Effects of cortisol on immunity in red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus

• Published in: Journal of Fish Biology
• Main Authors: Thomas, P., Lewis, D. H.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 1987
• Subjects: Red drum; Sciaenops ocellatus
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8649.1987.tb05303.x; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1095-8649.1987.tb05303.x; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1095-8649.1987.tb05303.x

The immunocompetence of juvenile laboratory‐reared red drum treated with cortisol in the diet (250 and 500 mg kg −1 food) was assessed following intramuscular administration of bacterio‐phage ( Escherichia coli OX 174), washed bovine erythrocytes (1% suspension) and bovine serum albumin (100mg). Cortisol induced suppressive effects on the fish response to two of the three antigens (i.e., haemagglutinating activity to bovine erythrocytes and precipitin development to bovine serum albumin). These differential effects of cortisol on T‐dependent antigens could be interpreted as evidence for heterogeneity of red drum T lymphocytes.