Termorregulatory, food and locomotor response of individuals of anurus Lithobates catesbeianus species injected with lipopolysaccharides (LPS) as a pro-inflammatory stimulus

• Grant number: 19/18250-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Effective date (Start): June 01, 2020
• Effective date (End): October 31, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Physiology of Recent Groups
• Principal Investigator: Carlos Arturo Navas Iannini
• Grantee: Thaysa Gomes de Oliveira
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 20/14174-4 - Immunological and locomotor response of individuals of the anuran species Xenopus laevis and Xenopus allofraseri injected with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) as a pro-inflammatory stimulus, BE.EP.MS

Abstract

The thermoregulation is a mechanism for regulating the body temperature (Tc) coordinated by the central nervous system (CNS), and is of paramount importance for the survival of an animal. However, some factors may influence this mechanism, such as infectious processes. To fight possible infections the body generates responses that can be autonomic and behavioral like fever and apathy. Fever can be metabolic in endothermic and behavioral animals in ectothermic animal strains. Behavioral fever may result from contact with endotoxins of bacteria that activate the release of cytokines and stimulate pyretic mediators to act in the central nervous system mainly in the pre-optic region of the hypothalamus (POA), causing the body temperature to rise. The apathy, so far described in the literature for endothermic vertebrates, is characterized by the reduction of activities performed by the animal such as feeding and locomotion, for example. However, since apathy cannot be ruled out a priori in ectothermic vertebrates, studies are needed focused on the possible diversity of thermoregulatory and behavioral responses of these strains before infectious processes. The objective of this study is to study responses to infection in amphibians, aiming to understand how, and if, fever and apathy behaviors are evident. For this, a simulation of infection will be performed through injections of LPS in the anuro species Lithobates catesbeianus. It is expected to check whether these animals have behavioral fever, via an increase in body temperature, or apathy, evident in the reduction of food and locomotor rates.

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

OLIVEIRA, Thaysa Gomes de. Effects of a simulated infection on feeding and locomotor behavior of anurans. 2022. Master's Dissertation - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Biociências (IBIOC/SB) São Paulo.