ArticleProceedings. Biological sciences2009
Testosterone-mediated trade-offs in the old age: a new approach to the immunocompetence handicap and carotenoid-based sexual signalling.
Article in Proceedings. Biological sciences, 2009. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
17 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 71 citations in OpenAlex.
- Pooled it
- Biochemical and Genomic Underpinnings of Carotenoid Colour Variation Across a Hybrid Zone Between South Asian Flameback Woodpeckers.Molecular ecology · 2025Article
- Seasonal but not sex-biased gene expression of the carotenoid ketolase,Royal Society open science · 2022Article
- Effects of prenatal testosterone on cumulative markers of oxidative damage to organs of young adult zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata).Journal of comparative physiology. A, Neuroethology, sensory, neural, and behavioral physiology · 2022Article
- Inter-annual repeatability and age-dependent changes in plasma testosterone levels in a longitudinally monitored free-living passerine bird.Oecologia · 2022Article
- Effect of sex on the gut microbiota characteristics of passerine migratory birds.Frontiers in microbiology · 2022Article
- Male territorial aggression and fitness in collared flycatchers: a long-term study.Die Naturwissenschaften · 2019Article
- Carotenoid-based coloration predicts both longevity and lifetime fecundity in male birds, but testosterone disrupts signal reliability.PloS one · 2019Article
- Article
- Physiological increase of yolk testosterone level does not affect oxidative status and telomere length in gull hatchlings.PloS one · 2018Article
- Body height, immunity, facial and vocal attractiveness in young men.Die Naturwissenschaften · 2014Article
- Body height affects the strength of immune response in young men, but not young women.Scientific reports · 2014Article
- Experimental exposure of red-legged partridges (Alectoris rufa) to seeds coated with imidacloprid, thiram and difenoconazole.Ecotoxicology (London, England) · 2013Article
- Oxidative damage to DNA related to survivorship and carotenoid-based sexual ornamentation in the common yellowthroat.Biology letters · 2011Article
- Free radical exposure creates paler carotenoid-based ornaments: a possible interaction in the expression of black and red traits.PloS one · 2011Article
- Differential effects of testosterone, dihydrotestosterone and estradiol on carotenoid deposition in an avian sexually selected signal.Journal of comparative physiology. A, Neuroethology, sensory, neural, and behavioral physiology · 2011Article
- The expression of melanin-based plumage is separately modulated by exogenous oxidative stress and a melanocortin.Proceedings. Biological sciences · 2009Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The immunocompetence handicap hypothesis proposes that testosterone mediates a trade-off between sexual signalling and immunocompetence in males. Such a trade-off could favour the reliability of sexual signals on the basis that testosterone required for signal expression also promotes immunosuppression. However, the immunosuppressive activity of testosterone has not been convincingly demonstrated. We propose that the optimal solution to the testosterone-mediated trade-off should change with age, explaining ambiguous results in the past. Testosterone and ageing would promote two simultaneous immunosuppressive challenges unaffordable for low-quality males. Oxidative stress, as intimately related to ageing and immunosenescence, could contribute to enhance signal reliability. In this context, traits coloured by carotenoids (yellow-red traits) could play a crucial role due to the immunostimulatory and antioxidant properties of these pigments. Here, old and middle-aged male red-legged partridges were treated with testosterone or manipulated as controls. In the presence of high-testosterone levels, middle-aged males increased both circulating carotenoid levels and colour expression, whereas their cell-mediated immunity was not significantly altered. However, in old males, neither circulating carotenoids nor sexual signalling increased when treated with testosterone, but immunosuppression was detected. The link between testosterone and carotenoids could favour the reliability of sexual signals throughout the life.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.