title: Sex, social status and physiological stress in primates: the importance of social and glucocorticoid dynamics.
abstract: Social status has been associated with health consequences, although the mechanisms by which status affects health are relatively unknown. At the physiological level, many studies have investigated the potential relationship between social behaviour/rank and physiological stress, with a particular focus on glucocorticoid (GC) production. GCs are of interest because of their experimentally established influence on health-related processes such as metabolism and immune function. Studies in a variety of species, in both naturalistic and laboratory settings, have led to complex outcomes. This paper reviews findings from primates and rodents and proposes a psychologically and physiologically relevant framework in which to study the relationship between social status and GC function. We (i) compare status-specific GC production between male and female primates, (ii) review the functional significance of different temporal patterns of GC production, (iii) propose ways to assess these temporal dynamics, and (iv) present novel hypotheses about the relationship between social status and GC temporal dynamics, and potential fitness and health implications. To understand whether GC production mediates social status-related fitness disparities, we must consider social contest conditions and the temporal dynamics of GC production. This framework will provide greater insights into the relationship between social status, physiological stress and health.
authors: Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, 219 Biobehavioral Health Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA Center for Brain, Behavior, and Cognition, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA Huck Institute of Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, 101 Huck Life Sciences Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA sac34@psu.edu.
authors: Sonia A
authors: SA
authors: Cavigelli
authors: Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, 219 Biobehavioral Health Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA Center for Brain, Behavior, and Cognition, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
authors: Michael J
authors: MJ
authors: Caruso
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008297:Male; D011323:Primates / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012919:Social Behavior; D012930:Social Dominance; D013312:Stress, Physiological
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids
keywords: acute stress; chronic stress; corticosterone; cortisol; dominance; social status