Glucocorticoid effects on natural and humoral immunity in mallards

Environmental Endocrine Disruption: An Effects Assessment and Analysis

“…The adverse impacts of glucocorticoids, especially cortisol and cortisone, on the immune systems of other vertebrates in the environment also seem somewhat consistent with the experiences of mammals (247,258,263,270).…”

Thyroid Hormone Suppression and Cell-Mediated Immunomodulation in American Kestrels ( Falco sparverius ) Exposed to PCBs

“…In an immunotoxicity study on Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix), experimental corticosterone treatment that caused immunosuppression of the cell-mediated immune response to PHA did not decrease antibody response (Grasman and Scanlon 1995). In contrast, in mallards (A. platyrhynchos) injected with the synthetic corticosteroid dexamethazone, antibody titers were decreased while natural killer cell activity was increased (Fowles et al 1993). In the PCB-exposed birds, females had higher antibody levels but no difference in plasma corticosterone relative to controls.…”

Androgen control of immunocompetence in the male house finch,Carpodacus mexicanusMüller

“…This steroid is immunosuppressive also in some (rodents: Collins and Deas, 1986;Stewart et al, 1988;review: Sapolsky, 1992) although not other vertebrates, in which it rather enhances immunocompentence (side-blotched lizard, Uta stansburiana: Svensson et al, 2002). Although CORT administration to chickens did not decrease their production of heterologous antibodies in response to a single antigen injection (Donker and Beuving, 1989), this treatment to mallards, Anas platyrhynchos, depressed innate as well as humoral immunity (Fowles et al, 1993). Plasma T and CORT levels in intact male passerines are seasonally correlated (Deviche et al, 2000;Klukowski et al, 1997;Johnsen, 1998) and T treatment increased plasma CORT levels and/or the concentration of plasma binding protein for this steroid in several avian species (house sparrow: Evans et al, 2000;dark-eyed junco: Schoech et al, 1999;Deviche et al, 2001b;European starling: Duffy et al, 2000;song sparrow: Owen-Ashley et al, 2004) including the house finch (Deviche et al, 2004).…”