Meeting Abstract

P3.25  Monday, Jan. 6 15:30  Chronic elevation of the stress hormone, corticosterone, slows cutaneous wound healing in a terrestrial salamander (Desmognathus ochrophaeus) THOMAS, J.R.*; WOODLEY, S.K.; Duquesne University; Duquesne University thomasj6@duq.edu

In vertebrates, a physiological response to a stressor is the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. One consequence of this activation is the release of gluccocorticoid hormones, such as corticosterone (CORT). CORT has a number of physiological and behavioral roles including regulating glucose metabolism, vascular tone, and anti-predator behaviors as well as having effects on reproduction and immune function. Specifically, chronic elevation of CORT is immunosuppressive in lizards, birds, and mammals; however, little is known of the relationship between CORT and immunity in amphibians following metamorphosis. To analyze the effects of chronic CORT elevation on amphibian immunity, we monitored cutaneous wound healing in both male and female salamanders exposed to daily stress treatments over the course of 30 days. Subjects that had received a daily dermal CORT patch healed more slowly than controls and subjects that had been handled daily. This suggests that under chronic conditions, CORT suppresses the inflammatory phase of wound healing. Also, females healed significantly less than males in all treatment groups, suggesting that females may be more energetically limited than males.