Immunoglobulin M Serum Levels in Females and Pups of Southern Elephant Seal (Mirounga leonina) During the Suckling Period

Márquez, María Elba Isabel; Carlini, Alejandro R; Slobodianik, Nora; Ferrer, Patricia; Godoy, María Fernanda

doi:10.1016/s1095-6433(98)01018-6

Cited by 7 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“… 40 Both IgM and IgG concentrations increase in gray and northern elephant seal pups during nursing. In northern elephant seal pups, Ig concentrations approach adult levels toward weaning, 40 whereas IgM levels in southern elephant seal pups reach 50% of adult female IgM levels by weaning 41 . These findings suggest that seal pups, including harp seal pups, mature immunologically, in part, during the nursing period.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 84%

Reference Values for Serum Biochemical Parameters in Free‐Ranging Harp Seals

Nordøy

Thoresen

2002

Veterinary Clinical Pathol

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 84%

Reference Values for Serum Biochemical Parameters in Free‐Ranging Harp Seals

Nordøy

Thoresen

2002

Veterinary Clinical Pathol

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“…; Marquez et al . ; Krafft, Lydersen & Kovacs ; Thomton & Mellish ; Kakuschke et al . ; Kakuschke, Pröfrock & Prange ).…”

Section: Introductionunclassified

“…Immune markers do not always covary, so it is important to measure a suite of variables to characterize systemic response. However, published studies in non-model or wildlife systems frequently measure single or few immune or inflammation markers for comparison between groups or populations (Zenteno-Savin et al 1997;Marquez et al 1998;Krafft, Lydersen & Kovacs 2006;Thomton & Mellish 2007;Kakuschke et al 2010;Kakuschke, Pr€ ofrock & Prange 2013). Less is known about how these markers vary with each other in wildlife systems or the role that natural variation in stress plays in modulating immunocompetency.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Body reserves influence allocation to immune responses in capital breeding female northern elephant seals

2015

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Summary Mounting an immune response requires substantial energy. Ecological immunology theory predicts allocation trade‐offs between reproductive effort and immune responses under conditions of energy limitation. Little is known about the impact of capital breeding strategies on energy allocation to immune function in mammals. Northern elephant seals (NES) forage in the marine environment, breed in dense terrestrial colonies and exhibit high rates of energy expenditure for lactation while fasting. Body reserves strongly influence reproductive effort and lactation requires elevation of plasma cortisol for energy mobilization. We characterized immune response by measuring a suite of immune markers including cytokines, an acute phase protein, and immunoglobulins early and late in breeding and moult haul‐outs in 197 samples from 129 female NES. We explored potential impacts of breeding, body condition and plasma cortisol on immune function. Immune responses were greater and more varied during breeding. Adiposity had positive associations with innate immune responses across all life‐history stages. Body mass had positive associations with both adaptive and innate immune responses early in fasts. Females with lower fat reserves showed reduced innate immune responses at the end of lactation. Immunoglobulin E, a marker of immune response to parasitic infection, exhibited a significant negative association with cortisol across all life‐history stages. These data suggest that breeding carries an immune cost and provide evidence for allocation trade‐offs between immune function and breeding effort. These trade‐offs may reflect a compromise between immune costs inherent in colonial breeding and energetic limitations that arise in use of capital breeding strategies. Variation in evidence for immunosuppressive effects of cortisol suggests that decoupling of these effects may be limited to specific aspects of the immune response during terrestrial fasting. Immune responses that are required for survival may be modulated relative to the energetic demands required for successful reproduction.

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