Modulation of behaviour and testosterone concentration in immunodepressed male laboratory mice (Mus musculus)

Physiology & Behavior
C J BarnardP R Smithurst

Abstract

Recent ideas suggest that current immunocompetence may act as a constraint on behavioural and physiological decisions, where these risk imposing an additional burden on immune function. We tested this in the context of time budgeting and the secretion of the potentially immunodepressive hormones testosterone and corticosterone, by treating adult male CFLP laboratory mice with antithymocyte serum (ATS) to depress thymus-mediated immune function. In comparison with males given a naive rabbit serum (NRS) vehicle control, ATS-treated mice showed a reduction in serum testosterone concentration, aggressive behaviour, and general activity, and maintained time spent sleeping, relative to pretreatment levels. Behaviours that differed between treatments correlated with measures of immunodepression (reduction in relative thymus weight or serum total IgG concentration), but relationships with behavioural changes were independent of those with testosterone. There was little evidence that changes were affected by social status. The results are discussed in the context of the adaptive modulation of immune function and physiological and behavioural decision-making.

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Citations

Nov 14, 2002·Behavioural Processes·C J. Barnard, N Luo
Jan 9, 2009·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Olivia CurnoChris J Barnard
Nov 22, 2008·Physiology & Behavior·C J BarnardJ M Behnke
Sep 1, 2009·Integrative Zoology·Ekatherina A LitvinovaShuichi Shikano
Apr 15, 2015·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·Bobby Habig, Elizabeth A Archie
Aug 19, 2000·Psychosomatic Medicine·D A GrangerD R Johnson
Feb 15, 2000·Psychological Reports·J Vidal
Sep 1, 1999·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·T Vellai, G Vida
Jan 10, 2021·Behavioural Processes·Zuzana HiadlovskáBarbora Vošlajerová Bímová
Jun 17, 2020·Trends in Parasitology·Morgane TidièreDominique Pontier

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