Ivermectin decreases parasite load, testosterone, and potentially antler length in a group of captive red deer males (Cervus elaphus)

Kód výsledku v IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00027014%3A_____%2F24%3A10005767" target="_blank" >RIV/00027014:_____/24:10005767 - isvavai.cz</a>

Výsledek na webu

<a href="https://vuzv.cz/_privat/24001.pdf" target="_blank" >https://vuzv.cz/_privat/24001.pdf</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rvsc.2023.105095" target="_blank" >10.1016/j.rvsc.2023.105095</a>

Jazyk výsledku

angličtina

Název v původním jazyce

Ivermectin decreases parasite load, testosterone, and potentially antler length in a group of captive red deer males (Cervus elaphus)

Popis výsledku v původním jazyce

Secondary sex traits (SSTs) can favour males in intra-sexual competition, allowing females to reliably assess their quality. They can also be connected to other aspects of fitness, such as resistance to parasites and pathogens, as parasites have negative effects on the development of SSTs. Antlers are one of the most recognizable examples of SSTs whose development is regulated by testosterone and reflects the actual condition of the bearer. Elevated testosterone can exaggerate the size of SSTs while impairing the function of the immune system (&quot;The Immunocompetence Handicap Hypothesis&quot;) posing a trade-off between antler development and immune function. In this study, we experimentally manipulated the parasite load in captive red deer (Cervus elaphus) males with Ivermectin during antler development for two consecutive years. Expecting an inverse proportionality between parasite load and antler size, we hypothesized the treated deer to have larger antlers than the untreated ones. Our results showed that, following the immunocompetence handicap hypothesis, parasite load was positively associated with testosterone levels. However, the application of Ivermectin suppressed the parasite load of the treated animals but did not lead to the development of larger antlers. Instead, it significantly suppressed the concentration of testosterone in the treated animals, whilst the animals that had higher testosterone also had the highest parasite load. Our findings show that Ivermectin can potentially decrease the levels of testosterone and, consequently, antler size. These findings have important implications for the management of captive populations, especially in contexts where the development of large trophies is desired.

Název v anglickém jazyce

Ivermectin decreases parasite load, testosterone, and potentially antler length in a group of captive red deer males (Cervus elaphus)

Popis výsledku anglicky

Secondary sex traits (SSTs) can favour males in intra-sexual competition, allowing females to reliably assess their quality. They can also be connected to other aspects of fitness, such as resistance to parasites and pathogens, as parasites have negative effects on the development of SSTs. Antlers are one of the most recognizable examples of SSTs whose development is regulated by testosterone and reflects the actual condition of the bearer. Elevated testosterone can exaggerate the size of SSTs while impairing the function of the immune system (&quot;The Immunocompetence Handicap Hypothesis&quot;) posing a trade-off between antler development and immune function. In this study, we experimentally manipulated the parasite load in captive red deer (Cervus elaphus) males with Ivermectin during antler development for two consecutive years. Expecting an inverse proportionality between parasite load and antler size, we hypothesized the treated deer to have larger antlers than the untreated ones. Our results showed that, following the immunocompetence handicap hypothesis, parasite load was positively associated with testosterone levels. However, the application of Ivermectin suppressed the parasite load of the treated animals but did not lead to the development of larger antlers. Instead, it significantly suppressed the concentration of testosterone in the treated animals, whilst the animals that had higher testosterone also had the highest parasite load. Our findings show that Ivermectin can potentially decrease the levels of testosterone and, consequently, antler size. These findings have important implications for the management of captive populations, especially in contexts where the development of large trophies is desired.

Druh

J_imp - Článek v periodiku v databázi Web of Science

CEP obor

—

OECD FORD obor

10614 - Behavioral sciences biology

Projekt

—

Návaznosti

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Rok uplatnění

2024

Kód důvěrnosti údajů

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Název periodika

Research in Veterinary Science

ISSN

0034-5288

e-ISSN

—

Svazek periodika

166

Číslo periodika v rámci svazku

January

Stát vydavatele periodika

GB - Spojené království Velké Británie a Severního Irska

Počet stran výsledku

7

Strana od-do

105095

Kód UT WoS článku

001127592300001

EID výsledku v databázi Scopus

2-s2.0-85178244845