title: Is corticosterone involved in the reproductive processes of the male lizard, Podarcis sicula sicula?
abstract: Corticosterone (B) and testosterone (T) plasma levels and the effects of short (1-48 min) and long (6-192 hr) confinement stress during the various phases of the reproductive period of the male lizard, Podarcis sicula sicula, were studied; in addition, the in vitro effects of B on the T secretion by testis and adrenals were evaluated. Plasma B was highest during the mating phase and plasma T was highest during the aggressive phase. Confinement stress caused an increase of B plasma levels within 12 min of capture and a decrease in plasma T within 48 min of capture; B increase and T decrease continued for 48 hr, but, after 192 hr of confinement, the levels of these two steroids became similar to those found a few minutes after capture. The basal release of T by the tests and of B and T by adrenals mirrored the trends seen in the systemic circulation. In in vitro experiments B treatment decreased T by testis and adrenal tissue release in aggressive and mating phases. These data suggest that B could involved in the reproduction of P. s. sicula by acting on T synthesis to reduce aggressive behavior and allow breeding.
authors.affiliation: Department of Evolutive and Comparative Biology, University of Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Manzo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zerani
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gobbetti
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Di Fiore
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Angelini
mesh_terms: D000374:Aggression / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000502:physiology*; D008116:Lizards / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D012931:Social Environment; D013739:Testosterone / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D013739:Testosterone; D003345:Corticosterone