Testosterone and Innate Immune Function Inversely Covary in a Wild Population of Breeding Dark-Eyed Juncos (Junco hyemalis)

1. Innate immunity refers to the non-specific components of the primary immune response, which act broadly to destroy pathogens. Effective innate immune responses may save an individual the energetic costs associated with activating subsequent specific immune responses. 2. Testosterone can suppress...

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Published in:Functional ecology 2006-10, Vol.20 (5), p.812-818
Main Authors: Greives, T. J., McGlothlin, J. W., Jawor, J. M., Demas, G. E., Ketterson, E. D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal and plant ecology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Animals
Antibodies
Autoecology
Aves
Biological and medical sciences
Blood plasma
Breeding
Breeding season
Breeding seasons
complement
Ecology
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
hormone
Human ecology
IgG
Immune system
Immunology
Innate immunity
Junco hyemalis
songbird
Testosterone
Vertebrata
Vertebrates: general zoology, morphology, phylogeny, systematics, cytogenetics, geographical distribution
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Summary:1. Innate immunity refers to the non-specific components of the primary immune response, which act broadly to destroy pathogens. Effective innate immune responses may save an individual the energetic costs associated with activating subsequent specific immune responses. 2. Testosterone can suppress immune function in vitro and in vivo. Most studies examining testosterone's effects on immunity have focused on experimentally elevated testosterone and acquired immune responses (e.g. humoral and cell-mediated responses to foreign antigens). Few studies have investigated the relationship between endogenous levels of testosterone and innate immunity. 3. In a wild breeding population of Dark-Eyed Juncos (Junco hyemalis Linnaeus), we asked whether endogenous levels of testosterone measured at several points during the breeding season covaried with two components of innate immunity: total levels of non-specific immunoglobulin-G (IgG), and complement levels. 4. Testosterone levels were significantly negatively correlated with both total IgG and complement activity. Both immune measures were also positively correlated with body mass. Taken together with experimental results from the same species, these results suggest that elevated testosterone levels may compromise innate as well as acquired immune function.
ISSN:0269-8463
1365-2435
DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2435.2006.01167.x