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Lind CM, Meyers RA, Moore IT, Agugliaro J, McPherson S, Farrell TM. Ophidiomycosis is associated with alterations in the acute glycemic and glucocorticoid stress response in a free-living snake species. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2023; 339:114295. [PMID: 37121405 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2023.114295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Emerging fungal pathogens are a direct threat to vertebrate biodiversity. Elucidating the mechanisms by which mycoses impact host fitness is an important step towards effective prediction and management of disease outcomes in populations. The vertebrate acute stress response is an adaptive mechanism that allows individuals to meet challenges to homeostasis and survival in dynamic environments. Disease may cause stress, and coping with fungal infections may require shifts in resource allocation that alter the ability of hosts to mount an acute response to other external stressors. We examined the glucocorticoid and glycemic response to acute capture stress in a population of free-living pygmy rattlesnakes, Sistrurus miliarius, afflicted with an emerging mycosis (ophidiomycosis) across seasons. In all combinations of disease status and season, acute capture stress resulted in a significant glucocorticoid and glycemic response. While disease was not associated with elevated baseline or stress-induced corticosterone (CORT), disease was associated with an increased glucocorticoid stress response (post-stress minus baseline) across seasons. Both baseline and stress-induced glucose were lower in snakes with ophidiomycosis compared to uninfected snakes. The relationship between glucose and pre- and post-stress CORT depended on infection status, and positive correlations were only observed in uninfected snakes. The variables which explained CORT and glucose levels were different. The pattern of CORT was highly seasonal (winter high - summer low) and negatively related to body condition. Glucose, on the other hand, did not vary seasonally or with body condition and was strongly related to sex (male high - female low). Our results highlight the fact that circulating CORT and glucose are sensitive to different intrinsic and extrinsic predictor variables and support the hypothesis that disease alters the acute physiological stress response. Whether the effects of ophidiomycosis on the acute stress response result in sublethal effects on fitness should be investigated in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig M Lind
- Stockton University, 101 Vera King Farris Dr, Galloway, NJ 08205, United States.
| | - Riley A Meyers
- Virginia Tech, Dept. Biological Sciences, Blacksburg, VA 24061, United States
| | - Ignacio T Moore
- Virginia Tech, Dept. Biological Sciences, Blacksburg, VA 24061, United States
| | - Joseph Agugliaro
- Fairleigh Dickinson University, 285 Madison Avenue, Madison, NJ 07940, United States
| | - Samantha McPherson
- Stetson University, 421 N Woodland Blvd, DeLand, FL 32723, United States
| | - Terence M Farrell
- Stetson University, 421 N Woodland Blvd, DeLand, FL 32723, United States
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2
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Ryan TA, Taff CC, Zimmer C, Vitousek MN. Cold temperatures induce priming of the glucose stress response in tree swallows. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2023; 280:111419. [PMID: 36965830 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2023.111419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/27/2023]
Abstract
Capricious environments often present wild animals with challenges that coincide or occur in sequence. Conceptual models of the stress response predict that one threat may prime or dampen the response to another. Although evidence has supported this for glucocorticoid responses, much less is known about the effects of previous challenges on energy mobilization. Food limitation may have a particularly important effect, by altering the ability to mobilize energy when faced with a subsequent challenge. We tested the prediction that challenging weather conditions, which reduce food availability, alter the energetic response to a subsequent acute challenge (capture and restraint). Using a three-year dataset from female tree swallows measured during three substages of breeding, we used a model comparison approach to test if weather (temperature, wind speed, and precipitation) over 3- or 72-hour timescales predicted baseline and post-restraint glucose levels, and if so which environmental factors were the strongest predictors. Contrary to our predictions, weather conditions did not affect baseline glucose; however, birds that had experienced lower temperatures over the preceding 72 h tended to have higher stress-induced glucose when faced with an acute stressor. We also saw some support for an effect of rainfall on stress-induced glucose: around the time that eggs hatched, birds that had experienced more rainfall over the preceding 72 h mounted lower responses. Overall, we find support in a wild animal for the idea that the glucose stress response may be primed by exposure to prior challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas A Ryan
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA; Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA.
| | - Conor C Taff
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA; Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Cedric Zimmer
- Laboratory of Experimental and Comparative Ethology, University Sorbonne Paris Nord, Villetaneuse, France
| | - Maren N Vitousek
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA; Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA
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3
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Hartzheim AM, Terry JL, Field EK, Haydt NT, Poo S, Neuman-Lee LA. Immune and stress physiology of two captively-housed tortoise species. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART A, ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 339:220-233. [PMID: 36450699 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Ecoimmunology affords us the ability to better understand immunological processes through consideration of external factors, such as the thermal microenvironment. This consideration is imperative when examining the immunological processes of ectothermic organisms like reptiles. Reptiles uniquely rely heavily on their innate immune function but remain poorly understood in immunological studies. In this study, we examined innate immunity in two zoo-housed tortoise species, the Indian star tortoise (Geochelone elegans, Schoepff, 1795) and northern spider tortoise (Pyxis arachnoides brygooi, Vuillemin & Domergue, 1972). Bacterial killing assays (BKAs) were optimized and used to assess the monthly immunocompetence of these tortoises to three different bacteria: Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, and Staphylococcus aureus. We evaluated differences in blood biochemistry values (lactate and glucose) among months and species as well as fecal corticosterone (CORT) between species. Lastly, we examined the potential influences of individual thermal microenvironments on bactericidal ability. Both G. elegans and P. a. brygooi demonstrated immunocompetence against all bacterial challenges, but only bactericidal ability against E. coli varied over months. Optimal BKA serum dilutions, blood glucose levels, and fecal CORT concentrations differed between the two species. Finally, there was evidence that the thermal microenvironment influenced the tortoises' bactericidal ability against E. coli. Through use of nonmodel organisms, such as tortoises, we are given insight into the inner workings of innate immunity and a better understanding of the complexities of the vertebrate immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa M Hartzheim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA
| | - Jennifer L Terry
- Department of Biological Sciences, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA
| | - Emily K Field
- Department of Biological Sciences, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA
| | - Natalie T Haydt
- Department of Biological Sciences, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA
| | - Sinlan Poo
- Department of Conservation and Research, Memphis Zoological Society, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Lorin A Neuman-Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA
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4
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Dervas E, Michalopoulou E, Liesegang A, Novacco M, Schwarzenberger F, Hetzel U, Kipar A. Haematology, biochemistry and morphological features of peripheral blood cells in captive Boa constrictor. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 11:coad001. [PMID: 36726862 PMCID: PMC9885740 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coad001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The common boa (Boa constrictor) belongs to the family Boidae and represents one of the most popular traded and kept snake species in captivity. The early diagnosis, prevention and prophylaxis of diseases in this species, and in reptiles in general, still pose major challenges, also due to the lack of reliable reference values. This prompted us to conduct a study on clinically healthy captive B. constrictor to assess their basic health parameters in the blood (haematological and biochemical values, stress markers). Several parameters differed significantly between younger (<3 years) and older (≥3 years) boas; in the latter, the percentages of eosinophils, the haemoglobin and haematocrit levels, as well as the albumin and total protein levels, were higher. In male snakes, cholesterol levels were significantly higher than in females. Light and electron microscopy as well as immunohistochemistry served to identify and determine the morphological features of peripheral blood cells, that is, heterophils, basophils, eosinophils, azurophils, monocytes, lymphocytes, thrombocytes and erythrocytes. Leukocyte subpopulations, that is, T and B cells and monocytes, were also identified based on specific marker expression. The study provides data on haematological, biochemical and stress hormone levels, suitable as reference values, and on the blood cell morphology of B. constrictor which can serve as a guideline for further research on this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Dervas
- Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 268, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - E Michalopoulou
- Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 268, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - A Liesegang
- Institute for Animal Nutrition and Dietetics, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 270, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - M Novacco
- Clinical Laboratory, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - F Schwarzenberger
- Unit of Physiology, Pathophysiology and Experimental Endocrinology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210, Vienna, Austria
| | - U Hetzel
- Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 268, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - A Kipar
- Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 268, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
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5
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Racine H, Guthrie KS, Hill T, Loughman Z. Impact of Indigestible Materials on the Efficiency of Fecal Corticosterone Immunoassay Testing in Pituophis Species. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12111410. [PMID: 35681872 PMCID: PMC9179318 DOI: 10.3390/ani12111410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Measuring fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGM) has recently become a sought-after method for assessing stress in animals. While there are many benefits to this methodology, there are also recognized limitations, including the apprehensive interpretation of results. While many factors can influence FGM levels, we aimed to standardize and improve these methods in snakes. Fecal samples were collected from Pituophis species and FGMs were extracted by two different sample collection methods: (1) fecal sample containing undigested materials and (2) fecal samples with undigested materials removed. These extracts were then used to quantify FGM concentrations using a corticosterone EIA kit. The results indicated that the samples with the undigestible materials removed had a 95% increase in overall yield (p < 0.01). Since the collected fecal samples contain 75% undigestible materials by weight, these results support our hypothesis that removing these materials will improve extraction methods for a more reliable measurement of corticosterone. This is the first step towards standardizing the methods for assessing stress by measuring fecal glucocorticoid metabolites in snakes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly Racine
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, West Liberty University, West Liberty, WV 26074, USA; (H.R.); (T.H.)
| | - Kinsey Skalican Guthrie
- Department of Organismal Biology, Ecology, and Zoo Science, West Liberty University, West Liberty, WV 26074, USA;
| | - Tyler Hill
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, West Liberty University, West Liberty, WV 26074, USA; (H.R.); (T.H.)
| | - Zachary Loughman
- Department of Organismal Biology, Ecology, and Zoo Science, West Liberty University, West Liberty, WV 26074, USA;
- Correspondence:
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6
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French SS, Hudson SB, Webb AC, Knapp CR, Virgin EE, Smith GD, Lewis EL, Iverson JB, DeNardo DF. Glucose tolerance of iguanas is affected by high-sugar diets in the lab and supplemental feeding by ecotourists in the wild. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:274936. [PMID: 35448902 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.243932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
There is great interspecific variation in the nutritional composition of natural diets, and the varied nutritional content is physiologically tolerated because of evolutionarily based balances between diet composition and processing ability. However, as a result of landscape change and human exposure, unnatural diets are becoming widespread among wildlife without the necessary time for evolutionary matching between the diet and its processing. We tested how a controlled, unnatural high glucose diet affects glucose tolerance using captive green iguanas, and we performed similar glucose tolerance tests on wild Northern Bahamian rock iguanas that are either frequently fed grapes by tourists or experience no such supplementation. We evaluated both short and longer-term blood glucose responses and corticosterone (CORT) concentrations as changes have been associated with altered diets. Experimental glucose supplementation in the laboratory and tourist feeding in the wild both significantly affected glucose metabolism. When iguanas received a glucose-rich diet, we found greater acute increases in blood glucose following a glucose challenge. Relative to unfed iguanas, tourist-fed iguanas had significantly lower baseline CORT, higher baseline blood glucose, and slower returns to baseline glucose levels following a glucose challenge. Therefore, unnatural consumption of high amounts of glucose alters glucose metabolism in laboratory iguanas with short-term glucose treatment and free-living iguanas exposed to long-term feeding by tourists. Based on these results and the increasing prevalence of anthropogenically altered wildlife diets, the consequences of dietary changes on glucose metabolism should be further investigated across species, as such changes in glucose metabolism have health consequences in humans (e.g. diabetes).
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Affiliation(s)
- Susannah S French
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA.,Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - Spencer B Hudson
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA.,Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - Alison C Webb
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA.,Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - Charles R Knapp
- Daniel P. Haerther Center for Conservation and Research, John G. Shedd Aquarium, Chicago, IL 60605, USA
| | - Emily E Virgin
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA.,Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - Geoffrey D Smith
- Biology Department, Dixie State University, Saint George, UT 84770, USA
| | - Erin L Lewis
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA.,Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - John B Iverson
- Department of Biology, Earlham College, Richmond, IN 47374, USA
| | - Dale F DeNardo
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
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7
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Holden KG, Gangloff EJ, Miller DAW, Hedrick AR, Dinsmore C, Basel A, Kutz G, Bronikowski AM. Over a decade of field physiology reveals life-history specific strategies to drought in garter snakes ( Thamnophis legans). Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20212187. [PMID: 35078358 PMCID: PMC8790353 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Changing climates and severe weather events can affect population viability. Individuals need to buffer such negative fitness consequences through physiological plasticity. Whether certain life-history strategies are more conducive to surviving changing climates is unknown, but theory predicts that strategies prioritizing maintenance and survival over current reproduction should be better able to withstand such change. We tested this hypothesis in a meta-population of garter snakes having naturally occurring variation in life-history strategies. We tested whether slow pace-of-life (POL) animals, that prioritize survival over reproduction, are more resilient than fast POL animals as measured by several physiological biomarkers. From 2006 to 2019, which included two multi-year droughts, baseline and stress-induced reactivity of plasma corticosterone and glucose varied annually with directionalities consistent with life-history theory. Slow POL animals exhibited higher baseline corticosterone and lower baseline glucose, relative to fast POL animals. These patterns were also observed in stress-induced measures; thus, reactivity was equivalent between ecotypes. However, in drought years, measures of corticosterone did not differ between different life histories. Immune cell distribution showed annual variation independent of drought or life history. These persistent physiological patterns form a backdrop to several extirpations of fast POL populations, suggesting a limited physiological toolkit to surviving periods of extreme drought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn G. Holden
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, 2200 Osborn Drive, 251 Bessey Hall, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Eric J. Gangloff
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, 2200 Osborn Drive, 251 Bessey Hall, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - David A. W. Miller
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Penn State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Ashley R. Hedrick
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, 2200 Osborn Drive, 251 Bessey Hall, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Carli Dinsmore
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Penn State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Alison Basel
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, 2200 Osborn Drive, 251 Bessey Hall, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Greta Kutz
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, 2200 Osborn Drive, 251 Bessey Hall, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Anne M. Bronikowski
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, 2200 Osborn Drive, 251 Bessey Hall, Ames, IA 50011, USA
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8
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Taff CC, Zimmer C, Ryan TA, van Oordt DC, Aborn DA, Ardia DR, Johnson LS, Rose AP, Vitousek M. Individual variation in natural or manipulated corticosterone does not covary with circulating glucose in a wild bird. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:274518. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.243262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Animals respond to sudden challenges with a coordinated set of physiological and behavioral responses that enhance the ability to cope with stressors. While general characteristics of the vertebrate stress response are well described, it is not as clear how individual components covary between- or within-individuals. A rapid increase in glucocorticoids coordinates the stress response and one of the primary downstream results is an increase in glucose availability via reduced glucose utilization. Here, we asked whether between- and within-individual variation in corticosterone directly predicted variation in glucose. We collected 2,673 paired glucose and corticosterone measures from 776 tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) from four populations spanning the species range. In adults, glucose and corticosterone both increased during a standardized restraint protocol in all four populations. Moreover, in one population experimentally increasing a precursor that stimulates corticosterone release resulted in a further increase in both measures. In contrast, nestlings did not show a robust glucose response to handling or manipulation. Despite this group level variation, there was very little evidence in any population that between-individual variation in corticosterone predicted between-individual variation in glucose regulation. Glucose was moderately repeatable within-individuals, but within-individual variation in glucose and corticosterone were unrelated. Our results highlight the fact that a strong response in one aspect of the coordinated acute stress response (corticosterone) does not necessarily indicate that specific downstream components, such as glucose, will show similarly strong responses. These results have implications for understanding the evolution of integrated stress response systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conor C. Taff
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, USA
- Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, USA
| | - Cedric Zimmer
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, USA
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée, LEEC, UR 4443, Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, France
| | - Thomas A. Ryan
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, USA
| | - David Chang van Oordt
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, USA
- Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, USA
| | - David A. Aborn
- Department of Biology, Geology, and Environmental Science, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, USA
| | | | | | - Alexandra P. Rose
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of Colorado Boulder, USA
| | - Maren Vitousek
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, USA
- Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, USA
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9
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Szpręgiel I, Wronska D. Effect of short-term fasting on the expression of ACTH (cMC2) receptor in the adrenal glands of chicken (Gallus domesticus). ROCZNIKI NAUKOWE POLSKIEGO TOWARZYSTWA ZOOTECHNICZNEGO 2021. [DOI: 10.5604/01.3001.0015.5024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
<b>Domestic hen is a full model in terms of stress and adrenal function. The main hormone produced by the hens’ adrenals is corticosterone, synthesized and secreted by stimulating the HPA axis during stress. Direct activation of adrenal activity is conditioned by ACTH, which binds to the melanocortin receptor cMC2 in adrenals. It stimulates the synthesis and release of corticosterone. One of the factors that stimulate the HPA axis activity is the starvation, to which the hen is very sensitive. The purpose of this study was to determine the ACTH receptor cMC2 expression in the hens’ adrenals during the short-term fasting and after restoring the proper level of nutrition (refeeding). The results of the experiment show that 24-hour of food deprivation is stressful for the hen, as indicated by increased concentrations of corticosterone in the adrenals and in blood plasma. Changes in cMC2R expression and level of corticosterone in the adrenals during fasting and refeeding indicate a rapid increase of HPA axis activity in response to differentiated levels of nutrition. The results of this experiment confirm the direct effect of ACTH on the avian adrenals in corticosterone release.
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Affiliation(s)
- Izabela Szpręgiel
- University of Agriculture in Krakow Faculty of Animal Sciences Department of Animal Physiology and Endocrinology
| | - Danuta Wronska
- Katedra Fizjologii i Endokrynologii Zwierząt
Wydział Hodowli i Biologii Zwierząt
Uniwersytet Rolniczy im. Hugona Kołłątaja w Krakowie
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10
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Kelley S, Farrell TM, Lind CM. Validating the Use of a Quick-Read Glucometer to Assess the Glycemic Response to Short-Term Capture Stress in Two Species of Snake, Nerodia sipedon and Sistrurus miliarius. ICHTHYOLOGY & HERPETOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1643/h2020102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Shannon Kelley
- Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Stockton University, 101 Vera King Farris Drive, Galloway, New Jersey 08205; (SK) ; and (CML) . Send reprint requests to CML
| | - Terence M. Farrell
- Department of Biology, Stetson University, 421 North Woodland Boulevard, DeLand, Florida 32723;
| | - Craig M. Lind
- Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Stockton University, 101 Vera King Farris Drive, Galloway, New Jersey 08205; (SK) ; and (CML) . Send reprint requests to CML
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11
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Hudson SB, Lidgard AD, French SS. Glucocorticoids, energy metabolites, and immunity vary across allostatic states for plateau side‐blotched lizards (
Uta stansburiana uniformis
) residing in a heterogeneous thermal environment. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART 2020; 333:732-743. [DOI: 10.1002/jez.2415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2020] [Revised: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Spencer B. Hudson
- Department of Biology Utah State University Logan Utah USA
- Ecology Center Utah State University Logan Utah USA
| | | | - Susannah S. French
- Department of Biology Utah State University Logan Utah USA
- Ecology Center Utah State University Logan Utah USA
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12
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Sandfoss MR, Claunch NM, Stacy NI, Romagosa CM, Lillywhite HB. A tale of two islands: evidence for impaired stress response and altered immune functions in an insular pit viper following ecological disturbance. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 8:coaa031. [PMID: 32382421 PMCID: PMC7196672 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coaa031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Revised: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
The frequency and intensity of ecological perturbations affecting wild animal populations is expected to increase in the future with animals facing numerous global threats. Seahorse Key is a continental island off mainland Florida that has historically been a major rookery for several species of waterbirds. As a result of an unknown disturbance, the entire rookery abandoned Seahorse Key in April 2015 and shifted nesting activities to nearby Snake Key, resulting in an influx of food resources in the form of fish carrion to resident Florida cottonmouth snakes (Agkistrodon conanti), while snakes on Seahorse Key experienced a drastic reduction in food resources. Our objective was to assess plasma corticosterone concentrations, corticosterone negative feedback using dexamethasone, blood glucose, body condition, packed cell volume, natural antibody agglutination, white blood cell counts and ratios and erythrocyte sedimentation rate to characterize the long-term effects of differential resource availability in these two snake populations 3 years after this major ecological disturbance. We collected blood samples at three time points from cottonmouths on Seahorse Key (n = 6 individuals) and Snake Key (n = 13 individuals) in fall 2018. In due consideration of the small sample size, our study shows evidence that 3 years after the shift in waterbird nesting Seahorse Key cottonmouths exhibit a dampened acute stress response and presumptive impaired innate immune functions relative to cottonmouths on Snake Key. These results highlight the context-dependent nature of biomarkers and implicate the significant decrease in food resources on Seahorse Key in altering hormonal stress responses and innate immune functions, possibly leading to unknown long-term downstream effects. This study assessed the response of a wild population of pit viper to ecological disturbance in situ with the aim to improve our understanding of how animals cope with such perturbations and improve our capacity to make informed decisions for conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark R Sandfoss
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, 221 Carr Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
- Corresponding author: University of Florida, 221 Carr Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
| | - Natalie M Claunch
- School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Florida, 103 Black Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Nicole I Stacy
- Aquatic, Amphibian, and Reptile Pathology Program, Department of Comparative, Diagnostic, and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, 2015 SW 16th Ave, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Christina M Romagosa
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, 110 Newins-Ziegler Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Harvey B Lillywhite
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, 221 Carr Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
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