title: Effects of nutritional stress during different developmental periods on song and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in zebra finches.
abstract: In songbirds, developmental stress affects song learning and production. Altered hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function resulting in elevated corticosterone (CORT) may contribute to this effect. We examined whether developmental conditions affected the association between adult song and HPA axis function, and whether nutritional stress before and after nutritional independence has distinct effects on song learning and/or vocal performance. Zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) were raised in consistently high (HH) or low (LL) food conditions until post-hatch day (PHD) 62, or were switched from high to low conditions (HL) or vice versa (LH) at PHD 34. Song was recorded in adulthood. We assessed the response of CORT to handling during development and to dexamethasone (DEX) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) challenges during adulthood. Song learning and vocal performance were not affected by nutritional stress at either developmental stage. Nutritional stress elevated baseline CORT during development. Nutritional stress also increased rate of CORT secretion in birds that experienced stress only in the juvenile phase (HL group). Birds in the LL group had lower CORT levels after injection of ACTH compared to the other groups, however there was no effect of nutritional stress on the response to DEX. Thus, our findings indicate that developmental stress can affect HPA function without concurrently affecting song.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada; Advanced Facility for Avian Research, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada. Electronic address: bkrieng@uwo.ca.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kriengwatana
authors.affiliation: Advanced Facility for Avian Research, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wada
authors.affiliation: Advanced Facility for Avian Research, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada; Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Taves
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
authors.forename: K K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Soma
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada; Advanced Facility for Avian Research, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada; Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: MacDougall-Shackleton
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000367:Age Factors; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000378:metabolism*; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D046369:Finches / Q000502:physiology*; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000378:metabolism*; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000378:metabolism*; D011897:Random Allocation; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000502:physiology*; D014828:Vocalization, Animal / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D003907:Dexamethasone; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D003345:Corticosterone
keywords: Adrenocorticotropic hormone; Avian; Corticosterone; Developmental stress hypothesis; Dexamethasone; HPA; Juvenile; Song learning; Vocal performance