Chronic stress in Lizards: Studies on the Behavior and Benzodiazepine Receptors in Liolaemus koslowskyi and Cnemidophorus tergolaevigatus

ABSTRACT Behavioral and physiological adaptive responses of animals facing chronic exposure to a single stressor may allow them to overcome its negative effects for future exposures to similar stressful situations. At chemical level, the GABAA/benzodiazepine complex is considered one of the main receptor systems involved in the modulation of stress‐induced responses. Here, we describe the behavioral responses of two different lizard species, Liolaemus koslowskyi and Cnemidophorus tergolaevigatus exposed to three potential chronic stressful treatments: (a) high temperature, (b) forced swimming, and (c) simulated predator. Additionally, we aimed to determine in those lizards whether the central‐type benzodiazepine receptor (CBR; an allosteric modulator site of the GABAA receptor) is related to adaptive responses to those stressful stimulations. Our results revealed that the simulated predator was the stress condition that showed the largest difference in behavioral responses between the two species, resembling previously described strategies in nature. The basal affinity of CBRs (obtained from undisturbed animals) showed differences between both species, and the simulated predator was the only stressor that altered the affinity of CBRs. L. koslowskyi CBRs showed a decreased receptor affinity, whereas C. tergolaevigatus showed an increased receptor affinity in comparison to their respective control groups. We show for the first time the effects of different types of stressors upon behavioral responses and CBR biochemical parameters in two lizard species. Our findings suggest a potential GABA/benzodiazepine role in the ability of lizards to cope with a repeated exposure to a stressful (e.g., predator) condition. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT We studied behavioral and physiological responses in two lizard species under stress. The exposure to simulated predator modified the benzodiazepine receptor affinity. Our results suggest that CBRs mediate stress‐induced responses in lizards.