Effects of corticosterone administration on the body condition and blood parameters of the house sparrow, Passer domesticus.

Glucocorticoids are steroid hormones produced by the adrenal glands and released into the bloodstream in response to stressful situations. In birds, corticosterone (CORT) is the main glucocorticoid released under stress. Throughout their lives, animals in nature are continually exposed to noxious stimuli known as stressful events. Any alteration of homeostatic stability is a stressful situation and this alteration triggers physiological changes to restore homeostasis. Glucocorticoids are one of the components of the complex set of physiological and behavioral responses to stress. In this work, we use CORT supplied in drinking water to evaluate its effect in blood parameters and physiology in house sparrows (Passer domesticus). To accomplish this, P. domesticus were administered three different doses of CORT in drinking water for 72 h. Body mass, organ mass, pectoral muscle mass, leg muscle mass, and blood parameters (CORT, triglycerides, glucose and uric acid, heterophils/lymphocytes ratio, hematocrit, and serum protein profile) were determined before and after CORT treatment. A 15% decrease in body mass with a significant decrease in pectoral mass were observed after the higher CORT treatment, as well as a decrease in the plasma concentration of uric acid. Lastly, we found a reversal of the heterophils/lymphocytes ratio and a decrease in hematocrit. It was possible to establish first data for baseline and CORT‐alteration values in serum protein profile for P. domesticus. Baseline and altered values of blood parameters and serum protein profile could be an important tool in field ecology because they provide important data to assess the physiological condition in wild birds. Highlights: We use corticosterone supplied in drinking water as a model to determine its effect on blood parameter levels and physiological alterations in house sparrows (Passer domesticus).Body mass alterations with a significant pectoral mass decrease were observed after the treatment, as well as variations in the plasma concentration of uric acid (UA), heterophils/lymphocytes (H/L) index, and hematocrit. But we did not found an effect on triglycerides (TG), glucose, and δ‐aminolevulinic acid dehydrogenase activity.Alterations in the electrophoretic profile of serum protein values were observed in house sparrows exposed to high concentrations of corticosterone.Baseline and altered values of blood parameters and serum proteins profile could be an important tool in field ecology because they provide important data to assess the physiological condition in wild birds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]