Unpredictable mild stressors on laying females influence the composition of Japanese quail eggs and offspring's phenotype

Guibert, Floriane; Richard‐Yris, Marie‐Annick; Lumineau, Sophie; Kotrschal, Kurt; Bertin, Aline; Petton, Christophe; Möstl, Erich; Houdelier, Cécilia

doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2011.03.012

Cited by 46 publications

(53 citation statements)

References 79 publications

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“…This effect could be of male origin, related to their impaired sexual behaviour, and/or of female origin in relation to potential effects of prenatal stress on the physiology of fertilization, as in mammals [34]. These prenatal stress effects on quail's reproductive functions could be mediated by the hormonal characteristics of their embryonic milieu, as F1PS quail developed in eggs that tended to contain more testosterone [14]. Exposure to androgens during embryonic development can impair female and male reproduction.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Previously, we showed that laying Japanese quail females submitted to unpredictable stressors produced chicks exhibiting enhanced fearfulness, probably related to the modulation of testosterone levels in their eggs [14]. The present experiment investigated long-term effects of this prenatal stress on offspring and on their descendants.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These tests are the same as those previously used to evaluate the fearfulness of the F 1 generation [14].…”

Section: (F ) Behavioural Testsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These prenatal stress effects could be mediated by modifications of steroid hormone levels of maternal origin present in eggs [15]. Indeed, yolk testosterone levels increase in eggs of females living under stressful conditions during laying [13,14,16,17]. The effects of prenatal exposure to elevated yolk testosterone levels have been studied mainly by applying yolk hormonal injections.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Trans-generational effects of prenatal stress in quail

et al. 2013

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The prenatal environment is a source of phenotypic variability influencing the animal's characteristics. Prenatal stress affects not only the development of offspring, but also that of the following generation. Such effects have been best documented in mammals but can also be observed in birds, suggesting common processes across phylogenetic orders. We found previously that Japanese quail females stressed during laying produced offspring with higher fearfulness, probably related to modulation of testosterone levels in their eggs. Here, we evaluated long-term effects of prenatal stress by analysing reproductive traits of these F 1 offspring and, then, the development of their subsequent (F 2 ) offspring. The sexual behaviour of F 1 prenatally stressed (F1PS) males was impaired. F1PS females' eggs contained less yolk and more albumen, and higher yolk testosterone and progesterone levels than did F 1 prenatal control females. The fearfulness of F 2 prenatally stressed quail was greater than that of F 2 prenatal control quail. These F 2 behavioural differences paralleled those evidenced by their parents, suggesting trans-generational transmission of prenatal stress effects, probably mediated by egg compositions of F1PS females.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These tests are the same as those previously used to evaluate the fearfulness of the F 1 generation [14].…”

Section: (F ) Behavioural Testsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Trans-generational effects of prenatal stress in quail

et al. 2013

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“…This reduced the possibility of habituation to the stressors as unpredictability is known to induce stress reactions in domestic fowl (Jones, 1996). The stressors used were adapted from validated studies of rodents (Willner, 1997) and quail (Guibert et al, 2011) and induce behavioural and/or physiological changes. Five stressors were applied individually: a metal stick was briskly scraped laterally on cage rods twice, row by row in a random order each time (noise and suddenness); a novel object (e.g.…”

Section: Eementioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental enrichment reduces behavioural alterations induced by chronic stress in Japanese quail

Laurence

Houdelier

Calandreau

et al. 2015

Animal

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Animals perceiving repeated aversive events can become chronically stressed. Chronic activation of the hypothalamic-pituitaryadrenal (HPA) axis can have deleterious consequences on physiological parameters (e.g. BW, blood chemistry) and behaviour (e.g. emotional reactivity, stereotypies, cognition). Environmental enrichment (EE) can be a mean to reduce animal stress and to improve welfare. The aim of this study was first, to assess the effects of EE in battery cages on the behaviour of young Japanese quail and second, to evaluate the impact of EE on quail exposed to chronic stress. The experiment involved quail housed in EE cages and submitted or not to a chronic stress procedure (CSP) (EE cages, control quail: n = 16, CSP quail: n = 14) and quail housed in standard cages and exposed or not to the CSP (standard non-EE cages, control quail: n = 12, CSP quail: n = 16). Our procedure consisted of repeated aversive events (e.g. ventilators, delaying access to food, physical restraint, noise) presented two to five times per 24 h, randomly, for 15 days. During CSP, EE improved quail's welfare as their stereotypic pacing decreased and they rested more. CSP decreased exploration in all quail. After the end of CSP, quail presented increased emotional reactivity in emergence test. However, the effect of EE varied with test. Finally, chronic stress effects on comfort behaviours in the emergence test were alleviated by EE. These results indicate that EE can alleviate some aspects of behavioural alterations induced by CSP.

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Yolk hormones influence in ovo chemosensory learning, growth, and feeding behavior in domestic chicks

Bertin

Meurisse

Arnould

et al. 2015

Developmental Psychobiology

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In this study, we assessed whether prenatal exposure to elevated yolk steroid hormones can influence in ovo chemosensory learning and the behavior of domestic chicks. We simulated a maternal environmental challenge by experimentally enhancing yolk progesterone, testosterone, and estradiol concentrations in hen eggs prior to incubation. The embryos from these hormones-treated eggs (HO) as well as sham embryos (O) that had received the vehicle-only were exposed to the odor of fish oil (menhaden) between embryonic Days 11 and 20. An additional group of control embryos (C) was not exposed to the odor. All chicks were tested following hatching for their feeding preferences between foods that were or were not odorized with the menhaden odor. In the 3-min choice tests, the behavior of O chicks differed significantly according to the type of food whereas C and HO chicks showed no preference between odorized and non-odorized food. Our result suggests weaker response in HO chicks. In addition, HO chicks showed impaired growth and reduced intake of an unfamiliar food on the 24-h time scale compared to controls. Our data suggest that embryonic exposure to increased yolk hormone levels can alter growth, chemosensory learning, and the development of feeding behaviors.

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Unpredictable mild stressors on laying females influence the composition of Japanese quail eggs and offspring's phenotype

Cited by 46 publications

References 79 publications

Trans-generational effects of prenatal stress in quail

Trans-generational effects of prenatal stress in quail

Environmental enrichment reduces behavioural alterations induced by chronic stress in Japanese quail

Yolk hormones influence in ovo chemosensory learning, growth, and feeding behavior in domestic chicks

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