Meeting Abstract

P1.154  Tuesday, Jan. 4  Acute elevation of corticosterone via a dermal patch has no effect on behavior in the red-legged salamander WACK, Corina L.*; LOVERN, Matthew B.; WOODLEY, Sarah K.; Duquesne University; Oklahoma State University; Duquesne University wackc@duq.edu

Corticosterone (CORT) is a central mediator of the stress response and influences behavior in vertebrates. Understanding amphibian stress physiology and how CORT affects behavior of amphibians is of particular importance for understanding global amphibian declines. However, relatively little is known about stress physiology of amphibians. Traditional methods to elevate plasma CORT, such as injections, require handling. Handling stress can cause its own set of behavioral responses independent of CORT. We used dermal patches to non-invasively deliver corticosterone to a terrestrial amphibian. Dermal CORT patches elevated plasma CORT for 30-240 minutes compared to vehicle patches. We used the dermal patch to deliver acute CORT to understand CORT effects on performance in male red-legged salamanders, Plethodon shermani. We examined male courtship, mating, and chemoinvestigation. CORT had no effects on the time for males to approach females or engage in an advanced stage of courtship, called tail-straddling walk. There also were no effects of CORT on the number of spermatophores deposited by males. For studies examining chemoinvestigation, animals received two patches that contained vehicle, CORT, or the glucocorticoid receptor blocker, mifepristone. CORT nor mifepristone had an effect on chemoinvestigation of conspecific chemosensory cues. We plan to use the dermal patch method to determine metabolic effects of CORT to further understand the stress physiology of plethodontid salamanders.