composition and function of haemolymphatic tissues in the european common shrew组成和功能haemolymphatic组织在欧洲常见的泼妇.pdfVIP

Composition and Function of Haemolymphatic Tissues in the European Common Shrew 1 2 1 1 2 Daniel P. Bray , Malcolm Bennett , Paula Stockley , Jane L. Hurst , Anja Kipar * 1 Mammalian Behaviour and Evolution Group, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Neston, Cheshire, United Kingdom, 2 Department of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom Abstract Background: Studies of wild animals responding to their native parasites are essential if we are to understand how the immune system functions in the natural environment. While immune defence may bring increased survival, this may come at a resource cost to other physiological traits, including reproduction. Here, we tested the hypothesis that wild common shrews (Sorex araneus), which produce large numbers of offspring during the one breeding season of their short life span, forgo investment in immunity and immune system maintenance, as increased longevity is unlikely to bring further opportunities for mating. In particular, we predicted that adult shrews, with shorter expected lifespans, would not respond as effectively as young animals to infection. Methodology/Principal Findings: We examined haemolymphatic tissues from wild-caught common shrews using light and transmission electron microscopy, applied in conjunction with immunohistology. We compared composition and function of these tissues in shrews of different ages, and the extent and type of inflammatory reactions observed in response to natural parasitic infections. All ages seemed able to mount systemic, specific immune responses, but adult shrews showed some signs of lymphatic tissue exhaustion: lymphatic follicles in adult