Post-natal exposure to corticosterone affects standard metabolic rate in the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata)

Spencer, Karen A.; Verhulst, Simon

doi:10.1016/j.ygcen.2008.09.007

Cited by 46 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 66 publications

(71 reference statements)

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“…Since diet has been shown to affect the fatty acid composition of yolk lipids in chicken eggs (Milinsk et al, 2003) and stress hormones affect bird's metabolism (Spencer and Verhulst, 2008) it seems likely that egg yolk composition is affected by maternal stress too. Fatty acids are important for an animal's health and prenatal fatty acid exposure has been shown to promote several neurological functions and support foetal development of the brain, with subsequent effects on the animal's postnatal cognitive ability (reviewed by Cohen et al, 2005).…”

Section: Main Findingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prenatal stress in birds: Pathways, effects, function and perspectives

Henriksen

Rettenbacher

Groothuis

2011

Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews

179

147

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a b s t r a c tAlthough most work on prenatal stress has been conducted on mammalian species, birds provide useful alternative models since avian embryos develop outside the mother's body in a concealed environment, the egg, which is produced during a short time window of 4-14 days. This facilitates measurement of maternal substances provided for and manipulation of the embryo without interfering with the mother's physiology. We critically review prenatal corticosterone mediated effects in birds by reviewing both studies were females had elevated levels of plasma corticosterone during egg formation and studies applying corticosterone injections directly into the egg. A selected review of the mammalian literature is used as background. The results suggest that besides prenatal exposure to corticosterone itself, maternal corticosterone affects offspring's behaviour and physiology via alteration of other egg components. However, results are inconsistent, perhaps due to the interaction with variation in the post-natal environment, sex, age, developmental mode and details of treatment. The potential role of adaptive maternal programming has not been tested adequately and suggestions for future research are discussed.

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Section: Main Findingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prenatal stress in birds: Pathways, effects, function and perspectives

Henriksen

Rettenbacher

Groothuis

2011

Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews

179

147

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“…In the present study, time constraints prohibited us from taking more than one measurement of SMR or PMR. However, zebra finches exposed to CORT during development exhibited higher variability in SMR [although only during the treatment period (Spencer and Verhulst, 2008)]. Therefore, it may be of interest in future studies to look at the effects of developmental stress on variability in SMR or PMR.…”

Section: Developmental Stress Had Sex-specific Effects On Metabolic Rmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) raised in experimentally enlarged broods had higher standard metabolic rates (SMRs) in adulthood compared with those raised in smaller broods (Verhulst et al, 2006). In the same species, treatment with the glucocorticoid hormone corticosterone (CORT) during the nestling period increased overnight variability in SMRs; however, this effect was seen only during the treatment period and not in adulthood (Spencer and Verhulst, 2008). In both of these studies, the effect of the stressor on metabolic rates was more severe in females than in males, suggesting that early-life stressors could have sex-specific programming effects on energy expenditure.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developmental stress has sex-specific effects on nestling growth and adult metabolic rates but no effect on adult body size or body composition in song sparrows

Schmidt

MacDougall‐Shackleton

2012

Journal of Experimental Biology

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SUMMARYVariation in the prenatal and postnatal environments can have long-term effects on adult phenotype. In humans and other animals, exposure to stressors can lead to long-term changes in physiology. These changes may predispose individuals to disease, especially disorders involving energy metabolism. In addition, by permanently altering metabolic rates and energy requirements, such effects could have important fitness consequences. We determined the effects of early-life food restriction and corticosterone (CORT) treatment on growth and adult body size, body composition (assessed via quantitative magnetic resonance) and metabolic rates in the song sparrow, Melospiza melodia. Nestlings were hand-raised in captivity from 3days of age. Treatments (ad libitum food, food restriction or CORT treatment) lasted from day 7 to day 60. Both experimental treatments had sex-specific effects on growth. In the nestling period, CORT-treated males weighed more than controls, whereas CORTtreated females weighed less than controls. Food-restricted males weighed the same as controls, whereas food-restricted females weighed less than controls. Both experimental treatments also had sex-specific effects on standard metabolic rate (SMR). Females exposed to food restriction or CORT treatment during development had higher SMRs in adulthood than control females, but neither stressor affected SMR in males. There were no effects of either treatment on adult body size, body composition (lean or fat mass) or peak metabolic rate. Therefore, early-life stress may have sex-specific programming effects on metabolic rates and energy expenditure in song sparrows. In addition, both treatments affected nestling growth in a manner that exaggerated the typical sex difference in nestling mass, which could provide male nestlings with a competitive advantage over their sisters when developing in a poor-quality environment.

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“…To this end, it is important to consider both pre-and post-natal contexts (Love and Williams, 2008;Monaghan, 2008). Furthermore, we have very little information about the link between early life stress and changes in metabolic energy expenditure in birds (Spencer and Verhulst, 2008), and to what extent they are involved in HPA axis modifications. High glucocorticoid concentrations in early life may induce changes in stress and metabolic responses that can help developing individuals to deal with stressful circumstances in the short-term, but can have costs later in life (Gluckman et al, 2007;Cottrell and Seckl, 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pre- and post-natal stress in context: effects on the stress physiology in a precocial bird

Marasco

Robinson

Herzyk

et al. 2012

Journal of Experimental Biology

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SUMMARYDevelopmental stress can significantly influence physiology and survival in many species. Mammalian studies suggest that preand post-natal stress can have different effects (i.e. hyper-or hypo-responsiveness) on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the main mediator of the stress response. In mammals, the physiological intimacy between mother and offspring constrains the possibility to control, and therefore manipulate, maternal pre-and post-natal influences. Here, using the Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) as our model, we elevated levels of the glucocorticoid stress hormone corticosterone in ovo and/or in the endogenous circulation of hatchlings. We examined the effects of treatments on corticosterone and glucose stress responses at two different ages, in juvenile and adult quail. In juveniles, corticosterone data revealed a sex-specific effect of postnatal treatment regardless of the previous pre-natal protocol, with post-natally treated females showing shorter stress responses in comparison with the other groups, while no differences were observed among males. In adulthood, birds previously stressed as embryos showed higher corticosterone concentrations over the stress response compared with controls. This effect was not evident in birds subjected to either post-natal treatment or the combined treatments. There were no effects on glucose in the juveniles. However, adult birds previously stressed in ovo showed opposite sex-specific basal glucose patterns compared with the other groups. Our results demonstrate that (1) early glucocorticoid exposure can have both transient and long-term effects on the HPA axis, depending upon the developmental stage and sex and (2) post-natal stress can modulate the effects of pre-natal stress on HPA activity.

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Post-natal exposure to corticosterone affects standard metabolic rate in the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata)

Cited by 46 publications

References 66 publications

Prenatal stress in birds: Pathways, effects, function and perspectives

Prenatal stress in birds: Pathways, effects, function and perspectives

Developmental stress has sex-specific effects on nestling growth and adult metabolic rates but no effect on adult body size or body composition in song sparrows

Pre- and post-natal stress in context: effects on the stress physiology in a precocial bird

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