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Acute stressors increase plasma corticosterone and decrease locomotor activity in a terrestrial salamander
Lauren F Ricciardella1, Jacqueline M Bliley, Caitlin C Feth
1Department of Biological Sciences, Duquesne University, 600 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15282, USA.
Physiology & Behavior
|May 4, 2010
Summary
Acute stress in vertebrates increases plasma corticosterone (CORT). This study found CORT response varied seasonally in salamanders, and handling decreased activity, but CORT did not mediate this behavioral change.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Animal Behavior
- Vertebrate Physiology
Background:
- Vertebrates exhibit acute increases in plasma glucocorticoids in response to stressors, a process thought to be adaptive.
- While chronic glucocorticoid effects are well-studied, the role of acute glucocorticoid elevations in mediating stress responses remains less understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the regulation and function of acute increases in plasma glucocorticoids.
- To examine stress-induced plasma corticosterone (CORT) levels and the impact of stressors and exogenous CORT on activity in Allegheny dusky salamanders.
Main Methods:
- Measured stress-induced plasma CORT in field-caught and laboratory-housed salamanders.
- Assessed locomotor activity following handling stress and noninvasive CORT elevation via dermal patches.
Main Results:
- Capture and handling elevated plasma CORT during the nonmating season but not the mating season.
- Handling stress decreased locomotor activity in laboratory settings.
- Noninvasive CORT elevation did not mimic the activity-reducing effects of handling stress.
Conclusions:
- The corticosterone response to acute stress is seasonally dependent in this species.
- Handling stress induces behavioral changes (decreased activity), but acute CORT increases do not appear to mediate these changes.
- Further research using noninvasive methods is needed to clarify the role of acute glucocorticoids in coordinating responses to stressors.
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