Calling rate, corticosterone plasma levels and immunocompetence of Hypsiboas albopunctatus Part A Molecular & integrative physiology

During the breeding season, male anuran amphibians produce advertisement calls. Androgens play a permissive role in the activation of calling activity, which is often positively correlated to androgen plasma levels and testes mass. Additionally, calling effort is also correlated to corticosterone plasma levels (hereinafter referred to as CORT), which is associated with the mobilization of energy substrates to sustain the high energy flux associated with this activity. However, high CORT also has many immunosuppressive effects and might interfere with reproduction. Consequently, CORT might mediate a compromise between reproductive effort and immunocompetence in anurans. In the present study, we investigated the relationship between calling rate, immunocompetence, and CORT in Hypsiboas albopunctatus, a midsize anuran occurring in South America. To understand these relationships, we conducted focal observations of calling behavior, followed by blood collection for CORT measurements and evaluation of some immune parameters. Our results showed that individuals with larger testes had higher calling rates, and those with higher calling rates showed lower cell-mediated immune response (swelling response to phytohaemagglutinin), although these relationships were not mediated by CORT. Furthermore, males calling early in the evening showed high CORT, and individuals with lower body condition index had higher CORT. We conclude that calling activity shows a cost in terms of cellular immune response in H. albopunctatus, but this compromise does not appear to be mediated by glucocorticoid plasma levels.