Oxidative defences in immunoecological context: validation and application of assays for nitric oxide production and oxidative burst in a wild passerine
Date
2011-11-11
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Abstract
Immuunökoloogia aluseks on põhimõte, et immunvastused on kulukad ning seetõttu omavad lõivsuhteid teiste elukäigu tunnustega. Samas pole veel selge, mis võiks olla immunvastuse kulukuse põhjuseks. Üheks võimalikuks variandiks on immuunvastuse käigus tekitatud patogeenide hävitamiseks mõeldud reaktiivsete osakeste poolt tekitatud koekahjustused. Selle teooria kontrollimisel on takistavaks saanud nii immuunökoloogias kasutusel olevate meetodite vähesus kui ka asjaolu, et immuunsüsteem on väga keeruline ning põhjalikult seotud nii endokriinse kui ka närvisüsteemiga.
Antud töös on immunökoloogia sagedastele uurimisobjektidele, värvulistele lindudele, kasutamiseks kohandatud kaks meetodit, mis mõõdavad kaasasündinud immuunvastuse käigus tekitatud reaktiivseid osakesi- lämmastikoksiidi ning oksüdatiivse purske käigus tekkivaid reaktiivseid osakesi. Seejärel on neid uusi meetodeid rakendatud uurimaks immuunsüsteemi seoseid endokriinse ja närvisüsteemiga ning selleks, et testida antioksüdandi karotenoidi mõju immuunvastusele.
Immunoecology is based on the principle that immune defences are costly and therefore have trade-offs with other life-history traits. At the moment, however, the reasons why immune defences are costly, are poorly understood. One of the possible versions is the collateral damage of tissues by reactive oxygen species that are produced during immune response to destroy pathogens. The controlling of this theory has turned out to be difficult for two main reasons- lack of methods used in immunoecology and the fact that immune system is very complex and has tight interconnections with nervous and endocrine systems. In the current thesis I have modified two methods for use with immunoecological model species, passerine birds. These methods measure reactive species produced during innate immune responses - nitric oxide and reactive species produced during oxidative burst. Subsequently I used these new methods to study connections between immune system and endocrine and nervous systems and to test the effects of antioxidant carotenoid to immune response.
Immunoecology is based on the principle that immune defences are costly and therefore have trade-offs with other life-history traits. At the moment, however, the reasons why immune defences are costly, are poorly understood. One of the possible versions is the collateral damage of tissues by reactive oxygen species that are produced during immune response to destroy pathogens. The controlling of this theory has turned out to be difficult for two main reasons- lack of methods used in immunoecology and the fact that immune system is very complex and has tight interconnections with nervous and endocrine systems. In the current thesis I have modified two methods for use with immunoecological model species, passerine birds. These methods measure reactive species produced during innate immune responses - nitric oxide and reactive species produced during oxidative burst. Subsequently I used these new methods to study connections between immune system and endocrine and nervous systems and to test the effects of antioxidant carotenoid to immune response.
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Väitekirja elektrooniline versioon ei sisalda publikatsioone.
Keywords
värvulised, immuunvastus, kaitsekohastumused, antioksüdandid, Passeriformes, immune response, defence adaptations, antioxidants