Testosterone treatment is immunosuppressive in superb fairy–wrens, yet free–living males with high testosterone are more immunocompetent

Abstract We know little of the proximate mechanisms underlying the expression of signaling traits in female vertebrates. Across males, the expression of sexual and competitive traits, including ornamentation and aggressive behavior, is often mediated by testosterone. In the white-shouldered fairywren (Malurus alboscapulatus) of New Guinea, females of different subspecies differ in the presence or absence of white shoulder patches and melanic plumage, whereas males are uniformly ornamented. Previous work has shown that ornamented females circulate more testosterone and exhibit more territorial aggression than do unornamented females. We investigated the degree to which testosterone regulates the expression of ornamental plumage and territorial behavior by implanting free-living unornamented females with testosterone. Every testosterone-treated female produced a male-like cloacal protuberance, and 15 of 20 replaced experimentally plucked brown with white shoulder patch feathers but did not typically produce melanic plumage characteristic of ornamented females. Testosterone treatment did not elevate territorial behavior prior to the production of the plumage ornament or during the active life of the implant. However, females with experimentally induced ornamentation, but exhausted implants, increased the vocal components of territory defense relative to the pretreatment period and also to testosterone-implanted females that did not produce ornamentation. Our results suggest that testosterone induces partial acquisition of the ornamental female plumage phenotype and that ornament expression, rather than testosterone alone, results in elevations of some territorial behaviors.

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Ultrastructure of neuromuscular relationships in the canine heartworm (dirofilaria immitis)

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100143018 ◽

1986 ◽

Vol 44 ◽

pp. 278-279

Author(s):

W. L. Steffens ◽

Nancy B. Roberts ◽

J. M. Bowen

Keyword(s):

Dirofilaria Immitis ◽

Domestic Dogs ◽

Structural Description ◽

Pharmacological Effects ◽

Free Living ◽

Canine Heartworm ◽

The World ◽

Synaptic Region ◽

Muscle Innervation ◽

Insight Into

The canine heartworm is a common and serious nematode parasite of domestic dogs in many parts of the world. Although nematode neuroanatomy is fairly well documented, the emphasis has been on sensory anatomy and primarily in free-living soil species and ascarids. Lee and Miller reported on the muscular anatomy in the heartworm, but provided little insight into the peripheral nervous system or myoneural relationships. The classical fine-structural description of nematode muscle innervation is Rosenbluth's earlier work in Ascaris. Since the pharmacological effects of some nematacides currently being developed are neuromuscular in nature, a better understanding of heartworm myoneural anatomy, particularly in reference to the synaptic region is warranted.

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Lead and lead toxicity in domestic and free living birds

Avian Pathology ◽

10.1080/03079450301777 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 32 (1) ◽

pp. 3-13 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

N. De Francisco ◽

N. De Francisco

Keyword(s):

Lead Toxicity ◽

Free Living

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Platelet Aggregation in Finnish Men and Its Relation to Fatty Acids in Platelets, Plasma and Adipose Tissue

Thrombosis and Haemostasis ◽

10.1055/s-0038-1660071 ◽

1985 ◽

Vol 54 (03) ◽

pp. 563-569 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

M K Salo ◽

E Vartiainen ◽

P Puska ◽

T Nikkari

Keyword(s):

Fatty Acids ◽

Adipose Tissue ◽

Fatty Acid Composition ◽

Fatty Acid ◽

Platelet Aggregation ◽

Acid Composition ◽

Saturated Fatty Acids ◽

Free Living ◽

Ω3 Fatty Acids ◽

Induced Aggregation

SummaryPlatelet aggregation and its relation to fatty acid composition of platelets, plasma and adipose tissue was determined in 196 randomly selected, free-living, 40-49-year-old men in two regions of Finland (east and southwest) with a nearly twofold difference in the IHD rate.There were no significant east-southwest differences in platelet aggregation induced with ADP, thrombin or epinephrine. ADP-induced platelet secondary aggregation showed significant negative associations with all C20-C22 ω3-fatty acids in platelets (r = -0.26 - -0.40) and with the platelet 20: 5ω3/20: 4ω 6 and ω3/ ω6 ratios, but significant positive correlations with the contents of 18:2 in adipose tissue (r = 0.20) and plasma triglycerides (TG) (r = 0.29). Epinephrine-induced aggregation correlated negatively with 20: 5ω 3 in plasma cholesteryl esters (CE) (r = -0.23) and TG (r = -0.29), and positively with the total percentage of saturated fatty acids in platelets (r = 0.33), but had no significant correlations with any of the ω6-fatty acids. Thrombin-induced aggregation correlated negatively with the ω3/6ω ratio in adipose tissue (r = -0.25) and the 20: 3ω6/20: 4ω 6 ratio in plasma CE (r = -0.27) and free fatty acids (FFA) (r = -0.23), and positively with adipose tissue 18:2 (r = 0.23) and 20:4ω6 (r = 0.22) in plasma phospholipids (PL).The percentages of prostanoid precursors in platelet lipids, i. e. 20: 3ω 6, 20: 4ω 6 and 20 :5ω 3, correlated best with the same fatty acids in plasma CE (r = 0.32 - 0.77) and PL (r = 0.28 - 0.74). Platelet 20: 5ω 3 had highly significant negative correlations with the percentage of 18:2 in adipose tissue and all plasma lipid fractions (r = -0.35 - -0.44).These results suggest that, among a free-living population, relatively small changes in the fatty acid composition of plasma and platelets may be reflected in significant differences in platelet aggregation, and that an increase in linoleate-rich vegetable fat in the diet may not affect platelet function favourably unless it is accompanied by an adequate supply of ω3 fatty acids.

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