title: Chronic stress in Lizards: Studies on the Behavior and Benzodiazepine Receptors in Liolaemus koslowskyi and Cnemidophorus tergolaevigatus.
abstract: Behavioral and physiological adaptive responses of animals facing chronic exposure to a single stressor may allow them to overcome its negative effects for future exposures to similar stressful situations. At chemical level, the GABAA/benzodiazepine complex is considered one of the main receptor systems involved in the modulation of stress-induced responses. Here, we describe the behavioral responses of two different lizard species, Liolaemus koslowskyi and Cnemidophorus tergolaevigatus exposed to three potential chronic stressful treatments: (a) high temperature, (b) forced swimming, and (c) simulated predator. Additionally, we aimed to determine in those lizards whether the central-type benzodiazepine receptor (CBR; an allosteric modulator site of the GABAAreceptor) is related to adaptive responses to those stressful stimulations. Our results revealed that the simulated predator was the stress condition that showed the largest difference in behavioral responses between the two species, resembling previously described strategies in nature. The basal affinity of CBRs (obtained from undisturbed animals) showed differences between both species, and the simulated predator was the only stressor that altered the affinity of CBRs. L. koslowskyi CBRs showed a decreased receptor affinity, whereas C. tergolaevigatus showed an increased receptor affinity in comparison to their respective control groups. We show for the first time the effects of different types of stressors upon behavioral responses and CBR biochemical parameters in two lizard species. Our findings suggest a potential GABA/benzodiazepine role in the ability of lizards to cope with a repeated exposure to a stressful (e.g., predator) condition.
authors.affiliation: Centro Regional de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia Tecnológica, La Rioja (CONICET), Anillaco, La Rioja, Argentina.
authors.forename: Alejandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Soloaga
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Fotobiología, Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente (CONICET-UNComa), San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina.|Departamento de Biología General, Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina.
authors.forename: Mariana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pueta
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Fotobiología, Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente (CONICET-UNComa), San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina.
authors.forename: Félix Benjamín
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Cruz
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas (IIByT, CONICET-FCEFyN-UNC) and Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de los alimentos (ICTA), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.
authors.forename: Jackelyn Melissa
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Kembro
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas (IIByT, CONICET-FCEFyN-UNC) and Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de los alimentos (ICTA), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.
authors.forename: Raul Hector
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Marin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D006358:Hot Temperature; D008116:Lizards / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000502:physiology*; D013550:Swimming; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D011963:Receptors, GABA-A