Corticosterone rapidly suppresses innate immune activity in the House Sparrow (<i>Passer domesticus</i>)

Gao, Sisi; Sanchez, Clarissa E.; Deviche, Pierre

doi:10.1242/jeb.144378

Cited by 36 publications

(18 citation statements)

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“…Moreover, they can act as a link between innate and acquired immune defenses by lowering the threshold for B-cell activation and targeting antigen to lymphoid organs (Ochsenbein & Zinkernagel, 2000). Previous work on BKA with this strain of E. coli indicates that acute stressors typically result in a decrease in BKA (Gao, Sanchez, & Deviche, 2017;Matson et al, 2006;Merrill, Angelier, O'Loghlen, Rothstein, & Wingfield, 2012). Whether this change in BKA following stress is a product of immunosuppression or immunoredistribution is unclear, but the speed with which these changes can occur (7 min; Merrill et al, 2012) suggests that it may be immunoredistribution of immunological components in preparation for coping with an impending injury and associated influx of microbes (sensu Dhabhar, 2009;Martin, 2009).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developmental corticosterone treatment does not program immune responses in zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata)

Grindstaff

Merrill

2017

J Exp Zool Pt A

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Developmental conditions may impact the expression of immune traits throughout an individual’s life. Early-life challenges may lead to immunological constraints that are mediated by endocrine-immune interactions. In particular, individual differences in the ability to mount immune responses may be programmed by exposure to stressors or glucocorticoid hormones during development. To test this hypothesis, we experimentally elevated levels of the glucocorticoid hormone corticosterone during the nestling and fledgling periods in captive zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata). We subsequently challenged birds with the antigen lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on days 60 and 100 post-hatch to determine if developmental exposure to elevated corticosterone impacted the later response to LPS. As measures of immune function, we quantified bacteria killing ability, haptoglobin concentrations, and LPS-specific antibody responses at multiple time points. We also measured circulating corticosterone concentrations during the experimental period and on day 60 before and after endotoxin challenge. During the experimental period, corticosterone treatment elevated corticosterone levels. Corticosterone treatment did not induce programming effects on immune function or corticosterone production. Independent of treatment, individuals with higher corticosterone concentrations during the nestling period had lower bacteria killing ability on day 36 and higher baseline corticosterone concentrations on day 60 post-hatch. These results suggest a limited role for corticosterone exposure during early life to mediate immunological constraints later in life. Manipulation of cortisol may be necessary to conclusively determine if developmental glucocorticoid exposure can program immune function in birds. To determine if developmental stress can program the immune response, exposure to environmentally relevant stressors should also be manipulated.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developmental corticosterone treatment does not program immune responses in zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata)

Grindstaff

Merrill

2017

J Exp Zool Pt A

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“…Even though measurements of baseline immune function are often unaltered by short-term handling stress (Buehler et al 2008; but see Gao et al 2017), we first checked if handling time and immune parameters were correlated in our dataset, but this was not the case for any parameter (always F < 1.17, p > 0.29). We then tested if fat had an influence on stopover duration.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Immune function and blood parasite infections impact stopover ecology in passerine birds

et al. 2018

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Stopovers play a crucial role for the success of migrating animals and are key to optimal migration theory. Variation in refuelling rates, stopover duration and departure decisions among individuals has been related to several external factors. The physiological mechanisms shaping stopover ecology are, however, less well understood. Here, we explore how immune function and blood parasite infections relate to several aspects of stopover behaviour in autumn migrating short- and long-distance migrating songbirds. We blood sampled individuals of six species and used an automated radio-telemetry system in the stopover area to subsequently quantify stopover duration, ‘bush-level’ activity patterns (~ 0.1–30 m), landscape movements (~ 30–6000 m), departure direction and departure time. We show that complement activity, the acute phase protein haptoglobin and blood parasite infections were related to prolonged stopover duration. Complement activity (i.e., lysis) and total immunoglobulins were negatively correlated with bush-level activity patterns. The differences partly depended on whether birds were long-distance or short-distance migrants. Birds infected with avian malaria-like parasites showed longer landscape movements during the stopover than uninfected individuals, and birds with double blood parasite infections departed more than 2.5 h later after sunset/sunrise suggesting shorter flight bouts. We conclude that variation in baseline immune function and blood parasite infection status affects stopover ecology and helps explain individual variation in stopover behaviour. These differences affect overall migration speed, and thus can have significant impact on migration success and induce carry-over effects on other annual-cycle stages. Immune function and blood parasites should, therefore, be considered as important factors when applying optimal migration theory.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s00442-018-4291-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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“…The role of CORT in immune and inflammatory responses has been relatively well known and are mediated by GR activation (Sapolsky et al, 2000; Webster Marketon and Glaser, 2008). In brief, CORT can both activate and suppress immune function through multiple pathways (reviewed in Gao et al, 2017; Sapolsky et al, 2000). However, much less in known about the role CORT plays in influencing prolactin expression, signaling pathways, or synthesis.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Isolating the role of corticosterone in the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal genomic stress response

Austin

Harris

Booth

et al. 2020

Preprint

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The negative impacts of stress on reproduction have long been studied. A large focus of investigation has centered around the effects of the adrenal steroid hormone corticosterone (CORT) on a system of tissues vital for reproduction, the hypothalamus of the brain, the pituitary gland, and the gonads (the HPG axis). Investigations of the role of CORT on the HPG axis have predominated the stress and reproductive biology literature, potentially overshadowing other influential mediators. To gain a more complete understanding of how elevated CORT, characteristic of the stress response, affects the activity of the HPG axis, we experimentally examined its role at the level of the genome in both male and female rock doves (Columba livia). We exogenously administrated CORT to mimic circulating levels during the stress response, specifically 30 min of restraint stress, an experimental paradigm known to increase circulating corticosterone in vertebrates. We examined all changes in genomic transcription within the HPG axis as compared to both restraint-stressed birds and vehicle-injected controls, as well as between the sexes. We report causal and sex-specific effects of CORT on the HPG stress response at the level of the transcriptome. Restraint stress caused 1567 genes to uniquely differentially express while elevated circulating CORT was responsible for the differential expression of 304 genes. Only 108 genes in females and 8 in males differentially expressed in subjects who underwent restraint stress and those who were given exogenous CORT. In response to CORT elevation characteristic of the stress response, both sexes shared the differential expression of 5 genes, KCNJ5, CISH, PTGER3, CEBPD, and ZBTB16, all located in the pituitary. The known functions of these genes suggest potential influence of elevated CORT on immune function and prolactin synthesis. Gene expression unique to each sex indicated that elevated CORT affected more gene transcription in females than males (78 genes versus 3 genes, respectively). To our knowledge, this is the first study to isolate the role of CORT in HPG genomic transcription during a stress response. These results provide novel targets for new lines of further investigation and therapy development. We present an extensive and openly accessible view of the role corticosterone in the HPG genomic stress response, offering novel gene targets to inspire new lines of investigation of stress-induced reproductive dysfunction. Because the HPG system is well-conserved across vertebrates, these data have the potential to inspire new therapeutic strategies for reproductive dysregulation in multiple vertebrate systems, including our own.

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Corticosterone rapidly suppresses innate immune activity in the House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

Cited by 36 publications

References 50 publications

Developmental corticosterone treatment does not program immune responses in zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata)

Developmental corticosterone treatment does not program immune responses in zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata)

Immune function and blood parasite infections impact stopover ecology in passerine birds

Isolating the role of corticosterone in the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal genomic stress response

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