Corticosterone and immune responses to dehydration in squamate reptiles

• DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246257
• Publication Date: 2023-11-13T09:30:47Z
• Authors: Karla T. Moeller; Jacqueline A. Bra...; Scott Davies; Guillaume Demare; Geoffrey D. Smith; George A. Brusch IV; Richard K. Simpson; Dale F. DeNardo
• Keywords: Immunocompetence; Stressor; Corticosterone

Many environments present some degree of seasonal water limitations; organisms that live in such must be adapted to survive periods without permanent access. Often this involves the ability tolerate dehydration, which can have adverse physiological effects and is typically considered a stressor. While having many functions, hormone corticosterone (CORT) often released response stressors, yet increasing plasma CORT while dehydrated could maladaptive, especially for species experience predictable bouts dehydration related coping mechanisms. Elevating reduce immunocompetence other negative effects. Thus, likely immune responses experiencing droughts. We evaluated how affects function eight squamate naturally varied limitation. tested whether hydric state affected concentrations aspects (lysis, agglutination, bacterial killing white blood cell counts) differently among based on seasonally limited they are constrained by phylogeny. The represented four familial pairs, with one each pair inhabiting frequent access extended (>30 days) no standing water. immunity species. Increases were generally not associated reduced immunocompetence, indicating might decoupled Interspecies variations more clearly grouped phylogeny than habitat type.