Differential association between circulating testosterone and infection risk by several viruses in natural cat populations: a behavioural-mediated effect?

Testosterone is involved in the development and expression of physiological, morphological and behavioural traits. High levels are often associated with high infection risk and/or intensity, suggesting a trade-off between sexual traits and immunity. Classically invoked mechanisms are immunological o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Parasitology 2013-04, Vol.140 (4), p.521-529
Main Authors: HELLARD, E., FOUCHET, D., REY, B., MOUCHET, A., POULET, H., PONTIER, D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Behavior, Animal
Behavior, Animal - physiology
Calicivirus, Feline
Calicivirus, Feline - physiology
Cat Diseases
Cat Diseases - blood
Cat Diseases - pathology
Cat Diseases - virology
Cats
Feline calicivirus
Feline immunodeficiency virus
Health risks
Herpesviridae
Herpesviridae - physiology
Herpesvirus
Immunodeficiency Virus, Feline
Immunodeficiency Virus, Feline - physiology
Life Sciences
Male
Parasites
Regression Analysis
Risk Factors
Testosterone
Testosterone - blood
Virus Diseases
Virus Diseases - blood
Virus Diseases - pathology
Virus Diseases - veterinary
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Summary:Testosterone is involved in the development and expression of physiological, morphological and behavioural traits. High levels are often associated with high infection risk and/or intensity, suggesting a trade-off between sexual traits and immunity. Classically invoked mechanisms are immunological or behavioural, i.e., testosterone increases susceptibility or resistance to parasites via an impact on immunity or modulates behaviours involved in parasite transmission. However, studies report contrasted patterns. Given its modes of action and the diversity of host-parasite interactions, testosterone should not act similarly on all interactions. To reduce host and context diversity, we studied 3 viruses in the same cat population: the aggressively transmitted Feline Immunodeficiency virus (FIV), and the Feline Calicivirus (FCV) and Herpesvirus (FHV) both transmitted during friendly contacts. Testosterone had a strong effect on the probability of being positive to FIV whereas its effect was significantly weaker on FCV and FHV. These findings demonstrate that testosterone can be differentially associated with parasites of the same type (viruses). The difference we observed was consistent with a behavioural-mediated effect (increased aggressiveness), supporting the idea that the testosterone effect on infection risk is at least partially driven by behavioural mechanisms in our system. Further investigations (e.g., individual immunity measures) are required to confirm this hypothesis.
ISSN:0031-1820
1469-8161
DOI:10.1017/S0031182012001862