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Effects of Experimentally Elevated Testosterone on Plasma Corticosterone and Corticosteroid-Binding Globulin in Dark-Eyed Juncos ( Junco Hyemalis)

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Effects of Experimentally Elevated Testosterone on Plasma Corticosterone and Corticosteroid-Binding Globulin in Dark-Eyed Juncos ( Junco Hyemalis) General and Comparative Endocrinology 108, 141–151 (1997) Article No. GC976956 Effects of Experimentally Elevated Testosterone on Plasma Corticosterone and Corticosteroid-Binding Globulin in Dark-Eyed Juncos ( Junco hyemalis) Lori A. Klukowski, J. Michelle Cawthorn,1 Ellen D. Ketterson,2 and Val Nolan Jr. Department of Biology and Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405 Accepted June 16, 1997 An earlier study of free-living male dark-eyed juncos bleed the birds was similar for all three treatment found an increase in plasma corticosterone (B) in re- groups, suggesting that there was no effect of treatment sponse to experimental elevation of plasma testosterone on the stress response. Testosterone significantly in- (T) (E. D. Ketterson et al., 1991, Horm. Behav. 25, creased the capacity of the plasma to bind corticosterone, 489–503). To investigate whether the increase was caused presumably because it contained more CBG, when com- by enhanced secretion of corticosterone or by a slower pared to the plasma of controls. However, treatment with clearance rate, or both, we exposed 52 captive yearling testosterone did not affect the affinity of the plasma for male dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis) to day lengths corticosterone. It seems likely that exogenous testoster- corresponding to those of spring and implanted them one elevated corticosterone by slowing the corticoste- with one or two testosterone-filled or sham implants (10 rone clearance rate via an increase in CBG. It is not clear T-I, 22 T-II, and 20 C-males). We then examined the what the net effect of chronic elevation of testosterone effect of experimentally elevated testosterone on plasma would be on the availability of corticosterone to target corticosterone and on corticosteroid-binding globulin tissues. ௠ 1997 Academic Press (CBG), as measured by the ability of steroid-stripped plasma to bind labeled corticosterone. Plasma samples In general, in animals that are under stress plasma were taken five times, 2 weeks before experimental corticosterone (B) levels are high and plasma testoster- prolongation of day length and approximately every 3 one (T) levels are low (Moore et al., 1991). Several weeks thereafter. Treatment with testosterone increased studies have shown that exogenous corticosterone both plasma testosterone and plasma corticosterone two depresses plasma testosterone levels as well as sexual to three times above control levels, and the degree of and aggressive behavior (Tokarz, 1987; DeNardo and elevation was dose-dependent. Only when all treatment Licht, 1993; DeNardo and Sinervo, 1994). But little is groups were pooled, however, were plasma testosterone known about the effect of experimentally administered and corticosterone significantly correlated. The relation- testosterone on corticosterone (Wingfield and Silverin, ship between plasma corticosterone and time required to 1986; Silverin, 1986; DeNardo and Sinervo, 1994). Although corticosterone generally has a suppressive 1 Present address: Department of Biology, Georgia Southern Uni- versity, Statesboro, GA 30460. effect on testosterone, increased plasma levels of testos- 2 To whom reprint requests and correspondence should be ad- terone appear to have a variable effect on corticoste- dressed. rone levels. In some bird species, testosterone de- 0016-6480/97 $25.00 Copyright ௠ 1997 by Academic Press All rights of reproduction in any form reserved. 141 142 Klukowski et al. creases plasma corticosterone levels (Pe´czely, 1979). In whether experimentally elevated testosterone in cap- others, exogenous testosterone has no effect on plasma tive male juncos increases plasma corticosterone levels corticosterone levels (Hegner and Wingfield, 1987; as it does in free-living males (Ketterson et al., 1991) Wingfield, 1984). In free-living male dark-eyed juncos and, if so, whether it also increases the plasma’s implanted with testosterone (T-males), corticosterone binding capacity for corticosterone, presumably by is higher than it is in controls (C-males) (Ketterson et increasing CBG. If the previously observed testosterone- al., 1991). However, the interactions between corticoste- related increase in plasma corticosterone of free-living rone and testosterone levels are complex and could be juncos were repeated, we expected as one alternative obscured by other factors. For instance, in the study by that there would be no change in the plasma’s capacity Ketterson et al. (1991), plasma corticosterone concentra- to bind to corticosterone. We could then tentatively tion was measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA), a attribute the increased plasma corticosterone to in- method that cannot distinguish between corticoste- creased secretion. Alternatively, an increase in plasma rone resulting from increased secretion of corticoste- corticosterone could reflect a related increase in CBG, rone and corticosterone that remains in the plasma which in binding corticosterone would decrease its because it is bound to corticosteroid-binding globulin metabolic clearance rate. Thus, for a given rate of (CBG) (Wingfield et al., 1992, 1984). Therefore, an secretion, a greater concentration of CBG would cause increase in plasma corticosterone as measured by RIA an increase in plasma corticosterone concentration. To may indicate either an increase in secretion or an discriminate between these two possibilities we again increase in CBG levels. used testosterone to elevate corticosterone, and we Since its discovery (for review see Rosner, 1990; measured associated changes in CBG. Westphal, 1971), CBG has been found in all vertebrate classes (Seal and Doe, 1966) but has been little studied except in humans and rats. In rats, CBG is a glycopro- tein (50–60 kDa), produced by the liver, that preferen- METHODS tially binds to glucocorticoids and progesterone (Smith and Hammond, 1992; Hammond, 1990). Its plasma Species and Treatment concentration appears to increase in response to thyrox- ine and estrogen, and the anterior pituitary may be We studied individuals of the subspecies Junco involved in its regulation via the production of thyrox- hyemalis carolinensis, which we caught at Mountain ine-stimulating hormone (Smith and Hammond, 1992; Lake Biological Station, in the Allegheny Mountains of Gala and Westphal, 1966b). Dexamethasone and corti- southwestern Virginia (Giles County 37,22Ј N, 80,32Ј costerone decrease serum CBG levels (Smith and W) in October 1991. Fifty-two yearling males were Hammond, 1992; Hammond, 1990; Gala and Westphal, transported to Bloomington, Indiana, housed in large 1966a,b). outdoor aviaries until 21 November 1991, and then Avian CBG has physiologic properties similar to transferred to indoor quarters where they were housed those of mammalian CBG and has been observed in individually in small cages (29 3 22.5 3 26 cm) at a the 23 avian species, representing eight orders, whose temperature of approximately 16°. The cages were CBG has been examined (Wingfield et al., 1984; Wing- divided among three similar rooms; two contained 15 field, 1980). In some bird species, testosterone increases birds (rooms A and B) and the third contained 22 birds the plasma’s binding capacity for corticosterone (Sil- (room C). The juncos were visually, but not acousti- verin, 1986; Daniel and Assenmacher, 1974). However, cally, isolated. The light:dark cycle was 8.5L:15.5D in others (Pe´czely, 1979; Pe´czely and Daniel, 1979), and (lights on at 12:30) until 28 December 1991, when we in several mammals, testosterone decreases this capac- began to lengthen the days to simulate day length at ity (Bradley, 1987; McDonald et al., 1981; Bradley et al., the start of the breeding season. Day length was 1980; Kley et al., 1973; Gala and Westphal, 1965, 1966b), increased by 1 hr every other day until 7 January 1992, and thus, by implication, the plasma concentration of when the cycle reached 14.5L:9.5D (lights on at 12:30). CBG. This regimen was maintained until the end of the In this study our objectives were to determine experiment, on 16 March 1992. Copyright ௠ 1997 by Academic Press All rights of reproduction in any form reserved. Effect of T on B and CBG 143 The juncos were implanted on 23 January 1992. After bleeding time was 5.45 6 0.21 minutes (N 5 101). being anesthetized with methoxyflurane, some experi- Blood was drawn into heparinized capillary tubes, mental males (T-II males) were implanted subcutane- which were then centrifuged for 5 min in a clinical ously along the flank with two 10-mm lengths of centrifuge. The volume of each plasma sample was Silastic tubing (Dow Corning; 1.47 mm i.d., 1.96 mm measured in microliters with a Hamilton syringe, and o.d.) packed with crystalline testosterone (Sigma plasma was transferred to a 0.5-ml Eppendorf tube and Chemical) and sealed with Silastic glue (Dow Corning) stored at 220°. (see Ketterson et al., 1991, for details). Other experimen- tal males (T-I males) received one 10-mm tube packed Hormone Assays with testosterone and one empty 10-mm tube. C-males were treated identically, except that their two implants Circulating levels of plasma testosterone and cortico- were empty. All males were randomly assigned to sterone were determined by specific radioimmunoas- treatment groups. In each of rooms A and B there were say following procedures of Wingfield and Farner 15 birds, 5 C-males, 5 T-II males, and 5 T-I males. (1975), Ball and Wingfield (1987), and Ketterson et al. Within each treatment group, birds were randomly (1991). Briefly, plasma samples were equilibrated over- assigned to room A or B. In room C there were 10 night with 2000 cpm of labeled testosterone and C-males and 12 T-II males. It was not possible to obtain corticosterone, extracted with 4.5 ml dichloromethane, sufficient plasma from an individual male to permit and separated on celite/glycol columns using 20% and both hormone analysis and CBG analysis. Therefore, 50% ethyl acetate in isooctane, respectively, after DHT the birds in rooms A and B were bled only for analysis was removed. The expected value for the testosterone of testosterone and corticosterone.
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