Back to Search
Start Over
Covariation between glucocorticoids, behaviour and immunity supports the pace-of-life syndrome hypothesis: an experimental approach.
- Source :
-
Proceedings. Biological sciences [Proc Biol Sci] 2022 May 25; Vol. 289 (1975), pp. 20220464. Date of Electronic Publication: 2022 May 25. - Publication Year :
- 2022
-
Abstract
- The biomedical literature has consistently highlighted that long-term elevation of glucocorticoids might impair immune functions. However, patterns are less clear in wild animals. Here, we re-explored the stress-immunity relationship considering the potential effects of behavioural profiles. Thirteen captive roe deer ( Capreolus capreolus ) were monitored over an eight-week period encompassing two capture events. We assessed how changes in baseline faecal cortisol metabolite (FCM) concentrations following a standardized capture protocol and an immune challenge using anti-rabies vaccination affected changes in 13 immune parameters of innate and adaptive immunity, and whether these changes in baseline FCM levels and immune parameters related to behavioural profiles. We found that individuals with increased baseline FCM levels also exhibited increased immunity and were characterized by more reactive behavioural profiles (low activity levels, docility to manipulation and neophilia). Our results suggest that the immunity of large mammals may be influenced by glucocorticoids, but also behavioural profiles, as it is predicted by the pace-of-life syndrome hypothesis. Our results highlight the need to consider covariations between behaviour, immunity and glucocorticoids in order to improve our understanding of the among-individual variability in the stress-immunity relationships observed in wildlife, as they may be underpinned by different life-history strategies.
- Subjects :
- Adaptive Immunity
Animals
Animals, Wild
Hydrocortisone
Deer
Glucocorticoids
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1471-2954
- Volume :
- 289
- Issue :
- 1975
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Proceedings. Biological sciences
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 35611533
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2022.0464