1 °C ospreys had a 50% probability of developing a ≥2 °C and up to 7.5 °C colder stripe on the head, which was likely caused by cutaneous evaporation. Our observations suggest that ospreys more strongly rely on behavioral mechanisms than on active thermal windows to cope with heat stress. This study not only improves our understanding of the role of different body parts in ospreys' total heat exchange with the environment but further provides an insight about additional adaptations of this raptor to cope with heat stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svana Rogalla
- Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Group, Department of Biology, University of Ghent, K. L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Matthew D Shawkey
- Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Group, Department of Biology, University of Ghent, K. L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Bram Vanthournout
- Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Group, Department of Biology, University of Ghent, K. L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Liliana D'Alba
- Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Group, Department of Biology, University of Ghent, K. L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
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Yang J, Gu J, Hu Y, Wang N, Gao J, Wang P. Molecular cloning and characterization of HSP60 gene in domestic pigeons (Columba livia) and differential expression patterns under temperature stress. Cell Stress Chaperones 2021; 26:115-127. [PMID: 32880058 PMCID: PMC7736444 DOI: 10.1007/s12192-020-01160-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2020] [Revised: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Heat shock protein 60 (HSP60) is a well-recognized multifunctional protein, playing a substantial role in protecting organisms from environmental stress. The domestic pigeon (Columba livia) is a promising model organism, with important economic and ecological value, and its health is susceptible to temperature stress. To explore the molecular characteristics, tissue expression profile, and response to temperature stress for HSP60 of Columba livia (ClHSP60), we firstly cloned and characterized the complete cDNA sequence and investigated its expression profile under optimal conditions and acute temperature stress. The cDNA of ClHSP60 contained 2257 nucleotides, consisting of 12 exons with length ranging from 65 to 590 bp. The open reading frame (ORF) encoded 573 amino acids with calculated molecular weight of 60.97 kDa that contained a number of structurally prominent domains or motifs. Under optimal temperature conditions, levels of ClHSP60 expression differed between all the tested tissues (the highest was noted in liver and the lowest in pectoralis major muscle). Under acute temperature stress, five patterns of change were detected in the tested tissues, suggesting that different tissues in domestic pigeons differentially responded to various temperature stress conditions. Upregulation of ClHSP60 expression was highest in the lung and pectoralis major muscle, reflecting the crucial role of these two tissues in temperature regulation. However, the crop, cerebrum, and heart showed little change or decreased ClHSP60 expression. The results indicate that ClHSP60 may be sensitive to and play pivotal roles in responding to acute temperature stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianke Yang
- School of Preclinical Medicine, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, 241001, China
- Research laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, 241001, China
| | - Juan Gu
- School of Preclinical Medicine, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, 241001, China
- School of pharmacy, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, 241001, China
| | - Yuqing Hu
- School of Preclinical Medicine, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, 241001, China
- School of Clinical Medicine, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, 241001, China
| | - Nan Wang
- School of Preclinical Medicine, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, 241001, China
- School of Clinical Medicine, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, 241001, China
| | - Jiguang Gao
- School of Preclinical Medicine, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, 241001, China
- Research laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, 241001, China
| | - Ping Wang
- School of Preclinical Medicine, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, 241001, China.
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Menon GK, Catania KC, Crumrine D, Bradley C, Mauldin EA. Unique features of the skin barrier in naked mole rats reflect adaptations to their fossorial habitat. J Morphol 2019; 280:1871-1880. [PMID: 31633222 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Revised: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 10/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The stratum corneum (SC), the top layer of the epidermis, is the functional site of the skin barrier and serves to maintain hydration of the body by preventing water loss and thwarting the entrance of pathogens. The naked mole rat (NMR) (Heterocephalus glaber) is a rodent that resides in hypoxic underground tunnels in arid Africa. NMRs are not only hairless; their skin is devoid of glands and pain sensation. To understand how the skin barrier of the NMR is uniquely adapted to this environment, skin samples from the dorsum and ventral abdomen in one adult and one neonate were examined by transmission electron microscopy using both reduced osmium tetroxide to assess overall structure and ruthenium tetroxide post-fixation to assess lipid organization. These findings were compared with that of hairless mice-a well-defined model for skin barrier studies. The plasticity of the skin was evaluated on 10 NMRs from a colony at the Philadelphia Zoo in humid and dry conditions by measuring cutaneous hydration, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), and pH. The epidermal ultrastructure of the NMR differed from hairless mice by having the following features: decreased content of lamellar bodies (LBs), higher LB pleomorphism, periodic presence of abnormal lipid bilayers, and an unusually thick SC. The NMRs developed significant TEWL and a trend toward decreased hydration when subjected to dry conditions. While these features illustrate an imperfect skin barrier in terrestrial mammals, they likely represent adaptations of the poikilothermic NMRs to their unique natural fossorial climate. Prolonged exposure to decreased humidity could possibly lead to adverse health effects in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kenneth C Catania
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Debra Crumrine
- Dermatology Service, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, California.,Department of Dermatology, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Charles Bradley
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Elizabeth A Mauldin
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Muñoz-Garcia A, Ben-Hamo M, Pinshow B, Williams JB, Korine C. The relationship between cutaneous water loss and thermoregulatory state in Kuhl's pipistrelle Pipistrellus kuhlii, a Vespertillionid bat. Physiol Biochem Zool 2012; 85:516-25. [PMID: 22902380 DOI: 10.1086/666989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Total evaporative water loss is the sum of respiratory water loss (RWL) and cutaneous water loss (CWL) and constitutes the main avenue of water loss in bats. Because bats fly and have large surface-to-volume ratios, they potentially have high rates of RWL and CWL. Most species of small insectivorous bats have the ability to reduce their body temperature (T(b)) at rest, which substantially reduces energy expenditure and water loss. We hypothesized that bats reduce evaporative water loss during bouts of deep hypothermia (torpor) by decreasing RWL and CWL. We measured T(b), RWL, CWL, and resting metabolic rate (RMR) in Kuhl's pipistrelle Pipistrellus kuhlii, a small insectivorous bat. In support of our hypothesis, we found that RWL decreased with decreasing RMR. We found that CWL was lower in torpid individuals than in normothermic bats; however, bats in deep torpor had similar or higher CWL than bats in shallow torpor, suggesting that they exert a less effective physiological control over CWL when in deep torpor. Because insectivorous bats spend most of their lives in torpor or hibernation, the regulation of CWL in different heterothermic states has relevant ecological and evolutionary consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agustí Muñoz-Garcia
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 84990 Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel.
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Cox R, Muñoz‐Garcia A, Jurkowitz M, Williams J. β‐Glucocerebrosidase Activity in the Stratum Corneum of House Sparrows following Acclimation to High and Low Humidity. Physiol Biochem Zool 2008; 81:97-105. [DOI: 10.1086/522652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/30/2007] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Sabat P, Cavieres G, Veloso C, Canals M. Water and energy economy of an omnivorous bird: Population differences in the Rufous-collared Sparrow (Zonotrichia capensis). Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2006; 144:485-90. [PMID: 16750645 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2006.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2005] [Revised: 04/03/2006] [Accepted: 04/18/2006] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
We investigated the intraspecific variation in basal metabolic rate (BMR) and total evaporative water loss (TEWL) in the omnivorous passerine Zonotrichia capensis from two populations inhabiting regions with different precipitation regimes and aridity indices. Values of TEWL in birds from the semi-arid region were significantly lower than those found in sparrows from the mesic region. TEWL in birds from the semi-arid site was 74% of the expectation based on body mass for passerines from mesic areas and similar to the allometric expectation for passerines from arid environments. In sparrows from the mesic area, TEWL was higher than predicted by their body mass for passerines from arid environments (133%), but very close (97%) to the expectation for passerines from mesic areas. BMR values were 25% lower in sparrows from the semi-arid region. The lower TEWL and BMR of birds from the semi-arid region may be a physiological adjustment that allows them to cope with fewer resources and/or water. We propose that the lower endogenous heat production in birds from the semi-arid environment may decrease their water requirements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Sabat
- Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 653, Santiago, Chile.
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Peltonen LM, Sankari S, Kivimäki A, Autio P. Novel function of the skin in calcium metabolism in female and male chickens (Gallus domesticus). Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol 2006; 144:432-41. [PMID: 16807028 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpb.2006.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2005] [Revised: 04/11/2006] [Accepted: 04/12/2006] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
To study the role of the skin in differential calcium metabolism in White Leghorn chickens, we compared the composition of suction blister fluid (SBF) collected from cutaneous blisters with blood and serum in female and male animals in various physiological states. As an estimate for interstitial fluid (IF), SBF was used as a determinant of local cutaneous metabolism. Sample collection was carried out under ketamine-xylazine anesthesia. Eight chickens of both sexes were raised freely in similar environmental conditions and fed with similar food during their growth from juvenile to sexually mature and fully adult state. SBF, blood and serum were examined for concentrations of ionized Ca2+, Na+ and K+ with ion-selective electrodes (ISEs), and osmolalities by freezing point osmometry. pH and total protein content were also assessed. Our results showed that SBF of chickens is calcium-poor at the juvenile state and that it draws more Ca2+ in adult males than laying females of the same age. Interestingly, Ca2+ accumulation was observed also in females after laying had ceased. There was a positive correlation between blood and SBF Ca2+ in females but a negative one in males. In general, it was found that SBF of chickens was rich in Na+ and K+, was hypertonic compared to serum at the juvenile state and had a protein content of 36-47% of that in serum. Different from mammals, SBF in adult chickens was alkaline with the mean values of 8.7+/-0.14 in females and 8.8+/-0.06 in males. Age- and sex-related variability in cutaneous Ca2+ concentrations in chickens, and the differences of SBF composition between that of mammals point to a novel role of skin functions in avians. Possible functions of the skin as a dynamic calcium source balancing the free circulating Ca2+ levels and, also, as an excretory organ for Ca2+ are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liisa M Peltonen
- Department of Biomedicine, Physiology, Biomedicum Helsinki, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland.
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Ophir E, Arieli Y, Marder J. The effect of α2-adrenergic receptors on cutaneous water evaporation in the rock pigeon (Columba livia). Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2004; 139:411-5. [PMID: 15596385 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpb.2004.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2003] [Revised: 03/14/2004] [Accepted: 03/15/2004] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The role of beta-adrenergic receptors in regulating cutaneous water evaporation (CWE) in the rock pigeon (Columba livia) is well documented. Here, we studied the involvement of the alpha2-adrenergic receptors in this cooling mechanism of the heat-acclimated (HAc) pigeon. Systemic alpha2-adrenergic activation [clonidine, 50 microg kg(-1), intramuscular (i.m.)] was found to increase CWE in heat-acclimated pigeons at an ambient temperature (T(a)) of 25 degrees C. Subcutaneous administration of the drug had no significant effect. Preinjection of an alpha2-adrenergic antagonist (yohimbine, 10 mg kg(-1), i.m.) completely prevented clonidine-induced CWE and attenuated propranolol-induced CWE by 53%. Pretreatment with a beta-adrenergic agonist (isoproterenol, 4 mg kg(-1), i.m.) abolished the effect of clonidine. None of the above treatments was found to elicit significant CWE in nonacclimated (NAc) pigeons. These findings, in addition to previously reported data, indicate a complex regulatory pathway of CWE in the heat-acclimated pigeon consisting of alpha2- and beta2-adrenergic receptors. The possible hierarchical pattern of these receptors is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eshel Ophir
- Department of Cell and Animal Biology, Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel.
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Peltonen LM, Pyörnilä A. Local action of exogenous nitric oxide (NO) on the skin blood flow of rock pigeons (Columba livia) is affected by acclimation and skin site. J Exp Biol 2004; 207:2611-9. [PMID: 15201293 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.01051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARY
We studied the blood flow over dorsal and abdominal, non-brooding patch skin of two groups of pigeons: one group was thermally acclimated to cold(winter-acclimatized, WAC) while the other group was acclimated to a mesic environment (thermally non-challenged, NOC). Two bilateral patches at the measurement sites were treated simultaneously with a gel containing sodium nitrate and ascorbic acid, to generate nitric oxide (NO), and a vehicle gel. Blood flow was measured by laser Doppler velocimetry. Changes induced by these treatments were calculated against basic blood flow values for the corresponding patch. The results showed that the basic blood flow over the abdominal skin patches at room temperature was higher than over the dorsal skin in both acclimation states, but comparison revealed a sustainably higher level of basic skin blood flow in the WAC pigeons. The local response to exogenous NO was non-uniform over the two skin areas measured, and a specific vasodilatory action on the abdominal microvessels was recorded in the NOC pigeons. Abdominal vasodilatation in the WAC pigeons seemed to involve other mechanisms as well as local NO-dependent ones, among which the role of cold-induced vasodilatation (CIVD) is discussed here. Interestingly, the dorsal skin seemed to be less responsive to the action of NO, irrespective of the acclimation state.
Our results show that acclimation state and skin site affect the action of exogenous NO on local skin blood flow, and we suggest that the differences reflect acclimation-induced changes in the vascularity of the skin and in its sensitivity to thermal stimuli and that the roles of the abdominal and dorsal skin are different with respect to environmental changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liisa M Peltonen
- Department of Basic Veterinary Sciences, Physiology, 00014 University of Helsinki, PO Box 66, FIN 00014 Helsinki, Finland.
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