TY - JOUR
T1 - Plasma steroid concentrations change in response to sexual behavior in Bufo marinus
AU - Orchinik, Miles
AU - Licht, Paul
AU - Crews, David
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank Sunny Tripp, Pierre Deviche, and Frank Moore for helpful criticism of this manuscript,C atherine Propper for assistancei n data analysis, and Raymond Pang for his expertise in runningR IAs. We also thank Greg Weber for late night assistancei n the field, and the Hawaii Instituteo f Marine Biology. This researchw as supportedb y NSF PCM8109846 to P.L., and NIMH 00135t o DC. M.O. was supportedb y the Pauley Foundation, and an NSF Graduate Fellowship.
PY - 1988/9
Y1 - 1988/9
N2 - Steroid hormone concentrations change in response to social or environmental stimuli in many vertebrates. To test this phenomenon in an amphibian, we examined plasma androgen (A) and corticosterone (B) concentrations in male marine toads (Bufo marinus), a tropical species exhibiting intermale competition, amplectic clasping of females, and bouts of breeding behavior following rains. When males clasped females for 0, 1, 2, or 3 hr, plasma A concentrations were significantly and positively correlated with hours spent in amplexus. In field-sampled males, plasma A concentrations were higher in amplexing males than in single males. Among single males those found closer to breeding ponds had higher A concentrations than those more distant. These data support the hypothesis that sexual stimuli enhance plasma A concentrations in this amphibian. In 3-hr experimental tests and field-sampled males, B concentrations were higher in amplexing than in single males. Unlike some amphibians, short-term elevations of B apparently are not associated with decreased reproductive function. However, as in other amphibians in which high B concentrations are associated with stress-induced inhibition of reproduction, after 48-72 hr in captivity male toads showed high B concentrations and low plasma androgen concentrations. The bursts of sexual activities exhibited by B. Marinus following heavy rains were associated with no changes in A concentration and with increased B concentration.
AB - Steroid hormone concentrations change in response to social or environmental stimuli in many vertebrates. To test this phenomenon in an amphibian, we examined plasma androgen (A) and corticosterone (B) concentrations in male marine toads (Bufo marinus), a tropical species exhibiting intermale competition, amplectic clasping of females, and bouts of breeding behavior following rains. When males clasped females for 0, 1, 2, or 3 hr, plasma A concentrations were significantly and positively correlated with hours spent in amplexus. In field-sampled males, plasma A concentrations were higher in amplexing males than in single males. Among single males those found closer to breeding ponds had higher A concentrations than those more distant. These data support the hypothesis that sexual stimuli enhance plasma A concentrations in this amphibian. In 3-hr experimental tests and field-sampled males, B concentrations were higher in amplexing than in single males. Unlike some amphibians, short-term elevations of B apparently are not associated with decreased reproductive function. However, as in other amphibians in which high B concentrations are associated with stress-induced inhibition of reproduction, after 48-72 hr in captivity male toads showed high B concentrations and low plasma androgen concentrations. The bursts of sexual activities exhibited by B. Marinus following heavy rains were associated with no changes in A concentration and with increased B concentration.
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U2 - 10.1016/0018-506X(88)90006-2
DO - 10.1016/0018-506X(88)90006-2
M3 - Article
C2 - 3139541
AN - SCOPUS:0023678486
SN - 0018-506X
VL - 22
SP - 338
EP - 350
JO - Hormones and Behavior
JF - Hormones and Behavior
IS - 3
ER -