Parasites can negatively affect the evolutionary fitness of their hosts by eliciting physiological stress responses. Parasite-induced stress can be monitored by measuring changes in the adrenal steroid hormone corticosterone. We examined the effect of an invasive parasite on the corticosterone concentrations of a common species of Darwin's finch, the medium ground finch (Geospiza fortis). Philo...

Nutrition can generate oxidative stress and trigger a cascade of molecular events that can disrupt oxidative and hormonal balance. Nutrient ingestion promotes a major inflammatory and oxidative response at the cellular level in the postprandial state, altering the metabolic state of tissues. A domino of unfavorable metabolic changes is orchestrated in the main metabolic organs, including adipos...

Stress-induced reproductive dysfunction is a relatively common cause of infertility in women. In response to everyday life stress, some individuals readily develop reproductive dysfunction (i.e., they are stress sensitive), whereas others are more stress resilient. Female cynomolgus monkeys, when exposed to mild combined psychosocial and metabolic stress (change in social environment + 20% redu...

Objective(s):The present study was undertaken to determine the effects of acute exposure to malathion on oxidative stress and cytotoxic potential of anticholinesterase insecticide, malathion in reproductive toxicology of adolescent male mice. Materials and Methods: Thirty two adolescent male mice at pubertal age were treated with 500 mg/kg body weight (BW) of malathion for three days. After ex...

Mangroves migrate northward in Florida and colonize marshes historically dominated by salt marsh species. In theory, this migration should be facilitated by greater numbers of propagules stemming from increased reproductive activity and greater genetic variability caused by outcrossing. We aimed to determine if stand reproduction and % outcrossing were affected by cold stress (stress increases ...

There are more than 2 million women veterans living in the United States. Many women do not identify themselves as veterans. As women's health care providers, it is important to understand and recognize the potentially complex health and social needs of women veterans and the role of military service on their lives. The reproductive health needs of women veterans may be shaped by their military...

Vertebrates exhibit varied behavioural and physiological tactics to promote reproductive success. We examined mechanisms that could enable female loggerhead turtles to undertake nesting activities and maintain seasonal reproduction despite recent shark injuries of varying severity. We proposed that endocrinal mechanisms that regulate both a turtle's stress response and reproductive ability are ...

Drought is one of the abiotic stresses controlling plant function and ecological stability. In the context of climate change, drought is predicted to occur more frequently in the future. Despite numerous attempts to clarify the overall effects of drought stress on the growth and physiological processes of plants, a comprehensive evaluation on the impacts of drought stress on biomass allocation,...

The trade-off between reproductive investment and lifespan is the single most important concept in life-history theory. A variety of sources of evidence support the existence of this trade-off, but the physiological costs of reproduction that underlie this relationship remain poorly understood. The Free Radical Theory of Ageing suggests that oxidative stress, which occurs when there is an imbal...