title: Microbats appear to have adult hippocampal neurogenesis, but post-capture stress causes a rapid decline in the number of neurons expressing doublecortin.
abstract: A previous study investigating potential adult hippocampal neurogenesis in microchiropteran bats failed to reveal a strong presence of this neural trait. As microchiropterans have a high field metabolic rate and a small body mass, it is possible that capture/handling stress may lead to a decrease in the detectable presence of adult hippocampal neurogenesis. Here we looked for evidence of adult hippocampal neurogenesis using immunohistochemical techniques for the endogenous marker doublecortin (DCX) in 10 species of microchiropterans euthanized and perfusion fixed at specific time points following capture. Our results reveal that when euthanized and perfused within 15 min of capture, abundant putative adult hippocampal neurogenesis could be detected using DCX immunohistochemistry. Between 15 and 30 min post-capture, the detectable levels of DCX dropped dramatically and after 30 min post-capture, immunohistochemistry for DCX could not reveal any significant evidence of putative adult hippocampal neurogenesis. Thus, as with all other mammals studied to date apart from cetaceans, bats, including both microchiropterans and megachiropterans, appear to exhibit substantial levels of adult hippocampal neurogenesis. The present study underscores the concept that, as with laboratory experiments, studies conducted on wild-caught animals need to be cognizant of the fact that acute stress (capture/handling) may induce major changes in the appearance of specific neural traits.
authors.affiliation: School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, 7 York Road, Parktown, 2193 Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chawana
authors.affiliation: KSU Mammals Research Chair, Department of Zoology, College of Sciences, King Saud University, Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alagaili
authors.affiliation: School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, 7 York Road, Parktown, 2193 Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Patzke
authors.affiliation: School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, 7 York Road, Parktown, 2193 Johannesburg, South Africa; Department of Anatomy, Des Moines University, Des Moines, Iowa, USA.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Spocter
authors.affiliation: KSU Mammals Research Chair, Department of Zoology, College of Sciences, King Saud University, Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: O B
authors.initials: OB
authors.lastname: Mohammed
authors.affiliation: Faculté des Sciences, University of Kisangani, B.P 1232 Kisangani, Congo.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kaswera
authors.affiliation: Department of African Zoology, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Leuvensesteenweg 13, B-3080 Tervuren, Belgium; Laboratory of Histology and Neuropathology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1070 Brussels, Belgium; Department of Anthropology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gilissen
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa.
authors.forename: N C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.affiliation: School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, 7 York Road, Parktown, 2193 Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: A O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Ihunwo
authors.affiliation: School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, 7 York Road, Parktown, 2193 Johannesburg, South Africa. Electronic address: Paul.Manger@wits.ac.za.
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Manger
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002421:Caudate Nucleus / Q000503:physiopathology; D002685:Chiroptera / Q000502:physiology*; D000089622:Doublecortin Domain Proteins; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006799:Housing, Animal; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D019579:Neocortex / Q000503:physiopathology; D055495:Neurogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D010784:Photomicrography; D012149:Restraint, Physical; D013045:Species Specificity; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000089622:Doublecortin Domain Proteins; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D009479:Neuropeptides
keywords: Chiroptera; adult neurogenesis; capture stress; doublecortin; free-living animals; hippocampus