Effects of capture and captivity on plasma corticosterone and metabolite levels in breeding Eurasian Tree Sparrows

Abstract

Background: Bringing free-living animals into captivity subjects them to the stress of both capture and captivity, leading to the alteration of normal physiological processes and behaviors through activation of the hypothalamicpituitary-adrenal axis. In free-living birds, although elevated plasma corticosterone (CORT) is an important adaptation regulating physiological and behavioral responses during the process of capture and captivity stress, little information is currently available on the effects of such stress on plasma metabolite levels. Methods:We examined the effects of immediate capture and 24-h captivity on body mass, body condition, plasma CORT, and metabolite levels including glucose (Glu), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), uric acid (UA), in breeding Eurasian Tree Sparrows (Passer montanus).Results: CORT and Glu levels were increased significantly by the stress of capture, whereas TC and UA levels decreased. Body mass, body condition declined notably after 24 h in captivity, but CORT, Glu, and UA levels increased. Furthermore, male sparrows had lower TG levels after both capture and captivity than those of females. The relationships between plasma CORT and metabolite levels varied between sexes. Conclusions:Our results revealed that the metabolic status of Eurasian Tree Sparrows could be dramatically altered by capture and captivity. Monitoring the dynamic effects of both capture and captivity on plasma CORT, metabolite levels in a free-living bird contributes to a better understanding of the stress-induced pathways involved in sexdependent energy mobilization.

Evaluation of the hematological and clinical biochemical markers of stress in broiler chickens

“…Serum corticosterone has also been reported to be an unreliable measure of chronic stress due to hunger [23,38]. Furthermore, corticosterone is highly mobilized when a bird is captured and handled for long, making its measurement and interpretation difficult [39,40]. The H/L ratio may be a more consistent indicator of social stress than plasma corticosteroid levels [41].…”

Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Thyroid Axis Crosstalk With the Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Gonadal Axis and Metabolic Regulation in the Eurasian Tree Sparrow During Mating and Non-mating Periods

“…In this study, we assumed that all the birds have experienced 2h acute stress of capture and restraint in the cages without food and water deprivation. Although in our previous studies several physiological parameters of the breeding Eurasian tree sparrows exhibited irregular changes in response to acute stress, some of them could return to their normal states within the first hour of capture stress (34,38,39,41). Given that some physiological parameters could have changed during capture, handling, and restraint stress, therefore, further investigations are warranted to consider the effects of stress-induced physiological alternations on both HPT-and HPG-axes during the breeding period.…”

“…Our previous studies showed that testis size and plasma testosterone of male ETSs varied with breeding sub-stages, which are associated with body condition and corticosteroidbinding globulin (CBG; a proxy of energetic condition) (34,35,38). In addition, plasma metabolites including TC, TG, Glu, and uric acid (UA; a product of protein degradation) levels have been investigated and varied with external environmental conditions (39).…”

Birds and plastic pollution: recent advances

“…As birds have a great number of specific groups, different groups can be used to assess the plastic pollution burden, long-term effects of MPs exposure in various environments, and toxicological effects in the laboratory. For instance, human commensal species, such as the Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Sun et al 2016 ; Li et al 2019 ; Yang et al 2019 ; Ding et al 2021 ), House Sparrow ( P. domesticus ) (Hanson et al 2020 ) and House Wren ( Troglodytes aedon ) (Juárez et al 2020 ) utilize human resources in rural and urban areas and have a remarkably broad distribution range. These species could be used as bioindicators to evaluate the plastic pollution burden in different environments because they have been well studied in the past two decades.…”