Immune-neuroendocrine phenotypes in coturnix coturnix and their modulation by chronic stress exposure: an adaptive population strategy

NAZAR FN, CALIVA M, PALME R, CORREA SG, MARIN RH.

Congreso; 2015-IV LASID Meeting-LXIII Argentinian Society for Immunological Meeting-II French-Argentinean Immunology Meeting. 18th-21st November, Buenos Aires, Argentina.; 2015

SAI

Abstract Text: Immune-neuroendocrine phenotypes (INPs) describe subgroups within a population withmarkedly different immune-neuroendocrine (INE) characteristics. In mammals INPs are wellrepresented by the Lewis/Fisher paradigm in rats. Similar profiles were also demonstrated in humans in2008. Moreover, these phenotypes have been associated with differences in the stress response.Recently, we proposed for the first time the existence of INPs in a non-mammalian species (Coturnixcoturnix) showing INE divergent profiles similar to those previously described in mammals. Lewis-likequail (15% of studied birds) showed lower corticosterone basal levels associated with highertestosterone, lymphoproliferative and antibody responses, interferon-γ and interleukin-1β mRNAexpression levels, and lower frequencies of leukocyte subpopulations distribution and interleukin-13levels, than their Fisher-like counterparts (15% of birds). Considering that stress can seriously impactINE interactions, this study evaluated whether chronic stress exposure may affect the INE interplay andconsequently influence INPs population frequencies and distribution. Data showed that after stress bothLewis- and Fisher-like quail retained their previous INP. Interestingly, an increase of approximately 10% in those divergent phenotypes frequency was found, at expense of a shift in the INE interplay of some birds that previous to stress showed an intermediate profile. Results suggest an inductive as well as disruptive stress effect on INPs distribution. Findings may be explained considering different but integrative contexts: evolutionary (resource allocation theory), physiological (multihost with multiparasite theories), and allowing for analysis ranging from an individual (actual defense theory - plasticity) to population (capital theory - fitness) scale