Functional analysis of the skin‐swelling response to phytohaemagglutinin

Vinkler, Michal; Bainová, Hana; Albrecht, Tomáš

doi:10.1111/j.1365-2435.2010.01711.x

Cited by 127 publications

(150 citation statements)

References 33 publications

(88 reference statements)

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“…These constitutive antimicrobial agents in plasma include lysozymes, nitric oxide, antimicrobial peptides, complement proteins and natural antibodies (Forsman et al, 2010). It is important to note that both the cutaneous immune response, induced by injection of PHA, and bactericidal activity involve components of both the innate and adaptive axes of the immune system (Juul-Madsen et al, 2008;Forsman et al, 2010;Vinckler et al, 2010); additionally, components of the bactericidal response, such as complement proteins, are themselves quite complicated and have multiple functions in vertebrates (e.g. Ricklin et al, 2010).…”

Section: Differences In Immune Responsementioning

confidence: 99%

Experimentally increased in ovo testosterone leads to increased plasma bactericidal activity and decreased cutaneous immune response in nestling house wrens

Clairardin

Barnett

Sakaluk

et al. 2011

Journal of Experimental Biology

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Martin et al., 2006b). The second, bactericidal activity of blood plasma, measures components of the innate immune system (Matson et al., 2006), including natural antibodies, lysozyme, nitric oxide, complement proteins and antimicrobial peptides (Forsman et al., 2010). We also measured the mass, size and hematocrit (a health-state condition measure) (Ots et al., 1998) of individual nestlings near the time of fledging. We predicted that nestlings hatching from testosteroneinjected eggs would exhibit lower immune responsiveness, but achieve greater mass, size and health-state condition, than nestlings hatching from vehicle-injected control eggs. Accepted 24 May 2011 SUMMARY Maternally derived testosterone in the eggs of birds may benefit nestlings by increasing various aspects of their growth, condition and behavioral development, but these benefits may come at a cost, including suppression of immune responsiveness. Experiments on a variety of species in which in ovo levels of testosterone have been experimentally increased have produced mixed results; some have found increased growth and suppressed immune function of nestlings whereas others have found the opposite. In an attempt to clarify the relationship between in ovo testosterone and nestling size, mass, health state and immune responsiveness, we experimentally increased levels of testosterone in the eggs of house wrens (Troglodytes aedon). We simultaneously determined the size, mass, hematocrit (a measure of health state), cutaneous immune response to phytohaemagglutinin and plasma bactericidal activity of nestlings near the time of fledging. We predicted that nestlings hatching from testosterone-injected eggs would exhibit lower immune responsiveness, but achieve greater mass, size and condition, than nestlings hatching from vehicle-injected control eggs. Instead, we found that nestlings hatching from testosterone-injected eggs had a weaker cutaneous immune response but greater bactericidal activity than those hatching from control eggs. They did not, however, differ significantly in mass, size or hematocrit from controls. These results suggest that experimentally increased in ovo testosterone induced a trade-off between bactericidal activity and the cutaneous immune response. The opposite responses by two different measures of immune function to experimentally increased in ovo testosterone underscore the importance of including multiple immune assays when investigating the potential for trade-offs with the immune system and other physiological functions.

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Section: Differences In Immune Responsementioning

confidence: 99%

Experimentally increased in ovo testosterone leads to increased plasma bactericidal activity and decreased cutaneous immune response in nestling house wrens

Clairardin

Barnett

Sakaluk

et al. 2011

Journal of Experimental Biology

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“…during step 2). This test assays the proinflammatory response to a foreign plant protein (PHA), which is mainly linked to the accumulation of small lymphocytes and the infiltration of macrophages (Smits et al, 1999;Vinkler et al, 2010). To conduct the PHA test, we measured the right wing web of each bird three times with a digital micrometer (±0.02 mm; Mitutoyo, Japan) to obtain an average pre-swelling measurement and then injected this area with 100 μg of PHA-P (SigmaAldrich, St Louis, MO, USA) diluted in 20 μl of phosphate-buffered saline.…”

Section: Immune Parametersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mitochondrial uncoupling as a regulator of life history trajectories in birds: An experimental study in the zebra finch

Stier

Bize

Roussel

et al. 2014

Journal of Experimental Biology

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Mitochondria have a fundamental role in the transduction of energy from food into ATP. The coupling between food oxidation and ATP production is never perfect, but may nevertheless be of evolutionary significance. The 'uncoupling to survive' hypothesis suggests that 'mild' mitochondrial uncoupling evolved as a protective mechanism against the excessive production of damaging reactive oxygen species (ROS). Because resource allocation and ROS production are thought to shape animal life histories, alternative life-history trajectories might be driven by individual variation in the degree of mitochondrial uncoupling. We tested this hypothesis in a small bird species, the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata), by treating adults with the artificial mitochondrial uncoupler 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) over a 32-month period. In agreement with our expectations, the uncoupling treatment increased metabolic rate. However, we found no evidence that treated birds enjoyed lower oxidative stress levels or greater survival rates, in contrast to previous results in other taxa. In vitro experiments revealed lower sensitivity of ROS production to DNP in mitochondria isolated from skeletal muscles of zebra finch than mouse. In addition, we found significant reductions in the number of eggs laid and in the inflammatory immune response in treated birds. Altogether, our data suggest that the 'uncoupling to survive' hypothesis may not be applicable for zebra finches, presumably because of lower effects of mitochondrial uncoupling on mitochondrial ROS production in birds than in mammals. Nevertheless, mitochondrial uncoupling appeared to be a potential life-history regulator of traits such as fecundity and immunity at adulthood, even with food supplied ad libitum.

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“…These common results in males could be interpreted on the light of common components in the innate and adaptive axes of the immune system (Forsman et al 2010;Vinkler et al 2010). In fact, some studies have shown that the PHA swelling response is an integration of both specific and induced immunity and also of constitutive and nonspecific immunity (Martin et al 2006a;Salaberria et al 2013).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sex-Specific Effects of High Yolk Androgen Levels on Constitutive and Cell-Mediated Immune Responses in Nestlings of an Altricial Passerine

Muriel

Pérez‐Rodríguez

Ortiz‐Santaliestra

et al. 2017

Physiological and Biochemical Zoology

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Avian embryos are exposed to yolk androgens that are incorporated into the egg by the ovulating female. These steroids can affect several aspects of embryo development, often resulting in increases in overall size or the speed of growth of different traits. However, several studies suggest that they also entail immune costs to the offspring. In this study, we explored whether variation in yolk androgen concentration affected several measures of the constitutive and cell-mediated immune axes in the spotless starling (Sturnus unicolor). Using a within-brood design, we injected different doses of androgens (testosterone and androstenedione) into the eggs. Our study showed that experimentally increased yolk androgens led to sex-specific immunosuppression in both the innate and adaptive axes of the immune system. Both cell-mediated immune response (CMI) and lysozyme activity decreased with increasing androgen levels injected into the egg in the case of male nestlings, whereas there were no effects on females. The effects that we found were always linear: no quadratic or threshold patterns were detected. We found no effects of the experimental treatment in hemolysis or agglutination capacity, but these measures were negatively correlated with CMI, suggesting negative correlation among different branches of the immune system. Blood (trypanosomes and hemosporidians) and intestinal (coccidia) parasites were not affected by the experimental increase of yolk androgen levels. Our results show that in our study species yolk androgens induce immunosuppression in some axes of the male nestling immune system. Further studies should analyze the proximate causes for these contrasting effects in different axes of the immune system and the reason for the differential impact on males and females.

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Functional analysis of the skin‐swelling response to phytohaemagglutinin

Cited by 127 publications

References 33 publications

Experimentally increased in ovo testosterone leads to increased plasma bactericidal activity and decreased cutaneous immune response in nestling house wrens

Experimentally increased in ovo testosterone leads to increased plasma bactericidal activity and decreased cutaneous immune response in nestling house wrens

Mitochondrial uncoupling as a regulator of life history trajectories in birds: An experimental study in the zebra finch

Sex-Specific Effects of High Yolk Androgen Levels on Constitutive and Cell-Mediated Immune Responses in Nestlings of an Altricial Passerine

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