Urinary Cortisol Increases During a Respiratory Outbreak in Wild Chimpanzees.

ABSTRACT: In mammals, the excretion of cortisol can provide energy toward restoring homeostasis and is a major component of the stress response. However, chronically elevated cortisol levels also have suppressive effects on immune function. As mounting an immune response is energetically costly, sick individuals may conserve energy by exhibiting certain sickness behaviors, such as declining activity levels. Due to the complex interplay between immune function and sickness behaviors, endocrinological correlates have received growing attention in the medical community, but so far, this subject was investigated rarely. Furthermore, given the complexities of studying illnesses and immunity in natural settings, correlates of sickness behaviors have yet to be studied in non-human primates in the wild.

SUBMITTER: Behringer V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7472655 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature