Journal of experimental zoology. Part A, Ecological and integrative physiology最新文献

{"title":"Growth but Not Corticosterone, Oxidative Stress, or Telomere Length Is Negatively Affected by Microplastic Exposure in a Filter-Feeding Amphibian.","authors":"Colette Martin, Katharina Ruthsatz, Ivan Gomez-Mestre, Pablo Burraco","doi":"10.1002/jez.70005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jez.70005","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Microplastics (MPs) are of increasing global concern for species inhabiting aquatic habitats. However, the mechanisms behind animal responses to MPs still require comprehensive exploration. Amphibians are the most threatened vertebrate group with most species having a complex life cycle, commonly with an aquatic larval stage. Here, we investigated whether exposure to an environmentally relevant concentration of MPs affects the growth of filter-feeding larvae of the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis), and the consequences for their stress physiology (corticosterone [CORT] levels), or health and ageing physiology (oxidative stress and telomere length, the latter in the liver and gut). We conducted a 3 × 2 experiment with three levels of fiber exposure (fibers absent -control-, and MP and cellulose fiber treatments), and two stress levels (CORT absent -control-, and CORT present simulating a stressful condition). We observed a negative impact of MP exposure on larval growth; however, this did not alter the CORT levels, oxidative stress. or telomere length. Our study shows that realistic concentrations of MPs are not enough to induce major alterations on the stress or health and ageing physiology of a filter-feeding amphibian. Whether compensatory growth responses during the post-metamorphic stages could lead to detrimental effects later in life should be explored in amphibians and other organisms with complex life cycles.</p>","PeriodicalId":15711,"journal":{"name":"Journal of experimental zoology. Part A, Ecological and integrative physiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144368901","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bioaccumulation of Heavy Metals in House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) Kidneys Across Urban and Rural Habitats in Meknes, Morocco.","authors":"Youssef Haddadi, Abdelkader Chahlaoui, Aziz Taouraout, Imane Ichennarn, Elhoussaine Jait, Abdelhak Saidi, Youssef Ouballouk, Abdelkhalek Belkhiri","doi":"10.1002/jez.70001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jez.70001","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study investigates the bioaccumulation of heavy metals, specifically zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), and cadmium (Cd), in the kidneys of house sparrows (Passer domesticus) across various urban and rural sites in Meknes, Morocco. Fifty adult sparrows were captured from different locations, including an industrial zone (IZ), a bus station (SS), a city center (TC), a major road (MR), and a reference rural site (Ref), to assess spatial variations in metal concentrations. The analysis revealed significant differences in bioaccumulation levels between urban and rural areas. The industrial zone exhibited the highest concentrations of Zn (56.68 µg/g) and Cd (1.25 µg/g), indicating substantial industrial pollution. The town center showed elevated Pb levels (2.67 µg/g), likely due to vehicular emissions. In contrast, the rural site, while less impacted by urban activities, displayed a high Zn concentration (54.10 µg/g), potentially linked to agricultural practices. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and K-means clustering were employed to further explore patterns of contamination, revealing distinct groupings of sparrows based on their metal concentration profiles. These findings underscore the role of house sparrows as bioindicators of environmental pollution and highlight the importance of addressing heavy metal contamination in urban and industrial regions.</p>","PeriodicalId":15711,"journal":{"name":"Journal of experimental zoology. Part A, Ecological and integrative physiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144309971","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Moderate UVA Radiation Improves Semen Quality and Produces Endocrine and Immune Effects in Mice.","authors":"Qingling She, Rong Zhou, Xinyi Yang, Huimin Sun, Juan Wang, Zhi Wang, Qisheng Song","doi":"10.1002/jez.70000","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jez.70000","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>UVA radiation, which makes up approximately 95% of the UV light that reaches the ground and can penetrate deep into the dermis, has a non-negligible impact on living organisms. This study aimed to investigate the potential effects of moderate UVA radiation on male mice, particularly on male germ cells. We evaluated testicular morphology and sperm quality in UVA-irradiated and control mice, and collected testes and serum from both groups of mice for transcriptomics and metabolomics analyses. The experimental results demonstrated that moderate UVA irradiation exerted no significant effects on testicular histomorphology in mice, while semen quality collected from the epididymis showed significant improvements, characterized by enhanced sperm motility and reduced abnormality rates. Our data in transcriptomics and metabolomics also identify important differentially expressed genes and differentially abundant metabolites associated with sperm. In addition, we found changes in both the endocrine system and the immune system of mice by transcriptomics and metabolomics, suggesting the complex effects of UVA radiation on mice physiology under these experimental conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":15711,"journal":{"name":"Journal of experimental zoology. Part A, Ecological and integrative physiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144266393","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Neuroanatomical Comparison of the Brain in Young and Adult Lesser Mouse-Tailed Bat, Rhinopoma hardwickii (Gray, 1831).","authors":"Eman E El-Nahass, Atteyat Selim, Omnia Shahin","doi":"10.1002/jez.2931","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jez.2931","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Bats are the sole group of mammals capable of flight, classified into Microchiroptera and Megachiroptera. This investigation aimed to study the morphology, anatomy, and histology of the Microchiropterans R. hardwickii brain at young and adult stages. Twelve adult and young bats were used. The gross anatomical aspects were examined. Brain tissue sections were prepared and stained using H&E, Nissl, toluidine blue, and immunohistochemically using GFAP antibody. The brain's dorsal view was pear-shaped, divided into forebrain (cerebrum), midbrain (is the most rostral part of the brainstem; pons and medulla oblongata), and hindbrain (cerebellum). A small, poorly developed olfactory bulb was observed. The cerebrum had a smooth surface with limited convolutions and depressions; it was divided into two hemispheres aligned along a median interhemispheric fissure. The pineal gland was distinctly visible. The optic lobes were prominent, rounded, and broad, appearing laterally on the midbrain. The hippocampus appeared as a dorso-medial protrusion separated by the lateral ventricle from the brain; it was well-developed in adult more than in young bats. The cerebellum was well-developed, partitioned into folds, and separated from the cerebrum by a slight transverse fissure. Histologically, a diminutive cerebral cortex was observed to have various types of neurons, including pyramidal, pyramidal-like, and multipolar. Hippocampal neurons were more extensive and lacked discrete layers. A comparatively more significant number of neurons was found in the cerebellum than in the cerebral cortex and other brain parts. All these previous characteristic features and neurological processes required for the generation and comprehension of vocalizations employed in echolocation of the Microchiropterans. Also, the findings of this study clarified notable neurological characteristics linked to the evolutionary connections and relationships of chiropterans.</p>","PeriodicalId":15711,"journal":{"name":"Journal of experimental zoology. Part A, Ecological and integrative physiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144266394","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Obstacles Influence Red Flour Beetle (Tribolium castaneum) Movement More Than Path Length or Turns.","authors":"Kimberley Hanna, Inon Scharf","doi":"10.1002/jez.2932","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jez.2932","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Movement is a fundamental aspect of animal behavior and ecology, playing an important role in survival and reproduction by enabling animals to locate food, find mates, evade predators, and explore new habitats. Various factors influence movement, including landscape complexity, physical obstacles, and animal morphology. In this study, we examined the movement patterns of flour beetles through three complementary experiments, assessing the effects of four environmental features-corridor length, corridor shape (straight vs. bent), obstacles, and narrow passage gaps. Our findings indicate that all environmental features influenced movement, though some had a stronger impact than others. Obstacles had a greater effect than either corridor length or turns. For instance, beetles traveled greater distances in obstructed straight corridors than in longer, unobstructed corridors. Similarly, turns increased movement distances and decreased movement speed more moderately than obstacles. Small passage gaps beyond a certain threshold functioned similarly to obstacles, restricting movement. These results highlight the influence of environmental features on beetle movement. Our results stress the importance of referring to landscape complexity in movement ecology and dispersal studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":15711,"journal":{"name":"Journal of experimental zoology. Part A, Ecological and integrative physiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144208693","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Impairment of Body Condition Transiently Increases Oxidative Stress: A Dietary Restriction Experiment in Partridges.","authors":"Nerea López-Castañón, Silvia Casquero, Virginia Villanueva-Santos, Lorenzo Pérez-Rodríguez, Ana Ángela Romero-Haro","doi":"10.1002/jez.2930","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jez.2930","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A proper body condition determines the correct functioning of physiological processes and the optimal expression of fitness-related traits. Among these processes, maintaining the redox balance is essential to protect the organism from damage caused by oxidative stress. Yet, the causal link between an impaired body condition and a consequent increase in oxidative stress remains surprisingly far from clear. We experimentally tested such link by imposing a dietary restriction (DR), that is, decreased food availability, to nonreproductive adult red-legged partridges (Alectoris rufa) and measuring a battery of oxidative stress biomarkers. Levels of oxidative status (ratio of reduced to oxidized glutathione [GSH:GSSG] in erythrocytes), oxidative damage in plasma lipids (MDA), and plasma antioxidant capacity (OXY and TEAC assays) were quantified before the DR, twice during the DR, and once after the end of the DR. The GSH:GSSG ratio remained steady throughout the experiment. By contrast, after 19 days under DR, individuals showed an increase in MDA levels and an altered antioxidant capacity (a reduction in OXY and an increase in TEAC) with respect to controls, showing that the worsening of body condition indeed leads to an increase of the oxidative stress. However, these effects were transitory, appearing only by 19 days under DR and disappearing afterwards. These findings suggest that, despite the temporary increase in oxidative damage, individuals adapt their oxidative physiology to overcome resource restriction, possibly by reallocating resources from other physiological processes. This highlights the importance of considering dynamic changes when evaluating the impact of stressful conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":15711,"journal":{"name":"Journal of experimental zoology. Part A, Ecological and integrative physiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144101920","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Immunohistochemical Detection of Endocrine and Neuroendocrine Receptors in the Rabbit Vagina.","authors":"Fatma El-Zahraa Ahmed Mustafa","doi":"10.1002/jez.2929","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jez.2929","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The vagina is a critical part of the reproductive canal. It is considered part of the birth canal and the site of semen deposition. The vagina is controlled by a variety of important physiological factors, including hormones. One of the most popular lab animals is the rabbit. Neuron-specific enolase (NSE), estrogen receptor (ER), and progesterone receptor (PR) expression in the vagina at early pregnancy were observed on basic histological constituents of the vagina and newly discovered histological components including telocyte, vascular compartments, interstitium, and lymph. mmunoreactivity to NSE with different intensity detected at vaginal lining epithelium and smooth muscle fibers. Mild immunoreactivity was observed on mucosal crypt-lining cells. Strong immunoreactivity to NSE was detected in lymphocytes, telocytes, endothelium, red blood cells, interstitium, and lymph. However, immunoreactivity to PR was strong on the nucleus of the vaginal lining epithelium, crypts, smooth muscle, cytoplasm of the intraepithelial lymphocytes, lining epithelium of lymph vessels, interstitium, and lymph. Also, there is strong immunostaining for ER on the red blood cells, interstitium, and lymph. Mild immunoreactivity was noticed on the blood and lymph vessels' endothelial lining.</p>","PeriodicalId":15711,"journal":{"name":"Journal of experimental zoology. Part A, Ecological and integrative physiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144093708","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of Sample Storage Conditions and Individual Characteristics on Innate Immune Assays in Box Turtles.","authors":"Thomas M Kay, Bradley D Johnson, Daren A Glore, Jacob T Penrose, Brigham J Anderson, Brian L Dobbels, Bradley E Carlson","doi":"10.1002/jez.2926","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jez.2926","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Immune assays are increasingly being used to study immunity in wild animals, with applications in ecology, evolution, and conservation. However, the use of immune assays is hindered by the limited taxonomic breadth of studies that validate assays in non-model organisms and by limited understanding of the variables that can affect assay results. While freezing blood samples in the field for later laboratory analysis is a common practice, the effect of storage conditions on the viability of samples is unclear. In this study, we evaluated the effect of plasma storage conditions (refrigerated or frozen) on the results of two immune assays (bacterial killing assay [BKA] and hemagglutination) in eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina), a declining species that is threatened by disease. We concurrently tested how individual identity and phenotypic or environmental variables influenced immune assay results. We found that freezing plasma samples for 3-17 days produced more repeatable BKA results than refrigerating the samples for up to 3 days, without significantly affecting average immune performance. However, BKA performance was reduced after holding samples frozen for 3-4 months. Additionally, we found that there was no significant difference in hemagglutination between frozen and refrigerated samples. Furthermore, males in general had higher hemagglutination but lower bacterial killing ability than the females. At an individual level, turtles had repeatable differences in immune activity, and the two immune measures were generally correlated with each other. Our findings indicate that freezing of plasma samples for up to 2 weeks is appropriate for both BKA and hemagglutination immune assays in T. c. carolina, and this may extend to related species. Furthermore, we found that individual and sex differences within a species can affect particular immune assays, and future work should evaluate this in other species.</p>","PeriodicalId":15711,"journal":{"name":"Journal of experimental zoology. Part A, Ecological and integrative physiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144093718","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Repeated Experimental Cold Exposure During Early Life Affects Several Metrics of Success but not Telomeres in a Common Songbird.","authors":"Anuj Ghimire, Rebecca C Young, David F Westneat, Britt J Heidinger","doi":"10.1002/jez.2927","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jez.2927","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Climate change is increasing temperature variability and exposure to extreme temperature events, including cold snaps. Although there is evidence that exposure to cooler developmental temperature can have widespread phenotypic consequences, the degree to which temperature exposures might interact across developmental stages to affect offspring is poorly understood. Here we experimentally exposed free-living house sparrows to repeated bouts of parental absence, which cooled embryos and both cooled and deprived nestlings in a crossed design and examined the effects on growth, body mass, telomeres, and survival. We found that exposure to cooler temperatures during embryonic development had several negative consequences including extending incubation and reducing hatching success and body mass of recent hatchlings. However, there were no significant effects on telomeres. There were also no main effects of cooling and short-term food deprivation during post-hatching development or interactions across developmental stages on any developmental outcomes including telomeres. Taken together, these results suggest that some developmental stages and traits are more sensitive to repeated cooling than others. In songbirds, offspring may be more sensitive to repeated cooling at earlier life stages and telomeres may be largely resilient to these developmental insults.</p>","PeriodicalId":15711,"journal":{"name":"Journal of experimental zoology. Part A, Ecological and integrative physiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144093712","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Softening and Cross-Susceptibility: Exposure to Heat and Desiccation Reduces Future Stress Tolerance in an Insect","authors":"L. N. Harter,&nbsp;Z. R. Stahlschmidt","doi":"10.1002/jez.2928","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jez.2928","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The frequency and duration of environmental stressors, such as heat waves and drought, will continue to grow due to ongoing climate change, thereby increasing the likelihood that organisms will experience stressors consecutively. Exposure to one stressor can improve or impair future tolerance to the same stressor (i.e., hardening or softening, respectively), or enhance or reduce future tolerance to a different stressor (i.e., cross-protection or cross-susceptibility, respectively). Understanding whether stress improves or impairs animals’ abilities to withstand future stressors is critical for determining the physiological sensitivity of animals to ongoing climate change. Here, we used a factorial design with the variable field cricket (<i>Gryllus lineaticeps</i>) to evaluate whether prior heat or desiccation stress influenced subsequent heat or dessication tolerance. Given the potential energetic costs of hardening and cross-protection, we further examined whether resource (food) acquisition promoted hardening and cross-susceptibility. Prior heat exposure reduced future heat tolerance (i.e., softening), and prior exposure to both heat and desiccation reduced future desiccation tolerance (i.e., softening and cross-susceptibility), potentially due to terminal reproductive investment. Further, resource acquisition (amount of body mass gained) did not influence stress tolerance because individuals that acquired more resources were not more likely to exhibit benefits (rather than costs) to their future stress tolerance. In sum, our results suggest the increasing frequency of climate-related stressors may pose a significant physiological risk to some animals.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":15711,"journal":{"name":"Journal of experimental zoology. Part A, Ecological and integrative physiology","volume":"343 6","pages":"641-649"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143995502","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}