The effect of carotenoid supplementation on immune system development in juvenile male veiled chameleons (Chamaeleo calyptratus)
Public Deposited- Creator
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McCartney, Kristen L
- Affiliation: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Other Affiliation: Arizona State University
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Ligon, Russell A
- Other Affiliation: Arizona State University
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Butler, Michael W
- Other Affiliation: Arizona State University
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DeNardo, Dale F
- Other Affiliation: Arizona State University
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McGraw, Kevin J
- Other Affiliation: Arizona State University
- Abstract
- Abstract Introduction Nutrient availability, assimilation, and allocation can have important and lasting effects on the immune system development of growing animals. Though carotenoid pigments have immunostimulatory properties in many animals, relatively little is known regarding how they influence the immune system during development. Moreover, studies linking carotenoids to health at any life stage have largely been restricted to birds and mammals. We investigated the effects of carotenoid supplementation on multiple aspects of immunity in juvenile veiled chameleons (Chamaeleo calyptratus). We supplemented half of the chameleons with lutein (a xanthophyll carotenoid) for 14 weeks during development and serially measured multiple aspects of immune function, including: agglutination and lysis performance of plasma, wound healing, and plasma nitric oxide concentrations before and after wounding. Results Though lutein supplementation effectively elevated circulating carotenoid concentrations throughout the developmental period, we found no evidence that carotenoid repletion enhanced immune function at any point. However, agglutination and lysis scores increased, while baseline nitric oxide levels decreased, as chameleons aged. Conclusions Taken together, our results indicate that body mass and age, but not carotenoid access, may play an important role in immune performance of growing chameleons. Hence, studying well-understood physiological processes in novel taxa can provide new perspectives on alternative physiological processes and nutrient function.
- Date of publication
- March 22, 2014
- DOI
- Identifier
- Resource type
- Article
- Rights statement
- In Copyright
- Rights holder
- Kristen L McCartney et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.
- License
- Journal title
- Frontiers in Zoology
- Journal volume
- 11
- Journal issue
- 1
- Page start
- 26
- Language
- English
- Is the article or chapter peer-reviewed?
- Yes
- ISSN
- 1742-9994
- Bibliographic citation
- Frontiers in Zoology. 2014 Mar 22;11(1):26
- Publisher
- BioMed Central Ltd
- Access right
- Open Access
- Date uploaded
- August 26, 2015
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