Arizona State University, School of Life Sciences, Tempe, AZ 85287-4601, USA.
J Exp Biol. 2013 Jul 15;216(Pt 14):2632-40. doi: 10.1242/jeb.082982. Epub 2013 Mar 26.
Immune function can be modulated by multiple physiological factors, including nutrition and reproductive state. Because these factors can vary throughout an individual's lifetime as a result of environmental conditions (affecting nutrition) or life-history stage (e.g. entering the adult reproduction stage), we must carefully examine the degree to which developmental versus adult conditions shape performance of the immune system. We investigated how variation in dietary access to carotenoid pigments - a class of molecules with immunostimulatory properties that females deposit into egg yolks - during three different developmental time points affected adult immunological and reproductive traits in female mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos). In males and females of other avian species, carotenoid access during development affects carotenoid assimilation ability, adult sexual ornamentation and immune function, while carotenoid access during adulthood can increase immune response and reproductive investment (e.g. egg-laying capacity, biliverdin deposition in eggshells). We failed to detect effects of developmental carotenoid supplementation on adult immune function [phytohemagglutinin-induced cutaneous immune response, antibody production in response to the novel antigen keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH), or oxidative burst, assessed by changes in circulating nitric oxide levels], carotenoid-pigmented beak coloration, ovarian development, circulating carotenoid levels or concentration of bile pigments in the gall bladder. However, we did uncover positive relationships between circulating carotenoid levels during adulthood and KLH-specific antibody production, and a negative relationship between biliverdin concentration in bile and KLH-specific antibody production. These results are consistent with the view that adult physiological parameters better predict current immune function than do developmental conditions, and highlight a possible, previously unstudied relationship between biliverdin and immune system performance.
免疫功能可受到多种生理因素的调节，包括营养和生殖状态。由于个体的环境条件（影响营养）或生活史阶段（例如进入成年生殖阶段）会导致这些因素在其一生中发生变化，因此我们必须仔细研究发育条件与成年条件对免疫系统功能的影响程度。我们研究了在三个不同的发育时间点，类胡萝卜素（一种具有免疫刺激特性的分子，雌性将其沉积在蛋黄中）摄入的变化如何影响雌性绿头鸭（Anas platyrhynchos）的成年免疫和生殖特征。在其他鸟类物种的雄性和雌性中，发育过程中类胡萝卜素的获取会影响类胡萝卜素的同化能力、成年性装饰和免疫功能，而成年期的类胡萝卜素获取可以增加免疫反应和生殖投资（例如产卵能力、卵壳中胆绿素的沉积）。我们未能检测到发育过程中类胡萝卜素补充对成年免疫功能的影响[植物血凝素诱导的皮肤免疫反应、对新抗原血蓝蛋白（KLH）的抗体产生、或通过循环一氧化氮水平变化评估的氧化爆发]、类胡萝卜素着色的喙颜色、卵巢发育、循环类胡萝卜素水平或胆囊中胆色素的浓度。然而，我们确实发现成年期循环类胡萝卜素水平与 KLH 特异性抗体产生之间存在正相关关系，以及胆汁中胆绿素浓度与 KLH 特异性抗体产生之间存在负相关关系。这些结果与以下观点一致，即成年生理参数比发育条件更好地预测当前的免疫功能，并突出了胆汁中胆绿素和免疫系统功能之间可能存在的、以前未被研究过的关系。
