1
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Peterson SH, Peterson MG, Ackerman JT, Debier C, Goetsch C, Holser RR, Hückstädt LA, Johnson JC, Keates TR, McDonald BI, McHuron EA, Costa DP. Foraging behavior and age affect maternal transfer of mercury to northern elephant seal pups. Sci Rep 2024; 14:4693. [PMID: 38409311 PMCID: PMC10897339 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-54527-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Deep ocean foraging northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) consume fish and squid in remote depths of the North Pacific Ocean. Contaminants bioaccumulated from prey are subsequently transferred by adult females to pups during gestation and lactation, linking pups to mercury contamination in mesopelagic food webs (200-1000 m depths). Maternal transfer of mercury to developing seal pups was related to maternal mercury contamination and was strongly correlated with maternal foraging behavior (biotelemetry and isotopes). Mercury concentrations in lanugo (hair grown in utero) were among the highest observed worldwide for young pinnipeds (geometric mean 23.01 μg/g dw, range 8.03-63.09 μg/g dw; n = 373); thus, some pups may be at an elevated risk of sub-lethal adverse health effects. Fetal mercury exposure was affected by maternal foraging geographic location and depth; mercury concentrations were highest in pups of the deepest diving, pelagic females. Moreover, pup lanugo mercury concentrations were strongly repeatable among successive pups of individual females, demonstrating relative consistency in pup mercury exposure based on maternal foraging strategies. Northern elephant seals are biosentinels of a remote deep-sea ecosystem. Our results suggest that mercury within North Pacific mesopelagic food webs may also pose an elevated risk to other mesopelagic-foraging predators and their offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah H Peterson
- Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, U.S. Geological Survey, 800 Business Park Drive Suite D, Dixon, CA, USA.
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA.
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA.
| | - Michael G Peterson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Joshua T Ackerman
- Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, U.S. Geological Survey, 800 Business Park Drive Suite D, Dixon, CA, USA
| | - Cathy Debier
- Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Chandra Goetsch
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
- CSS, Inc, Fairfax, VA, USA
| | - Rachel R Holser
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Luis A Hückstädt
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Jennifer C Johnson
- Moss Landing Marine Labs, San Jose State University, Moss Landing, CA, USA
| | - Theresa R Keates
- Department of Ocean Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | | | - Elizabeth A McHuron
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Daniel P Costa
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
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2
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Noren DP, Johnson S, Boyd D, Ylitalo GM, Lundin J, McCormley M, Jensen ED. The dynamics of persistent organic pollutant (POP) transfer from female bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) to their calves during lactation. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 907:167888. [PMID: 37863220 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 09/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are lipophilic compounds that can accumulate in high concentrations in the blubber of marine mammals, which are long-lived, top-level predators in their ecosystems. These compounds, which include DDTs, PCBs, PBDEs, HCHs, and CHLDs, impact mammalian health, including neurological effects, reduced immune system efficiency, and reproductive failure. POPs are transferred from females to their offspring during gestation and lactation, which have implications for the health of newborn marine mammals, particularly first-born offspring who receive higher concentrations. The dynamics of POP transfer during lactation have been studied in a few pinniped species, but there are no comparable studies on living cetaceans. Because life history strategies and behavior of lactating phocids differ from dolphins, a study on delphinid maternal transfer is warranted. To accomplish this, placenta and longitudinally collected blood and milk samples were taken concurrently from trained bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus, mother/calf pairs to assess the dynamics of maternal contaminant transfer. Initial POP levels in placenta, blood serum, and milk varied by individual and were related to the age and reproductive history of the females. Regardless of initial POP levels, maternal serum and milk concentrations decreased while calf serum POP levels increased over time. Pollutant transfer varied by POP class and by congener. Contaminant transfer efficiency to calves was most apparent for 4- to 6‑chlorine PCBs, DDT isomers p,p'-DDD, p,p'-DDT, o,p'-DDD, and o,p'-DDE, trans-nonachlor, cis-nonachlor, heptachlor epoxide, nonachlor III, and oxychlordane. By the end of the lactation period, calf serum POP levels were considerably greater than those of their mothers, particularly for compounds with fewer chlorines. POP levels were most biomagnified in the calf born to the primiparous female. These results provide critical information on one component of contaminant transfer in the marine ecosystem and for understanding potential risks of POP exposure to developing odontocete calves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dawn P Noren
- Conservation Biology Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2725 Montlake Boulevard East, Seattle, WA 98112, USA.
| | - Shawn Johnson
- U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program, Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Daryle Boyd
- Environmental Fisheries and Sciences Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Gina M Ylitalo
- Environmental Fisheries and Sciences Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jessica Lundin
- National Research Council, Under Contract to Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Molly McCormley
- Lynker, Under Contract to Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Eric D Jensen
- U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program, Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, San Diego, CA, USA
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3
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Dib S, Fewtrell M, Wells JCK. Maternal capital predicts investment in infant growth and development through lactation. Front Nutr 2023; 10:1272938. [PMID: 37885440 PMCID: PMC10598761 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1272938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Maternal capital (MC) is a broad term from evolutionary biology, referring to any aspects of maternal phenotype that represent resources available for investment in offspring. We investigated MC in breastfeeding mothers of late preterm and early term infants, examining its relationship with infant and breastfeeding outcomes. We also determined whether MC modified the effect of the relaxation intervention on these outcomes. Methods The data was collected as part of a randomized controlled trial investigating breastfeeding relaxation in 72 mothers of late preterm and early term infants. Indicators of MC (socioeconomic, social, somatic, reproductive, psychological, and cognitive) were collected at baseline at 2-3 weeks post-delivery. Principal Component Analysis was conducted for the MC measures and two components were identified: 1."Subjective" maternal capital which included stress and depression scores, and 2."Objective" maternal capital which included height, infant birth weight, and verbal memory. Univariate linear regression was conducted to assess the relationship between objective and subjective MC (predictors) and infant growth, infant behavior, maternal behavior, and infant feeding variables (outcomes) at 6-8 weeks. The interaction of MC and intervention assignment with outcomes was assessed. Results Higher objective MC was significantly associated with higher infant weight (0.43; 95%CI 0.21,0.66) and length z-scores (0.47; 95%CI 0.19,0.76), shorter duration of crying (-17.5; 95%CI -33.2,-1.9), and lower food (-0.28; 95%CI -0.48,-0.08) and satiety responsiveness (-0.17; 95%CI -0.31,-0.02) at 6-8 weeks. It was also associated with greater maternal responsiveness to infant cues (-0.05, 95%CI -0.09,-0.02 for non-responsiveness). Greater subjective maternal capital was significantly associated with higher breastfeeding frequency (2.3; 95%CI 0.8,3.8) and infant appetite (0.30; 95%CI 0.07,0.54). There was a significant interaction between the intervention assignment and objective MC for infant length, with trends for infant weight and crying, which indicated that the intervention had greater effects among mothers with lower capital. Conclusion Higher MC was associated with better infant growth and shorter crying duration. This was possibly mediated through more frequent breastfeeding and prompt responsiveness to infant cues, reflecting greater maternal investment. The findings also suggest that a relaxation intervention was most effective among those with low MC, suggesting some reduction in social inequalities in health.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jonathan C. K. Wells
- Population, Policy and Practice, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom
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4
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Marquez-Acevedo AS, Hood WR, Collier RJ, Skibiel AL. Graduate Student Literature Review: Mitochondrial response to heat stress and its implications on dairy cattle bioenergetics, metabolism, and production. J Dairy Sci 2023; 106:7295-7309. [PMID: 37210354 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2023-23340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
The dairy industry depends upon the cow's successful lactation for economic profitability. Heat stress compromises the economic sustainability of the dairy industry by reducing milk production and increasing the risk of metabolic and pathogenic disease. Heat stress alters metabolic adaptations, such as nutrient mobilization and partitioning, that support the energetic demands of lactation. Metabolically inflexible cows are unable to enlist the necessary homeorhetic shifts that provide the needed nutrients and energy for milk synthesis, thereby impairing lactation performance. Mitochondria provide the energetic foundation that enable a myriad of metabolically demanding processes, such as lactation. Changes in an animal's energy requirements are met at the cellular level through alterations in mitochondrial density and bioenergetic capacity. Mitochondria also act as central stress modulators and coordinate tissues' energetic responses to stress by integrating endocrine signals, through mito-nuclear communication, into the cellular stress response. In vitro heat insults affect mitochondria through a compromise in mitochondrial integrity, which is linked to a decrease in mitochondrial function. However, limited evidence exists linking the in vivo metabolic effects of heat stress with parameters of mitochondrial behavior and function in lactating animals. This review summarizes the literature describing the cellular and subcellular effects of heat stress, with a focus on the effect of heat stress on mitochondrial bioenergetics and cellular dysfunction in livestock. Implications for lactation performance and metabolic health are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- A S Marquez-Acevedo
- Department of Animal, Veterinary and Food Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844.
| | - W R Hood
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849
| | - R J Collier
- Department of Animal, Veterinary and Food Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844
| | - A L Skibiel
- Department of Animal, Veterinary and Food Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844
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5
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Penk SR, Sadana P, Archer LC, Pagano AM, Cattet MRL, Lunn NJ, Thiemann GW, Molnár PK. A body composition model with multiple storage compartments for polar bears ( Ursus maritimus). CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 11:coad043. [PMID: 37346266 PMCID: PMC10281502 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coad043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
Climate warming is rapidly altering Arctic ecosystems. Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) need sea ice as a platform from which to hunt seals, but increased sea-ice loss is lengthening periods when bears are without access to primary hunting habitat. During periods of food scarcity, survival depends on the energy that a bear has stored in body reserves, termed storage energy, making this a key metric in predictive models assessing climate change impacts on polar bears. Here, we developed a body composition model for polar bears that estimates storage energy while accounting for changes in storage tissue composition. We used data of dissected polar bears (n = 31) to link routinely collected field measures of total body mass and straight-line body length to the body composition of individual bears, described in terms of structural mass and two storage compartments, adipose and muscle. We then estimated the masses of metabolizable proteins and lipids within these storage compartments, giving total storage energy. We tested this multi-storage model by using it to predict changes in the lipid stores from an independent dataset of wild polar bears (n = 36) that were recaptured 8-200 days later. Using length and mass measurements, our model successfully predicted direct measurements of lipid changes via isotopic dilutions (root mean squared error of 14.5 kg). Separating storage into two compartments, and allowing the molecular composition of storage to vary, provides new avenues for quantifying energy stores of individuals across their life cycle. The multi-storage body composition model thus provides a basis for further exploring energetic costs of physiological processes that contribute to individual survival and reproductive success. Given bioenergetic models are increasingly used as a tool to predict individual fitness and population dynamics, our approach for estimating individual energy stores could be applicable to a wide range of species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie R Penk
- Corresponding author: Laboratory of Quantitative Global Change Ecology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Scarborough, Ontario M1C 1A4, Canada. E-mail:
| | - Pranav Sadana
- Laboratory of Quantitative Global Change Ecology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Scarborough, Ontario M1C 1A4, Canada
- Department of Biology, University of Winnipeg, 515 Portage Ave, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 2E9, Canada
| | - Louise C Archer
- Laboratory of Quantitative Global Change Ecology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Scarborough, Ontario M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Anthony M Pagano
- U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, 4210 University Dr., Anchorage, AK 99508 USA
| | - Marc R L Cattet
- Fish and Wildlife Branch, Department of Environment, Government of Yukon, 10 Burns Road, Whitehorse, Yukon Y1A 4Y9, Canada
| | - Nicholas J Lunn
- Wildlife Research Division, Science and Technology Branch, Environment Canada and Climate Change Canada, 11455 Saskatchewan Dr., Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Gregory W Thiemann
- Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change, York University, 4700 Keele St., Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Péter K Molnár
- Laboratory of Quantitative Global Change Ecology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Scarborough, Ontario M1C 1A4, Canada
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3B2 Canada
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6
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Tsutaya T, Mizushima N. Evolutionary biological perspectives on current social issues of breastfeeding and weaning. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2023. [PMID: 36815441 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
Breastfeeding and weaning are actively studied from evolutionary, medical, and social research perspectives because of their close association with infant mortality, lifetime health, and human population dynamics. Each discipline benefits from an interdisciplinary exchange of knowledge regarding the bases, processes, and consequences of these phenomena. However, current social issues related to breastfeeding and weaning have received little attention from an evolutionary biology perspective. We address this gap by reviewing current social issues related to human breastfeeding and weaning in an evolutionary framework. This approach helps build a conceptual framework with the goal of better understanding ultimate causes of or influences on these current social issues. The six social issues reviewed here fall into three categories: the spatiotemporal constraints of breastfeeding, abuse of breast milk as valuable material, and mismatch in breastfeeding practices. Some of these issues have an evolutionary basis. We analyze the structure of these social issues and discuss their possible solutions in terms of extension of the trade-off theory in evolutionary biology. Our discussion on the current social issues in breastfeeding and weaning highlights the effectiveness of an approach rooted in evolutionary theory and biological anthropology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takumi Tsutaya
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems, Research Center for Integrative Evolutionary Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Hayama, Kanagawa, Japan.,Globe Institute, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Nozomi Mizushima
- Department of Social System Design, Eikei University of Hiroshima, Naka-ku, Hiroshima, Japan
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7
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McHuron EA, Adamczak S, Costa DP, Booth C. Estimating reproductive costs in marine mammal bioenergetic models: a review of current knowledge and data availability. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 11:coac080. [PMID: 36685328 PMCID: PMC9845964 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coac080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2022] [Revised: 11/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Reproductive costs represent a significant proportion of a mammalian female's energy budget. Estimates of reproductive costs are needed for understanding how alterations to energy budgets, such as those from environmental variation or human activities, impact maternal body condition, vital rates and population dynamics. Such questions are increasingly important for marine mammals, as many populations are faced with rapidly changing and increasingly disturbed environments. Here we review the different energetic costs that marine mammals incur during gestation and lactation and how those costs are typically estimated in bioenergetic models. We compiled data availability on key model parameters for each species across all six marine mammal taxonomic groups (mysticetes, odontocetes, pinnipeds, sirenians, mustelids and ursids). Pinnipeds were the best-represented group regarding data availability, including estimates of milk intake, milk composition, lactation duration, birth mass, body composition at birth and growth. There were still considerable data gaps, particularly for polar species, and good data were only available across all parameters in 45% of pinniped species. Cetaceans and sirenians were comparatively data-poor, with some species having little or no data for any parameters, particularly beaked whales. Even for species with moderate data coverage, many parameter estimates were tentative or based on indirect approaches, necessitating reevaluation of these estimates. We discuss mechanisms and factors that affect maternal energy investment or prey requirements during reproduction, such as prey supplementation by offspring, metabolic compensation, environmental conditions and maternal characteristics. Filling the existing data gaps highlighted in this review, particularly for parameters that are influential on bioenergetic model outputs, will help refine reproductive costs estimated from bioenergetic models and better address how and when energy imbalances are likely to affect marine mammal populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A McHuron
- Corresponding author: Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98105, USA.
| | - Stephanie Adamczak
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
| | - Daniel P Costa
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
| | - Cormac Booth
- SMRU Consulting, Scottish Oceans Institute, St Andrews, UK
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8
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Hayes KRR, Ylitalo GM, Anderson TA, Urbán
R. J, Jacobsen JK, Scordino JJ, Lang AR, Baugh KA, Bolton JL, Brüniche-Olsen A, Calambokidis J, Martínez-Aguilar S, Subbiah S, Gribble MO, Godard-Codding CAJ. Influence of Life-History Parameters on Persistent Organic Pollutant Concentrations in Blubber of Eastern North Pacific Gray Whales ( Eschrichtius robustus). ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:17119-17130. [PMID: 36346717 PMCID: PMC9730851 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c05998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Revised: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) can significantly impact marine mammal health, reproduction, and fitness. This study addresses a significant 20-year gap in gray whale contaminant monitoring through analysis of POPs in 120 blubber biopsies. The scope of this substantial sample set is noteworthy in its range and diversity with collection between 2003 and 2017 along North America's west coast and across diverse sex, age, and reproductive parameters, including paired mothers and calves. Mean blubber concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (∑PCBs), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (∑DDTs), and chlordanes (∑CHLs) generally decreased since previous reports (1968-1999). This is the first report of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and select hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs) in this species. Statistical modeling of the 19 most frequently detected compounds in this dataset revealed sex-, age-, and reproductive status-related patterns, predominantly attributed to maternal offloading. Mean POP concentrations differed significantly by sex in adults (17 compounds, up to 3-fold higher in males) but not in immatures (all 19 compounds). Mean POP concentrations were significantly greater in adults versus immatures in both males (17 compounds, up to 12-fold) and females (13 compounds, up to 3-fold). POP concentrations were detected with compound-specific patterns in nursing calves, confirming maternal offloading for the first time in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kia R. R. Hayes
- The
Institute of Environmental and Human Health, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas 79409, United States
- Environmental
and Fisheries Sciences Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center,
National Marine Fisheries Service, National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, Washington 98112, United States
- Ocean
Associates, Inc., Arlington, Virginia 22207, United States
| | - Gina M. Ylitalo
- Environmental
and Fisheries Sciences Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center,
National Marine Fisheries Service, National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, Washington 98112, United States
| | - Todd A. Anderson
- The
Institute of Environmental and Human Health, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas 79409, United States
| | - Jorge Urbán
R.
- Departamento
de Ciencias Marinas y Costeras, Universidad
Autónoma de Baja California Sur, La Paz, BCS 23085, Mexico
| | | | - Jonathan J. Scordino
- Marine Mammal
Program, Makah Fisheries Management, Makah Tribe, Neah Bay, Washington 98357, United States
| | - Aimee R. Lang
- Ocean
Associates, Inc., Arlington, Virginia 22207, United States
- Southwest
Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Keri A. Baugh
- Environmental
and Fisheries Sciences Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center,
National Marine Fisheries Service, National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, Washington 98112, United States
| | - Jennie L. Bolton
- Environmental
and Fisheries Sciences Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center,
National Marine Fisheries Service, National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, Washington 98112, United States
| | - Anna Brüniche-Olsen
- Department
of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue
University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - John Calambokidis
- Cascadia
Research Collective, Olympia, Washington 98501, United States
| | - Sergio Martínez-Aguilar
- Departamento
de Ciencias Marinas y Costeras, Universidad
Autónoma de Baja California Sur, La Paz, BCS 23085, Mexico
| | - Seenivasan Subbiah
- The
Institute of Environmental and Human Health, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas 79409, United States
| | - Matthew O. Gribble
- Department
of Epidemiology, University of Alabama at
Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, United
States
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9
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Johnston DR, Rayment W, Dawson SM. Morphometrics and body condition of southern right whales on the calving grounds at Port Ross, Auckland Islands. Mamm Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s42991-021-00175-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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10
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Joly K, Cameron MD, Sorum MS, Gustine DD, Deacy W, Hilderbrand GV. Factors influencing Arctic brown bear annual home range sizes and limitations of home range analyses. URSUS 2022. [DOI: 10.2192/ursus-d-21-00015.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kyle Joly
- National Park Service, Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, 4175 Geist Road, Fairbanks, AK 99709, USA
| | - Matthew D. Cameron
- National Park Service, Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, 4175 Geist Road, Fairbanks, AK 99709, USA
| | - Mathew S. Sorum
- National Park Service, Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, 4175 Geist Road, Fairbanks, AK 99709, USA
| | - David D. Gustine
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Marine Mammals Management, Polar Bear Program, 1011 E. Tudor Road, Anchorage, AK 99503, USA
| | - William Deacy
- National Park Service, Arctic Inventory and Monitoring Program, 4175 Geist Road, Fairbanks, AK 99709, USA
| | - Grant V. Hilderbrand
- National Park Service, Alaska Regional Office, 240 W 5th Avenue, Anchorage, AK 99501, USA
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11
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Bornbusch SL, Keady MM, Power ML, Muletz-Wolz CR. Milk microbiomes of three great ape species vary among host species and over time. Sci Rep 2022; 12:11017. [PMID: 35773288 PMCID: PMC9247006 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-15091-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
In mammalian neonates, milk consumption provides nutrients, growth factors, immune molecules, and microbes. Milk microbiomes are increasingly recognized for their roles in seeding infant gut microbiomes and priming immune development. However, milk microbiome variation within and among individuals remains under investigation. We used 16S rRNA gene sequencing to investigate factors shaping milk microbiomes in three captive great ape species: Gorilla gorilla gorilla (individuals, N = 4; samples, n = 29), Pongo abelii (N = 2; n = 16), and Pongo pygmaeus (N = 1; n = 9). We demonstrate variation among host species, over lactation, and between housing facilities. In phylogenetic community composition, milk microbiomes were distinct among the three ape species. We found only a few shared, abundant bacterial taxa and suggest that they likely serve functional roles. The diversity and community composition of milk microbiomes showed gradual changes over time in gorillas and the Bornean orangutan, which was detectable with our comprehensive sampling over lactation stages (> 300-day span). In gorillas, milk microbiomes differed between housing facilities, but were similar between dams within a facility. These results support the strong influence of evolutionary history in shaping milk microbiomes, but also indicate that more proximate cues from mother, offspring, and the environment affect the distribution of rarer microbial taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sally L Bornbusch
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC, USA.
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC, USA.
| | - Mia M Keady
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC, USA
- Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Michael L Power
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Carly R Muletz-Wolz
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC, USA
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12
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Wilson AE, Michaud SA, Jackson AM, Stenhouse G, McClelland CJR, Coops NC, Janz DM. Protein biomarkers in serum as a conservation tool to assess reproduction: a case study on brown bears ( Ursus arctos). CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 9:coab091. [PMID: 34888057 PMCID: PMC8651255 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coab091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Monitoring the reproductive characteristics of a species can complement existing conservation strategies by understanding the mechanisms underlying demography. However, methodology to determine important aspects of female reproductive biology is often absent in monitoring programs for large mammals. Protein biomarkers may be a useful tool to detect physiological changes that are indicative of reproductive state. This study aimed to identify protein biomarkers of reproductive status in serum collected from free-ranging female brown bears (Ursus arctos) in Alberta, Canada, from 2001 to 2018. We hypothesized that the expression of proteins related to reproduction in addition to energetics and stress can be used to answer specific management-focused questions: (i) identify when a female is pregnant, (ii) detect if a female is lactating, (iii) determine age of sexual maturity (i.e. primiparity) and (iv) assess female fertility (i.e. reproduction rate). Furthermore, we investigated if silver spoon effects (favourable early life conditions provide fitness benefits through adulthood) could be determined using protein expression. A target panel of 19 proteins with established relationships to physiological function was measured by peptide-based analysis using liquid chromatography and multiple reaction monitoring mass spectrometry and their differential expression was evaluated using a Wilcoxon signed-rank test. We found biomarkers of pregnancy (apolipoprotein B-100 and afamin), lactation (apolipoprotein B-100 and alpha-2-macroglobulin) and sexual maturity (corticosteroid-binding globulin), but there were no statistically significant relationships with protein expression and fertility. The expression of proteins related to reproduction (afamin) and energetics (vitamin-D binding protein) was associated with the nutritional quality of the individual's present habitat rather than their early life habitat. This study highlights potential biomarkers of reproductive status and provides additional methods for monitoring physiological function in wildlife to inform conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abbey E Wilson
- Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5B4, Canada
| | - Sarah A Michaud
- The University of Victoria Genome BC Proteomics Centre, 4464 Markham St #3101, Victoria, British Columbia V8Z 7X8, Canada
| | - Angela M Jackson
- The University of Victoria Genome BC Proteomics Centre, 4464 Markham St #3101, Victoria, British Columbia V8Z 7X8, Canada
| | - Gordon Stenhouse
- Grizzly Bear Program, fRI Research, 1176 Switzer Drive, Hinton, Alberta T7V 1V3, Canada
| | | | - Nicholas C Coops
- Department of Forest Resource Management, University of British Columbia, 2424 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - David M Janz
- Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5B4, Canada
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Sandagdorj B, Baigalmaa T, Burenjargal S, Horiuchi M, Enkhdalai M, Bayanbat D, Janchiv D, Jamyandorj O, Ulzii-Orshikh P, Nyam-Osor P. Relationship between lactational performance and metabolic parameters of Mongolian native grazing mares. J Equine Sci 2021; 32:91-98. [PMID: 34539210 PMCID: PMC8437754 DOI: 10.1294/jes.32.91] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Information regarding the lactational performance of mares in relation to metabolic
parameters can help practitioners to manipulate animal rearing management for sustainable
mare milk production. The aim of this study was to characterize the lactational
performance of Mongolian native mares grazing on natural pastureland by revealing the
seasonal effects on metabolic parameters. In this study, 8 multiparous mares were used.
Milk yield and composition and serum metabolic parameters, such as alanine
aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), glucose (GLU), triacylglycerol, total
cholesterol (TCH), non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA), albumin, urea, total protein,
cortisol (Cort), and insulin, were determined at 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, 210, 240, and
270 days of lactation. During the lactation period, milk yield peaked at around the 90th
day and declined sharply in the following period. While the milk fat and protein contents
decreased gradually from the early stages of lactation to the late stages, the lactose
content was highest at mid-lactation and stayed constant until the end of the lactation
period. Meanwhile, changes were observed between the stages of lactation, and the
differences in metabolic parameters were significant (P<0.05), except for AST and GLU.
The strongest correlation was found with NEFA (P<0.01), followed by the Cort
(P<0.05) concentration, with both parameters showing negative correlation, and strong
positive correlation was detected between the milk yield and TCH (P<0.05)
concentration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Badrakh Sandagdorj
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Mongolian University of Life Sciences, Ulaanbaatar 17024, Mongolia
| | - Tserenpil Baigalmaa
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Mongolian University of Life Sciences, Ulaanbaatar 17024, Mongolia
| | - Sedhuu Burenjargal
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Mongolian University of Life Sciences, Ulaanbaatar 17024, Mongolia
| | - Motohiro Horiuchi
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Mongolian University of Life Sciences, Ulaanbaatar 17024, Mongolia
| | - Munkhbat Enkhdalai
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Mongolian University of Life Sciences, Ulaanbaatar 17024, Mongolia
| | - Davaakhuu Bayanbat
- School of Animal Science, Mongolian University of Life Sciences, Ulaanbaatar 17024, Mongolia
| | - Dashdorj Janchiv
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Mongolian University of Life Sciences, Ulaanbaatar 17024, Mongolia
| | - Ooyo Jamyandorj
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Mongolian University of Life Sciences, Ulaanbaatar 17024, Mongolia
| | | | - Purevdorj Nyam-Osor
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Mongolian University of Life Sciences, Ulaanbaatar 17024, Mongolia
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14
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Maternal effects in mammals: Broadening our understanding of offspring programming. Front Neuroendocrinol 2021; 62:100924. [PMID: 33992652 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2021.100924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 04/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The perinatal period is a sensitive time in mammalian development that can have long-lasting consequences on offspring phenotype via maternal effects. Maternal effects have been most intensively studied with respect to two major conditions: maternal diet and maternal stress. In this review, we shift the focus by discussing five major additional maternal cues and their influence on offspring phenotype: maternal androgen levels, photoperiod (melatonin), microbiome, immune regulation, and milk composition. We present the key findings for each of these topics in mammals, their mechanisms of action, and how they interact with each other and with the maternal influences of diet and stress. We explore their impacts in the contexts of both predictive adaptive responses and the developmental origins of disease, identify knowledge gaps and research opportunities in the field, and place a particular emphasis on the application and consideration of these effects in non-model species and natural ecological systems.
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15
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Horst EA, Kvidera SK, Baumgard LH. Invited review: The influence of immune activation on transition cow health and performance-A critical evaluation of traditional dogmas. J Dairy Sci 2021; 104:8380-8410. [PMID: 34053763 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2021-20330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The progression from gestation into lactation represents the transition period, and it is accompanied by marked physiological, metabolic, and inflammatory adjustments. The entire lactation and a cow's opportunity to have an additional lactation are heavily dependent on how successfully she adapts during the periparturient period. Additionally, a disproportionate amount of health care and culling occurs early following parturition. Thus, lactation maladaptation has been a heavily researched area of dairy science for more than 50 yr. It was traditionally thought that excessive adipose tissue mobilization in large part dictated transition period success. Further, the magnitude of hypocalcemia has also been assumed to partly control whether a cow effectively navigates the first few months of lactation. The canon became that adipose tissue released nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) and the resulting hepatic-derived ketones coupled with hypocalcemia lead to immune suppression, which is responsible for transition disorders (e.g., mastitis, metritis, retained placenta, poor fertility). In other words, the dogma evolved that these metabolites and hypocalcemia were causal to transition cow problems and that large efforts should be enlisted to prevent increased NEFA, hyperketonemia, and subclinical hypocalcemia. However, despite intensive academic and industry focus, the periparturient period remains a large hurdle to animal welfare, farm profitability, and dairy sustainability. Thus, it stands to reason that there are alternative explanations to periparturient failures. Recently, it has become firmly established that immune activation and the ipso facto inflammatory response are a normal component of transition cow biology. The origin of immune activation likely stems from the mammary gland, tissue trauma during parturition, and the gastrointestinal tract. If inflammation becomes pathological, it reduces feed intake and causes hypocalcemia. Our tenet is that immune system utilization of glucose and its induction of hypophagia are responsible for the extensive increase in NEFA and ketones, and this explains why they (and the severity of hypocalcemia) are correlated with poor health, production, and reproduction outcomes. In this review, we argue that changes in circulating NEFA, ketones, and calcium are simply reflective of either (1) normal homeorhetic adjustments that healthy, high-producing cows use to prioritize milk synthesis or (2) the consequence of immune activation and its sequelae.
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Affiliation(s)
- E A Horst
- Department of Animal Science, Iowa State University, Ames 50011
| | - S K Kvidera
- Department of Animal Science, Iowa State University, Ames 50011
| | - L H Baumgard
- Department of Animal Science, Iowa State University, Ames 50011.
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16
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Sawyer L. β-Lactoglobulin and Glycodelin: Two Sides of the Same Coin? Front Physiol 2021; 12:678080. [PMID: 34093238 PMCID: PMC8173191 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.678080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The two lipocalins, β-lactoglobulin (βLg) and glycodelin (Gd), are possibly the most closely related members of the large and widely distributed lipocalin family, yet their functions appear to be substantially different. Indeed, the function of β-lactoglobulin, a major component of ruminant milk, is still unclear although neonatal nutrition is clearly important. On the other hand, glycodelin has several specific functions in reproduction conferred through distinct, tissue specific glycosylation of the polypeptide backbone. It is also associated with some cancer outcomes. The glycodelin gene, PAEP, reflecting one of its names, progestagen-associated endometrial protein, is expressed in many though not all primates, but the name has now also been adopted for the β-lactoglobulin gene (HGNC, www.genenames.org). After a general overview of the two proteins in the context of the lipocalin family, this review considers the properties of each in the light of their physiological functional significance, supplementing earlier reviews to include studies from the past decade. While the biological function of glycodelin is reasonably well defined, that of β-lactoglobulin remains elusive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay Sawyer
- School of Biological Sciences, IQB3, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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17
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Raverty S, St. Leger J, Noren DP, Burek Huntington K, Rotstein DS, Gulland FMD, Ford JKB, Hanson MB, Lambourn DM, Huggins J, Delaney MA, Spaven L, Rowles T, Barre L, Cottrell P, Ellis G, Goldstein T, Terio K, Duffield D, Rice J, Gaydos JK. Pathology findings and correlation with body condition index in stranded killer whales (Orcinus orca) in the northeastern Pacific and Hawaii from 2004 to 2013. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0242505. [PMID: 33264305 PMCID: PMC7710042 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0242505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding health and mortality in killer whales (Orcinus orca) is crucial for management and conservation actions. We reviewed pathology reports from 53 animals that stranded in the eastern Pacific Ocean and Hawaii between 2004 and 2013 and used data from 35 animals that stranded from 2001 to 2017 to assess association with morphometrics, blubber thickness, body condition and cause of death. Of the 53 cases, cause of death was determined for 22 (42%) and nine additional animals demonstrated findings of significant importance for population health. Causes of calf mortalities included infectious disease, nutritional, and congenital malformations. Mortalities in sub-adults were due to trauma, malnutrition, and infectious disease and in adults due to bacterial infections, emaciation and blunt force trauma. Death related to human interaction was found in every age class. Important incidental findings included concurrent sarcocystosis and toxoplasmosis, uterine leiomyoma, vertebral periosteal proliferations, cookiecutter shark (Isistius sp.) bite wounds, excessive tooth wear and an ingested fish hook. Blubber thickness increased significantly with body length (all p < 0.001). In contrast, there was no relationship between body length and an index of body condition (BCI). BCI was higher in animals that died from trauma. This study establishes a baseline for understanding health, nutritional status and causes of mortality in stranded killer whales. Given the evidence of direct human interactions on all age classes, in order to be most successful recovery efforts should address the threat of human interactions, especially for small endangered groups of killer whales that occur in close proximity to large human populations, interact with recreational and commercial fishers and transit established shipping lanes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Raverty
- Animal Health Center, Ministry of Agriculture, Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada
- * E-mail:
| | - Judy St. Leger
- Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Dawn P. Noren
- Conservation Biology Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | | | - David S. Rotstein
- Marine Mammal Pathology Service, Olney, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Frances M. D. Gulland
- One Health Institute, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California - Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - John K. B. Ford
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Science Branch, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
| | - M. Bradley Hanson
- Conservation Biology Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Dyanna M. Lambourn
- Marine Mammal Investigations, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Lakewood, Washington, United States of America
| | - Jessie Huggins
- Cascadia Research Collective, Olympia, Washington, United States of America
| | - Martha A. Delaney
- Zoological Pathology Program, University of Illinois, Brookfield, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Lisa Spaven
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Science Branch, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Teri Rowles
- Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Lynne Barre
- West Coast Regional Office, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Paul Cottrell
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Fisheries and Aquaculture Management, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Graeme Ellis
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Science Branch, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Tracey Goldstein
- One Health Institute, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California - Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Karen Terio
- Zoological Pathology Program, University of Illinois, Brookfield, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Debbie Duffield
- Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Jim Rice
- Oregon State University, Newport, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Joseph K. Gaydos
- The SeaDoc Society, Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center - Orcas Island Office, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, Eastsound, Washington, United States of America
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18
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Peterson SH, Ackerman JT, Hartman CA, Casazza ML, Feldheim CL, Herzog MP. Mercury exposure in mammalian mesopredators inhabiting a brackish marsh. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2020; 273:115808. [PMID: 33497946 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2020] [Revised: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Bioaccumulation of environmental contaminants in mammalian predators can serve as an indicator of ecosystem health. We examined mercury concentrations of raccoons (Procyon lotor; n = 37 individuals) and striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis; n = 87 individuals) in Suisun Marsh, California, a large brackish marsh that is characterized by contiguous tracts of tidal marsh and seasonally impounded wetlands. Mean (standard error; range) total mercury concentrations in adult hair grown from 2015 to 2018 were 28.50 μg/g dw (3.05 μg/g dw; range: 4.46-81.01 μg/g dw) in raccoons and 4.85 μg/g dw (0.54 μg/g dw; range: 1.53-27.02 μg/g dw) in striped skunks. We reviewed mammalian hair mercury concentrations in the literature and raccoon mercury concentrations in Suisun Marsh were among the highest observed for wild mammals. Although striped skunk hair mercury concentrations were 83% lower than raccoons, they were higher than proposed background levels for mercury in mesopredator hair (1-5 μg/g). Hair mercury concentrations in skunks and raccoons were not related to animal size, but mercury concentrations were higher in skunks in poorer body condition. Large inter-annual differences in hair mercury concentrations suggest that methylmercury exposure to mammalian predators varied among years. Mercury concentrations of raccoon hair grown in 2017 were 2.7 times greater than hair grown in 2015, 1.7 times greater than hair grown in 2016, and 1.6 times greater than hair grown in 2018. Annual mean raccoon and skunk hair mercury concentrations increased with wetland habitat area. Furthermore, during 2017, raccoon hair mercury concentrations increased with the proportion of raccoon home ranges that was wetted habitat, as quantified using global positioning system (GPS) collars. The elevated mercury concentrations we observed in raccoons and skunks suggest that other wildlife at similar or higher trophic positions may also be exposed to elevated methylmercury bioaccumulation in brackish marshes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah H Peterson
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, 800 Business Park Drive Suite D, Dixon, CA, 95620, USA.
| | - Joshua T Ackerman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, 800 Business Park Drive Suite D, Dixon, CA, 95620, USA
| | - C Alex Hartman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, 800 Business Park Drive Suite D, Dixon, CA, 95620, USA
| | - Michael L Casazza
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, 800 Business Park Drive Suite D, Dixon, CA, 95620, USA
| | - Cliff L Feldheim
- California Department of Water Resources, 3500 Industrial Blvd #131, West Sacramento, CA 95691, USA
| | - Mark P Herzog
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, 800 Business Park Drive Suite D, Dixon, CA, 95620, USA
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19
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Heffelfinger LJ, Stewart KM, Shoemaker KT, Darby NW, Bleich VC. Balancing Current and Future Reproductive Investment: Variation in Resource Selection During Stages of Reproduction in a Long-Lived Herbivore. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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20
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Ruf T, Bieber C. Physiological, Behavioral, and Life-History Adaptations to Environmental Fluctuations in the Edible Dormouse. Front Physiol 2020; 11:423. [PMID: 32431626 PMCID: PMC7214925 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.00423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The edible dormouse (Glis glis, formerly Myoxus glis) is a small arboreal mammal inhabiting deciduous forests in Europe. This rodent shows behavioral and physiological adaptations to three types of environmental fluctuations: (i) predictable seasonal variation in climate and food resources (ii) unpredictable year-to-year fluctuation in seed-production by trees and (iii) day-to-day variation in ambient temperature and precipitation. They cope with seasonally fluctuating conditions by seasonal fattening and hibernation. Dormice have adjusted to tree-mast fluctuations, i.e., pulsed resources, by sensing future seed availability in spring, and restricting reproduction to years with at least some seed production by beech and oak trees, which are a crucial food-resource for fast-growing juveniles in fall. Finally, dormice respond to short-term drops in ambient temperature by increased use of daily torpor as well as by huddling in groups of up to 24 conspecifics. These responses to environmental fluctuations strongly interact with each other: Dormice are much more prone to using daily torpor and huddling in non-reproductive years, because active gonads can counteract torpor and energy requirements for reproduction may prevent the sharing of food resources associated with huddling. Accordingly, foraging activity in fall is much more intense in reproductive mast years. Also, depending on their energy reserves, dormice may retreat to underground burrows in the summers of non-reproductive years, causing an extension of the hibernation season to up to 11.4 months. In addition to these interactions, responses to environmental fluctuations are modulated by the progression of life-history stages. With increasing age and diminishing chances of future reproduction, females reproduce with increasing frequency even under suboptimal environmental conditions. Simultaneously, older dormice shorten the hibernation season and phase-advance the emergence from hibernation in spring, apparently to occupy good breeding territories early, despite increased predation risk above ground. All of the above adaptions, i.e., huddling, torpor, hibernation, and reproduction skipping do not merely optimize energy-budgets but also help to balance individual predation risk against reproductive success, which adds another layer of complexity to the ability to make flexible adjustments in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Ruf
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Claudia Bieber
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
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21
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Watson DG, Pomeroy PP, Al-Tannak NF, Kennedy MW. Stockpiling by pups and self-sacrifice by their fasting mothers observed in birth to weaning serum metabolomes of Atlantic grey seals. Sci Rep 2020; 10:7465. [PMID: 32366923 PMCID: PMC7198541 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-64488-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
During the uniquely short lactations of true seals, pups acquire a greater proportion of maternal body resources, at a greater rate, than in any other group of mammals. Mothers in many species enter a period of anorexia but must preserve sufficient reserves to fuel hunting and thermoregulation for return to cold seas. Moreover, pups may undergo a period of development after weaning during which they have no maternal care or nutrition. This nutritionally closed system presents a potentially extreme case of conflict between maternal survival and adequate provisioning of offspring, likely presenting strains on their metabolisms. We examined the serum metabolomes of five mother and pup pairs of Atlantic grey seals, Halichoerus grypus, from birth to weaning. Changes with time were particularly evident in pups, with indications of strain in the fat and energy metabolisms of both. Crucially, pups accumulate certain compounds to levels that are dramatically greater than in mothers. These include compounds that pups cannot synthesise themselves, such as pyridoxine/vitamin B6, taurine, some essential amino acids, and a conditionally essential amino acid and its precursor. Fasting mothers therefore appear to mediate stockpiling of critical metabolites in their pups, potentially depleting their own reserves and prompting cessation of lactation.
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Affiliation(s)
- David G Watson
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, 161 Cathedral Street, Glasgow, G4 0RE, Scotland, UK.
| | - Patrick P Pomeroy
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Naser F Al-Tannak
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, 161 Cathedral Street, Glasgow, G4 0RE, Scotland, UK.,Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Kuwait University, P.O. Box 23924, Safat, 13110, Kuwait City, Kuwait
| | - Malcolm W Kennedy
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, Graham Kerr Building, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, Scotland, UK.
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22
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Zhao S, Zhao Y, Rogers KM, Chen G, Chen A, Yang S. Application of multi-element (C, N, H, O) stable isotope ratio analysis for the traceability of milk samples from China. Food Chem 2019; 310:125826. [PMID: 31767489 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2019.125826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2019] [Revised: 10/28/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Cow milk samples from various provinces in China were collected, and the effects of lactation stage, sampling time, and geographic origin on the samples were studied by elemental analysis-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (EA-IRMS). Traceability accuracy was determined using δ13C, δ15N, δ2H and δ18O values to specifically assign geographic origin. Stable isotope ratios of C, N, H and O were not significantly different among three lactation stages; however the δ13C, δ15N, and δ18O values of milk were influenced by sampling time. Furthermore, there were highly significant regional differences in the mean δ13C and δ15N values of milk. In summary, the lactation stage had no effect on the traceability of milk, whereas sampling time and geographic origin did affect milk traceability. Different geographic locations with a separation distance greater than 0.7 km can be distinguished using multi-element (C, N, H, O) stable isotope ratio analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanshan Zhao
- Institute of Quality Standard & Testing Technology for Agro-Products, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China; Key Laboratory of Agro-product Quality and Safety, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Yan Zhao
- Institute of Quality Standard & Testing Technology for Agro-Products, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China; Key Laboratory of Agro-product Quality and Safety, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing 100081, China.
| | - Karyne M Rogers
- National Isotope Centre, GNS Science, 30 Gracefield Road, Lower Hutt 5040, New Zealand
| | - Gang Chen
- Institute of Quality Standard & Testing Technology for Agro-Products, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China; Key Laboratory of Agro-product Quality and Safety, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Ailiang Chen
- Institute of Quality Standard & Testing Technology for Agro-Products, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China; Key Laboratory of Agro-product Quality and Safety, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Shuming Yang
- Institute of Quality Standard & Testing Technology for Agro-Products, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China; Key Laboratory of Agro-product Quality and Safety, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing 100081, China
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Zhong H, Song Y, Wang P, Feng B, Zhang X, Che L, Lin Y, Xu S, Li J, Wu D, Fang Z. Mammary Protein Synthesis upon Long-Term Nutritional Restriction Was Attenuated by Oxidative-Stress-Induced Inhibition of Vacuolar H +-Adenosine Triphosphatase/Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin Complex 1 Signaling. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2019; 67:8950-8957. [PMID: 31189310 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.9b02170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
To determine how nutritional restriction compromised milk synthesis, sows were fed 100% (control) or 76% (restricted) of the recommended feed allowance from postpartum day (PD)-1 to PD-28. In comparison to the control, more body reserves loss, increased plasma triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, and decreased plasma methionine concentrations were observed in the restricted group at PD-21. The increased plasma malondialdehyde level, decreased plasma histidine and taurine concentrations, and decreased glutathione peroxidase activity were observed at PD-28 when backfat loss further increased in the restricted group. In mammary glands, vacuolar H+-adenosine triphosphatase (v-ATPase), as the upstream of the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling, showed decreased activity, while phosphorylation of mTOR, S6 kinase, and eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E-binding protein 1 and β-casein abundance all decreased following feed restriction. Altogether, long-term nutrition restriction could induce progressively aggravated oxidative stress and compromise mammary protein synthesis through repression of v-ATPase/mTORC1 signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heju Zhong
- Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Resistance Nutrition of the Ministry of Education, Animal Nutrition Institute , Sichuan Agricultural University , Chengdu , Sichuan 611130 , People's Republic of China
| | - Yumo Song
- Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Resistance Nutrition of the Ministry of Education, Animal Nutrition Institute , Sichuan Agricultural University , Chengdu , Sichuan 611130 , People's Republic of China
| | - Peng Wang
- Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Resistance Nutrition of the Ministry of Education, Animal Nutrition Institute , Sichuan Agricultural University , Chengdu , Sichuan 611130 , People's Republic of China
| | - Bin Feng
- Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Resistance Nutrition of the Ministry of Education, Animal Nutrition Institute , Sichuan Agricultural University , Chengdu , Sichuan 611130 , People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoling Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Resistance Nutrition of the Ministry of Education, Animal Nutrition Institute , Sichuan Agricultural University , Chengdu , Sichuan 611130 , People's Republic of China
| | - Lianqiang Che
- Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Resistance Nutrition of the Ministry of Education, Animal Nutrition Institute , Sichuan Agricultural University , Chengdu , Sichuan 611130 , People's Republic of China
| | - Yan Lin
- Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Resistance Nutrition of the Ministry of Education, Animal Nutrition Institute , Sichuan Agricultural University , Chengdu , Sichuan 611130 , People's Republic of China
| | - Shengyu Xu
- Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Resistance Nutrition of the Ministry of Education, Animal Nutrition Institute , Sichuan Agricultural University , Chengdu , Sichuan 611130 , People's Republic of China
| | - Jian Li
- Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Resistance Nutrition of the Ministry of Education, Animal Nutrition Institute , Sichuan Agricultural University , Chengdu , Sichuan 611130 , People's Republic of China
| | - De Wu
- Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Resistance Nutrition of the Ministry of Education, Animal Nutrition Institute , Sichuan Agricultural University , Chengdu , Sichuan 611130 , People's Republic of China
| | - Zhengfeng Fang
- Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Resistance Nutrition of the Ministry of Education, Animal Nutrition Institute , Sichuan Agricultural University , Chengdu , Sichuan 611130 , People's Republic of China
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Rogers EJ, Sommers AS, McGuire LP. Seasonal Dynamics of Lipid Metabolism and Energy Storage in the Brazilian Free-Tailed Bat. Physiol Biochem Zool 2019; 92:386-395. [DOI: 10.1086/704107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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25
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Nie Y, Wei F, Zhou W, Hu Y, Senior AM, Wu Q, Yan L, Raubenheimer D. Giant Pandas Are Macronutritional Carnivores. Curr Biol 2019; 29:1677-1682.e2. [PMID: 31056385 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.03.067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2019] [Revised: 03/13/2019] [Accepted: 03/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Giant pandas are unusual in belonging to a primarily carnivorous clade and yet being extremely specialized herbivores that feed almost exclusively on highly fibrous bamboo [1]. Paradoxically, they appear inconsistently adapted to their plant diet, bearing a mix of herbivore and carnivore traits. Herbivore traits include a skull, jaw musculature, and dentition that are adapted for fibrous diets and a specialized "pseudo-thumb" used for handling bamboo [2, 3]. They have lost functional versions of the T1R1 gene codes for umami taste receptors, which are often associated with meat eating [3]. They also have an herbivore-like subcellular distribution of the metabolic enzyme alanine: glyoxylate aminotransferase [4]. But meanwhile, giant pandas have a digestive tract [5], digestive enzymes [6], and a gut microbiota composition that resemble those of carnivores and not of herbivores [6, 7]. We draw on recent developments in multi-dimensional niche theory [8] to examine this apparent paradox. We show that the pandas' diet clustered in a macronutrient space among carnivores and was distinct from that of herbivores. The similarity with carnivore diets applied not only to the ingested diet but also to the absorbed diet, with the absorbed macronutrient ratios similar to those of the ingested foods. Comparison of the macronutrient composition of pandas' milk with those of other species shows that the carnivore-like dietary macronutrient composition extends across the life cycle. These results cast new light on the seemingly incongruous constellation of dietary adaptations in pandas, suggesting that the transition from carnivorous and omnivorous ancestry to specialized herbivory might be less abrupt than it might otherwise appear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yonggang Nie
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Fuwen Wei
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
| | - Wenliang Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yibo Hu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Alistair M Senior
- The Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, Australia
| | - Qi Wu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Li Yan
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - David Raubenheimer
- The Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, Australia
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Renaud LA, Blanchet FG, Cohen AA, Pelletier F. Causes and short-term consequences of variation in milk composition in wild sheep. J Anim Ecol 2019; 88:857-869. [PMID: 30883718 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Ecologists seek to understand the fitness consequences of variation in physiological markers, under the hypothesis that physiological state is linked to variability in individual condition and life history. Thus, ecologists are often interested in estimating correlations between entire suites of correlated traits, or biomarkers, but sample size limitations often do not allow us to do this properly when large numbers of traits or biomarkers are considered. Latent variables are a powerful tool to overcome this complexity. Recent statistical advances have enabled a new class of multivariate models-multivariate hierarchical modelling (MHM) with latent variables-which allow to statistically estimate unstructured covariances/correlations among traits with reduced constraints on the number of degrees of freedom to account in the model. It is thus possible to highlight correlated structures in potentially very large numbers of traits. Here, we apply MHM to evaluate the relative importance of individual differences and environmental effects on milk composition and identify the drivers of this variation. We ask whether variation in bighorn sheep milk affects offspring fitness. We evaluate whether mothers show repeatable individual differences in the concentrations of 11 markers of milk composition, and we investigate the relative importance of annual variability, maternal identity and morphological traits in structuring milk composition. We then use variance estimates to investigate how a subset of repeatable milk markers influence lamb summer survival. Repeatability of milk markers ranged from 0.05 to 0.64 after accounting for year-to-year variations. Milk composition was weakly but significantly associated with maternal mass in June and September, summer mass gain and winter mass loss. Variation explained by year-to-year fluctuations ranged from 0.07 to 0.91 suggesting a strong influence of environmental variability on milk composition. Milk composition did not affect lamb survival to weaning. Using joint models in ecological, physiological or behavioural contexts has the major advantage of decomposing a (co)variance/correlation matrix while being estimated with fewer parameters than in a "traditional" mixed-effects model. The joint models presented here complement a growing list of tools to analyse correlations at different hierarchical levels separately and may thus represent a partial solution to the conundrum of physiological complexity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Limoilou-Amelie Renaud
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada.,Centre d'Études Nordiques, Université Laval, Québec, Quebec, Canada.,Centre de la science de la biodiversité du Québec, McGill University, Stewart Biology Building, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Alan A Cohen
- Department of Family Medicine, Centre de Recherche du CHUS, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Fanie Pelletier
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada.,Centre d'Études Nordiques, Université Laval, Québec, Quebec, Canada.,Centre de la science de la biodiversité du Québec, McGill University, Stewart Biology Building, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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Peterson SH, Ackerman JT, Crocker DE, Costa DP. Foraging and fasting can influence contaminant concentrations in animals: an example with mercury contamination in a free-ranging marine mammal. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 285:rspb.2017.2782. [PMID: 29436501 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.2782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2017] [Accepted: 01/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Large fluctuations in animal body mass in relation to life-history events can influence contaminant concentrations and toxicological risk. We quantified mercury concentrations in adult northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) before and after lengthy at sea foraging trips (n = 89) or fasting periods on land (n = 27), and showed that mercury concentrations in blood and muscle changed in response to these events. The highest blood mercury concentrations were observed after the breeding fast, whereas the highest muscle mercury concentrations were observed when seals returned to land to moult. Mean female blood mercury concentrations decreased by 30% across each of the two annual foraging trips, demonstrating a foraging-associated dilution of mercury concentrations as seals gained mass. Blood mercury concentrations increased by 103% and 24% across the breeding and moulting fasts, respectively, demonstrating a fasting-associated concentration of mercury as seals lost mass. In contrast to blood, mercury concentrations in female's muscle increased by 19% during the post-breeding foraging trip and did not change during the post-moulting foraging trip. While fasting, female muscle mercury concentrations increased 26% during breeding, but decreased 14% during moulting. Consequently, regardless of exposure, an animal's contaminant concentration can be markedly influenced by their annual life-history events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah H Peterson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA .,Institute of Marine Science, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA.,US Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, Dixon, CA, USA
| | - Joshua T Ackerman
- US Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, Dixon, CA, USA
| | - Daniel E Crocker
- Department of Biology, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, CA, USA
| | - Daniel P Costa
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
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28
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Pokharel SS, Seshagiri PB, Sukumar R. Influence of the number of calves and lactating adult females in a herd on the adrenocortical activity of free-ranging Asian elephants. WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2019. [DOI: 10.1071/wr18163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
ContextPhysiological stress has the potential to influence animal population persistence. The endangered Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) is involved in intense conflict with humans in many parts of its range, which likely leads to stress for individuals and groups, with consequences for population survival. Thus, it is important to understand how the elephants’ stress levels are influenced by socio-ecological factors when not directly exposed to human-induced threats, and to use this understanding to improve conservation and management strategies.
AimsThe present study was designed to provide baseline information on the link between socio-ecological factors and stress levels of undisturbed populations of elephants. The main aim was to determine the influence of a number of factors – herd size, season, number of calves and adult females present in a herd and their lactational status and body condition – on the adrenocortical activity of free-ranging adult female Asian elephants living in protected forests (without any direct exposure to human-induced threats), by measuring their faecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM) levels.
MethodsA total of 145 fresh faecal samples were collected from 123 identified adult female elephants inhabiting Bandipur and Nagarahole National Parks of southern India, between the years 2013 and 2015. fGCM levels were measured by employing a group-specific standardised 11-oxoetiocholanolone enzyme immunoassay (EIA). A generalised linear mixed-effects model (GLMM) was used to assess the influence of socio-ecological factors on fGCM levels of adult female elephants.
Key resultsWhen fGCM levels were analysed with a GLMM, the following patterns were observed: fGCM levels were negatively correlated with the number of adult females (herd size) and positively correlated with the number of calves in a herd and active lactational status of an adult female. fGCM levels of adult female elephants were higher during the dry season (February to May) than wet season (August to December) and negatively correlated with body condition scores.
ConclusionsAdrenocortical activity of female elephants is significantly influenced by the number of calves and adult females present in the herd, seasonality and lactational status.
ImplicationsIt is important to consider the influence of multiple ecological and social correlates when assessing and interpreting the adrenocortical activity of Asian elephants. Our findings highlight the importance of maintaining the social structure of elephants in the wild to avoid detrimental effects on their physiological health. Insights from such assessments could be used to evaluate the stress in elephants that are involved in direct conflicts with humans to take appropriate management decisions for mitigating conflicts.
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Smiley KO, Ladyman SR, Gustafson P, Grattan DR, Brown RSE. Neuroendocrinology and Adaptive Physiology of Maternal Care. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2019; 43:161-210. [PMID: 31808002 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2019_122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Parental care is critical for offspring survival in many species. In mammals, parental care is primarily provided through maternal care, due to obligate pregnancy and lactation constraints, although some species also show paternal and alloparental care. These behaviors are driven by specialized neural circuits that receive sensory, cortical, and hormonal input to generate a coordinated and timely change in behavior, and sustain that behavior through activation of reward pathways. Importantly, the hormonal changes associated with pregnancy and lactation also act to coordinate a broad range of physiological changes to support the mother and enable her to adapt to the demands of these states. This chapter will review the neural pathways that regulate maternal behavior, the hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy and lactation, and how these two facets merge together to promote both young-directed maternal responses (including nursing and grooming) and young-related responses (including maternal aggression and other physiological adaptions to support the development of and caring for young). We conclude by examining how experimental animal work has translated into knowledge of human parenting, particularly in regards to maternal mental health issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina O Smiley
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Sharon R Ladyman
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.,Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Papillon Gustafson
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - David R Grattan
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.,Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Rosemary S E Brown
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Physiology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
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30
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Giant panda twin rearing without assistance requires more interactions and less rest of the mother-A case study at Vienna Zoo. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0207433. [PMID: 30485373 PMCID: PMC6261581 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0207433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2018] [Accepted: 10/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The giant pandas' (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) reproductive strategy is unique among mammals. Yet there are characteristics of giant panda behaviour we do not fully understand. Probably one of the least understood is the assumption that in captivity virtually all giant panda females rear only one cub when twins are born and abandon the other if given the chance. So far, only two females have raised twins simultaneously, but just with intensive human assistance. This case-study marks the first successful rearing of giant panda twins in captivity entirely by the mother. Using video data for detailed behavioural observations, we provide the first behavioural assessment of a giant panda female raising two cubs simultaneously without direct human assistance or disturbance. We compared the maternal behaviour during the denning period of twin cubs raised in 2016 with two singleton cubs born 2007 and 2010. YANG YANG, the dam, rested less and interacted more with the twins than with the singletons in the first month postpartum and invested a greater part of her daily time budget on rearing the twins. We discuss potential favourable factors for the autonomous twin-rearing of a female giant panda, which could serve as a model for similar efforts elsewhere.
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31
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Zhong H, Wang P, Song Y, Zhang X, Che L, Feng B, Lin Y, Xu S, Li J, Wu D, Wu Q, Fang Z. Mammary cell proliferation and catabolism of adipose tissues in nutrition-restricted lactating sows were associated with extracellular high glutamate levels. J Anim Sci Biotechnol 2018; 9:78. [PMID: 30410753 PMCID: PMC6217789 DOI: 10.1186/s40104-018-0293-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2018] [Accepted: 09/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Persistent lactation, as the result of mammary cellular anabolism and secreting function, is dependent on substantial mobilization or catabolism of body reserves under nutritional deficiency. However, little is known about the biochemical mechanisms for nutrition-restricted lactating animals to simultaneously maintain the anabolism of mammary cells while catabolism of body reserves. In present study, lactating sows with restricted feed allowance (RFA) (n = 6), 24% feed restriction compared with the control (CON) group (n = 6), were used as the nutrition-restricted model. Microdialysis and mammary venous cannulas methods were used to monitor postprandial dynamic changes of metabolites in adipose and mammary tissues. Results At lactation d 28, the RFA group showed higher (P < 0.05) loss of body weight and backfat than the CON group. Compared with the CON group, the adipose tissue of the RFA group had higher (P < 0.05) extracellular glutamate and insulin levels, increased (P < 0.05) lipolysis related genes (HSL and ATGL) expression, and decreased (P < 0.05) glucose transport and metabolism related genes (VAMP8, PKLR and LDHB) expression. These results indicated that under nutritional restriction, reduced insulin-mediated glucose uptake and metabolism and increased lipolysis in adipose tissues was related to extracellular high glutamate concentration. As for mammary glands, compared with the CON group, the RFA group had up-regulated (P < 0.05) expression of Notch signaling ligand (DLL3) and receptors (NOTCH2 and NOTCH4), higher (P < 0.05) extracellular glutamate concentration, while expression of cell proliferation related genes and concentrations of most metabolites in mammary veins were not different (P > 0.05) between groups. Accordingly, piglet performance and milk yield did not differ (P > 0.05) between groups. It would appear that activation of Notch signaling and adequate supply of glutamate might assist mammogenesis. Conclusions Mammary cell proliferation and catabolism of adipose tissues in nutrition-restricted lactating sows were associated with extracellular high glutamate levels. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s40104-018-0293-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heju Zhong
- 1Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Resistance Nutrition of the Ministry of Education, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130 China
| | - Peng Wang
- 1Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Resistance Nutrition of the Ministry of Education, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130 China
| | - Yumo Song
- 1Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Resistance Nutrition of the Ministry of Education, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130 China
| | - Xiaoling Zhang
- 1Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Resistance Nutrition of the Ministry of Education, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130 China
| | - Lianqiang Che
- 1Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Resistance Nutrition of the Ministry of Education, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130 China
| | - Bin Feng
- 1Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Resistance Nutrition of the Ministry of Education, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130 China
| | - Yan Lin
- 1Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Resistance Nutrition of the Ministry of Education, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130 China
| | - Shengyu Xu
- 1Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Resistance Nutrition of the Ministry of Education, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130 China
| | - Jian Li
- 1Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Resistance Nutrition of the Ministry of Education, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130 China
| | - De Wu
- 1Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Resistance Nutrition of the Ministry of Education, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130 China
| | - Qiaofeng Wu
- 2Acupuncture and Moxibustion College, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137 China
| | - Zhengfeng Fang
- 1Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Resistance Nutrition of the Ministry of Education, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130 China
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32
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Wells JCK. Life history trade-offs and the partitioning of maternal investment: Implications for health of mothers and offspring. Evol Med Public Health 2018; 2018:153-166. [PMID: 30152817 PMCID: PMC6101534 DOI: 10.1093/emph/eoy014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2017] [Accepted: 06/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Lay Summary: This review sets out the hypothesis that life history trade-offs in the maternal generation favour the emergence of similar trade-offs in the offspring generation, mediated by the partitioning of maternal investment between pregnancy and lactation, and that these trade-offs help explain widely reported associations between growth trajectories and NCD risk. Growth patterns in early life predict the risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), but adaptive explanations remain controversial. It is widely assumed that NCDs occur either because of physiological adjustments to early constraints, or because early ecological cues fail to predict adult environmental conditions (mismatch). I present an inter-generational perspective on developmental plasticity, based on the over-arching hypothesis that a key axis of variability in maternal metabolism derives from life history trade-offs, which influence how individual mothers partition nutritional investment in their offspring between pregnancy and lactation. I review evidence for three resulting predictions: (i) Allocating relatively more energy to growth during development promotes the capacity to invest in offspring during pregnancy. Relevant mechanisms include greater fat-free mass and metabolic turnover, and a larger physical space for fetal growth. (ii) Allocating less energy to growth during development constrains fetal growth of the offspring, but mothers may compensate by a tendency to attain higher adiposity around puberty, ecological conditions permitting, which promotes nutritional investment during lactation. (iii) Since the partitioning of maternal investment between pregnancy and lactation impacts the allocation of energy to 'maintenance' as well as growth, it is expected to shape offspring NCD risk as well as adult size and body composition. Overall, this framework predicts that life history trade-offs in the maternal generation favour the emergence of similar trade-offs in the offspring generation, mediated by the partitioning of maternal investment between pregnancy and lactation, and that these trade-offs help explain widely reported associations between growth trajectories and NCD risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan C K Wells
- Childhood Nutrition Research Centre, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London WC, UK
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Qasim A, Turcotte M, de Souza RJ, Samaan MC, Champredon D, Dushoff J, Speakman JR, Meyre D. On the origin of obesity: identifying the biological, environmental and cultural drivers of genetic risk among human populations. Obes Rev 2018; 19:121-149. [PMID: 29144594 DOI: 10.1111/obr.12625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2017] [Revised: 08/28/2017] [Accepted: 09/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Genetic predisposition to obesity presents a paradox: how do genetic variants with a detrimental impact on human health persist through evolutionary time? Numerous hypotheses, such as the thrifty genotype hypothesis, attempt to explain this phenomenon yet fail to provide a justification for the modern obesity epidemic. In this critical review, we appraise existing theories explaining the evolutionary origins of obesity and explore novel biological and sociocultural agents of evolutionary change to help explain the modern-day distribution of obesity-predisposing variants. Genetic drift, acting as a form of 'blind justice,' may randomly affect allele frequencies across generations while gene pleiotropy and adaptations to diverse environments may explain the rise and subsequent selection of obesity risk alleles. As an adaptive response, epigenetic regulation of gene expression may impact the manifestation of genetic predisposition to obesity. Finally, exposure to malnutrition and disease epidemics in the wake of oppressive social systems, culturally mediated notions of attractiveness and desirability, and diverse mating systems may play a role in shaping the human genome. As an important first step towards the identification of important drivers of obesity gene evolution, this review may inform empirical research focused on testing evolutionary theories by way of population genetics and mathematical modelling.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Qasim
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - M Turcotte
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - R J de Souza
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - M C Samaan
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.,Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.,Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, McMaster Children's Hospital, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - D Champredon
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.,Agent-Based Modelling Laboratory, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - J Dushoff
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - J R Speakman
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.,State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - D Meyre
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.,Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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Hilderbrand GV, Gustine DD, Mangipane B, Joly K, Leacock W, Mangipane L, Erlenbach J, Sorum MS, Cameron MD, Belant JL, Cambier T. Plasticity in physiological condition of female brown bears across diverse ecosystems. Polar Biol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-017-2238-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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35
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Maternal resource allocation adjusts to timing of parturition in an asynchronous breeder. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-017-2419-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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36
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Larsen M, Røntved CM, Theil PK, Khatun M, Lauridsen C, Kristensen NB. Effect of experimentally increased protein supply to postpartum dairy cows on plasma protein synthesis, rumen tissue proliferation, and immune homeostasis. J Anim Sci 2017; 95:2097-2110. [PMID: 28727010 DOI: 10.2527/jas.2016.1055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The effect of experimentally increasing the postpartum protein supply on plasma protein synthesis, rumen tissue proliferation, and immune homeostasis was studied using 8 periparturient Holstein cows in a complete randomized design. At calving, cows were assigned to abomasal infusion of water (CTRL) or casein (CAS) in addition to a lactation diet. Casein infusion was gradually decreased from 696 ± 1 g/d at +2 d relative to calving (DRTC) to 212 ± 10 g/d at +29 DRTC to avoid excessive supply. Synthesis rate of plasma proteins was measured at -14, +4, +15, and +29 DRTC by measuring [C]Phe isotopic enrichment in arterial plasma free Phe, total plasma proteins, and albumin after 3, 5, and 7 h of jugular ring[C]Phe infusion. Plasma volume was determined at +4 and +29 DRTC by dilution of a [I]BSA dose. Synthesis rate of tissue protein in biopsied rumen papillae was determined by measuring [C]Phe isotopic enrichment, and mRNA expression of selected genes was measured by real-time qPCR. Total and differential leukocyte counts were performed and immune responsiveness of monocytes was evaluated by tumor necrosis factor ɑ (TNFɑ) concentration on ex vivo whole blood stimulation with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and responsiveness of T-lymphocytes by interferon γ (IFNγ) concentration on stimulation with Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin β (SEB). Further, ELISA plasma concentrations of IgM, IgA, and IgG were determined. The DRTC affected the majority of investigated parameters as expected. The CAS treatment increased milk protein yield (P = 0.04), and tended to lower TNFɑ (P = 0.06), and lowered IFNγ (P = 0.03) responsiveness per monocyte and lymphocyte, respectively, compared with CTRL. Further, fractional synthesis rate of albumin was greater at +4 DRTC for CAS compared with CTRL but did not differ by +29 DRTC (interaction: P = 0.01). In rumen papillae, synthesis rate of tissue protein was greater for CAS compared with CTRL (P < 0.01) and mRNA expression of genes for cell proliferation tended to be or were greater for CAS compared with CTRL (P ≤ 0.07). In conclusion, increased postpartum protein supply seem to enhance vital body functions as interpreted from increased liver synthesis of albumin, increased rumen papillae proliferation, and stabilized the ex vivo inflammatory responsiveness of leukocytes. Further studies are needed to enlighten the importance of increased postpartum protein supply in periparturient cows.
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Lowe AD, Bawazeer S, Watson DG, McGill S, Burchmore RJS, Pomeroy PPP, Kennedy MW. Rapid changes in Atlantic grey seal milk from birth to weaning - immune factors and indicators of metabolic strain. Sci Rep 2017; 7:16093. [PMID: 29170469 PMCID: PMC5700954 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-16187-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2017] [Accepted: 11/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
True seals have the shortest lactation periods of any group of placental mammal. Most are capital breeders that undergo short, intense lactations, during which they fast while transferring substantial proportions of their body reserves to their pups, which they then abruptly wean. Milk was collected from Atlantic grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) periodically from birth until near weaning. Milk protein profiles matured within 24 hours or less, indicating the most rapid transition from colostrum to mature phase lactation yet observed. There was an unexpected persistence of immunoglobulin G almost until weaning, potentially indicating prolonged trans-intestinal transfer of IgG. Among components of innate immune protection were found fucosyllactose and siallylactose that are thought to impede colonisation by pathogens and encourage an appropriate milk-digestive and protective gut microbiome. These oligosaccharides decreased from early lactation to almost undetectable levels by weaning. Taurine levels were initially high, then fell, possibly indicative of taurine dependency in seals, and progressive depletion of maternal reserves. Metabolites that signal changes in the mother’s metabolism of fats, such as nicotinamide and derivatives, rose from virtual absence, and acetylcarnitines fell. It is therefore possible that indicators of maternal metabolic strain exist that signal the imminence of weaning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda D Lowe
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, and School of Life Sciences, Graham Kerr Building, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, Scotland, UK
| | - Sami Bawazeer
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, 161 Cathedral Street, Glasgow, G4 0RE, Scotland, UK
| | - David G Watson
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, 161 Cathedral Street, Glasgow, G4 0RE, Scotland, UK
| | - Suzanne McGill
- Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, and Glasgow Polyomics, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Garscube Campus, Glasgow, G12 1QH, Scotland, UK
| | - Richard J S Burchmore
- Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, and Glasgow Polyomics, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Garscube Campus, Glasgow, G12 1QH, Scotland, UK
| | - P P Paddy Pomeroy
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, United Kingdom
| | - Malcolm W Kennedy
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, and School of Life Sciences, Graham Kerr Building, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, Scotland, UK.
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Singh MD, Singh S, Garcia GW. Understanding mammary activity in red-rumped agouti and implications for management and conservation of this Neotropical game species. BRAZ J BIOL 2017; 78:540-547. [PMID: 29995115 DOI: 10.1590/1519-6984.172814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2016] [Accepted: 03/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The red-rumped agouti (Dasyprocta leporina) produces precocial young and is the most hunted and farmed game species in several Neotropical countries. An understanding of the reproductive biology, including the relationship between litter size and teat functionality is crucial for conservation management of this animal. In precocial mammals, as the red-rumped agouti, maintaining maternal contact to learn foraging patterns may be more important than the energy demands and nutritional constraints during lactation and suckling may not play important roles when compared to altricial mammals. Therefore, in this study we evaluated the relationship between mammary functionality with litter size, litter birth weight, and parturition number in captive red-rumped agouti. Functionality was assessed by manual palpation of teats from un-sedated females (N=43). We compared the average birth weight of all newborns, male newborns and female newborns among agoutis with different litter sizes and different parturitions by one way ANOVA's, while Pearson's Chi-squared tests were used to detect relationships between teat functionality, litter size, and parturition number. Parturition number had no effect on the mean birth weight of all young (F0.822, P > 0.05), male young (F0.80, P > 0.05) or female young (F0.66, P > 0.05) in the litters. We found (i) no significant correlations (P > 0.05) between teat functionality and litter size and (ii) no significant correlations (P > 0.05) between teat functionality and parturition number. This suggests that whilst all teat pairs were functional, functionality was a poor indicator of litter size; suggesting that female agouti young may not have a high dependency on maternal nutrition; an possible evolutionary strategy resulting in large wild populations; hence its popularity as a game species.
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Affiliation(s)
- M D Singh
- Department of Food Production, Faculty of Food and Agriculture, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
| | - S Singh
- Biochemistry Unit, Department of Preclinical Sciences, Faculty of Medical Science, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
| | - G W Garcia
- Department of Food Production, Faculty of Food and Agriculture, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
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Hitchcock DJ, Varpe Ø, Andersen T, Borgå K. Effects of reproductive strategies on pollutant concentrations in pinnipeds: a meta-analysis. OIKOS 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.03955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Øystein Varpe
- The University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS); Longyearbyen Norway
- Akvaplan-niva, Fram Centre; Tromsø Norway
| | - Tom Andersen
- Dept of Biosciences; Univ. of Oslo; NO-0316 Oslo Norway
| | - Katrine Borgå
- Dept of Biosciences; Univ. of Oslo; NO-0316 Oslo Norway
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Mazzamuto MV, Morandini M, Panzeri M, Wauters LA, Preatoni DG, Martinoli A. Space invaders: effects of invasive alien Pallas’s squirrel on home range and body mass of native red squirrel. Biol Invasions 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-017-1396-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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Gustine D, Barboza P, Adams L, Griffith B, Cameron R, Whitten K. Advancing the match-mismatch framework for large herbivores in the Arctic: Evaluating the evidence for a trophic mismatch in caribou. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0171807. [PMID: 28231256 PMCID: PMC5322966 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0171807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2016] [Accepted: 01/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate-induced shifts in plant phenology may adversely affect animals that cannot or do not shift the timing of their reproductive cycle. The realized effect of potential trophic "mismatches" between a consumer and its food varies with the degree to which species rely on dietary income and stored capital. Large Arctic herbivores rely heavily on maternal capital to reproduce and give birth near the onset of the growing season but are they vulnerable to trophic mismatch? We evaluated the long-term changes in the temperatures and characteristics of the growing seasons (1970-2013), and compared growing conditions and dynamics of forage quality for caribou at peak parturition, peak lactation, and peak forage biomass, and plant senescence between two distinct time periods over 36 years (1977 and 2011-13). Despite advanced thaw dates (7-12 days earlier), increased growing season lengths (15-21 days longer), and consistent parturition dates, we found no decline in forage quality and therefore no evidence within this dataset for a trophic mismatch at peak parturition or peak lactation from 1977 to 2011-13. In Arctic ungulates that use stored capital for reproduction, reproductive demands are largely met by body stores deposited in the previous summer and autumn, which reduces potential adverse effects of any mismatch between food availability and timing of parturition. Climate-induced effects on forages growing in the summer and autumn ranges, however, do correspond with the demands of female caribou and their offspring to gain mass for the next reproductive cycle and winter. Therefore, we suggest the window of time to examine the match-mismatch framework in Arctic ungulates is not at parturition but in late summer-autumn, where the multiplier effects of small changes in forage quality are amplified by forage abundance, peak forage intake, and resultant mass gains in mother-offspring pairs.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Gustine
- U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, Alaska, United States of America
| | - Perry Barboza
- Wildlife and Fisheries Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Layne Adams
- U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, Alaska, United States of America
| | - Brad Griffith
- U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, United States of America
| | - Raymond Cameron
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Fairbanks, Alaska, United States of America
| | - Kenneth Whitten
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Fairbanks, Alaska, United States of America
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Douhard F, Lemaître JF, Rauw WM, Friggens NC. Allometric scaling of the elevation of maternal energy intake during lactation. Front Zool 2016; 13:32. [PMID: 27418939 PMCID: PMC4944469 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-016-0164-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2016] [Accepted: 07/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In most mammals, lactating mothers dramatically increase their food intake after parturition and reach a peak intake rate after a certain time while their offspring continue to grow. A common view, perpetuated by the metabolic theory of ecology, is that the allometric scaling of maternal metabolic rate with body mass limits the changes in energy intake and expenditure. Therefore these potential effects of metabolic scaling should be reflected in the elevation of maternal energy intake during lactation. To test this hypothesis, we collected published data on 24 species (13 domesticated) and established scaling relationships for several characteristics of the patterns of energy intake elevation (amplitude of the elevation, time to peak, and cumulative elevation to peak). Results A curvilinear allometric scaling relationship with maternal body mass (in double-logarithmic space) was found for the amplitude of maternal energy intake elevation, similarly to what has been observed for scaling relationships of basal metabolic rate in non-breeding mammals. This result indirectly supports the metabolic theory of ecology. However, this curvilinear allometric scaling does not seem to drive the scaling relationships found for the other characteristics of maternal energy intake. Both the duration and shape of the energy intake patterns showed substantial variation independently of species’ body mass. Conclusions Data available for a few mammals, mostly domesticated, provides little evidence for the hypothesis that a single law of metabolic scaling governs the elevation of maternal energy intake after parturition. Obtaining further food intake data in wild species will be crucial to unravel the general mechanisms underlying variation in this unique adaptation of mammalian females. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12983-016-0164-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Douhard
- UMR Modélisation Systémique Appliquée aux Ruminants, Inra, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Jean-François Lemaître
- CNRS, UMR5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, Université de Lyon, F-69000, Lyon, France - Université Lyon 1, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Wendy M Rauw
- Departamento de Mejora Genética Animal, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, Ctra. de La Coruña km 7, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Nicolas C Friggens
- UMR Modélisation Systémique Appliquée aux Ruminants, Inra, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 75005 Paris, France
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Kuhla B, Metges CC, Hammon HM. Endogenous and dietary lipids influencing feed intake and energy metabolism of periparturient dairy cows. Domest Anim Endocrinol 2016; 56 Suppl:S2-S10. [PMID: 27345317 DOI: 10.1016/j.domaniend.2015.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2015] [Revised: 11/30/2015] [Accepted: 12/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The high metabolic priority of the mammary gland for milk production, accompanied by limited feed intake around parturition results in a high propensity to mobilize body fat reserves. Under these conditions, fuel selection of many peripheral organs is switched, for example, from carbohydrate to fat utilization to spare glucose for milk production and to ensure partitioning of tissue- and dietary-derived nutrients toward the mammary gland. For example, muscle tissue uses nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) but releases lactate and amino acids in a coordinated order, thereby providing precursors for milk synthesis or hepatic gluconeogenesis. Tissue metabolism and in concert, nutrient partitioning are controlled by the endocrine system involving a reduction in insulin secretion and systemic insulin sensitivity and orchestrated changes in plasma hormones such as insulin, adiponectin, insulin growth factor-I, growth hormone, glucagon, leptin, glucocorticoids, and catecholamines. However, the endocrine system is highly sensitive and responsive to an overload of fatty acids no matter if excessive NEFA supply originates from exogenous or endogenous sources. Feeding a diet containing rumen-protected fat from late lactation to calving and beyond exerts similar negative effects on energy intake, glucose and insulin concentrations as does a high extent of body fat mobilization around parturition in regard to the risk for ketosis and fatty liver development. High plasma NEFA concentrations are thought not to act directly at the brain level, but they increase the energy charge of the liver which is, signaled to the brain to diminish feed intake. Cows differing in fat mobilization during the transition phase differ in their hepatic energy charge, whole body fat oxidation, glucose metabolism, plasma ghrelin, and leptin concentrations and in feed intake several week before parturition. Hence, a high lipid load, no matter if stored, mobilized or fed, affects the endocrine system, metabolism, and feed intake, and increases the risk for metabolic disorders. Future research should focus on a timely parallel increase in feed intake and milk yield during early lactation to reduce the impact of body fat on feed intake, metabolic health, and negative energy balance.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Kuhla
- Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Institute of Nutritional Physiology "Oskar Kellner", Dummerstorf, 18196, Germany.
| | - C C Metges
- Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Institute of Nutritional Physiology "Oskar Kellner", Dummerstorf, 18196, Germany
| | - H M Hammon
- Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Institute of Nutritional Physiology "Oskar Kellner", Dummerstorf, 18196, Germany
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Abstract
Successfully rearing young places multiple demands on the mammalian female. These are met by a wide array of alterations in maternal physiology and behavior that are coordinated with the needs of the developing young, and include adaptations in neuroendocrine systems not directly involved in maternal behavior or lactation. In this article, attenuations in the behavioral and neuroendocrine responses to stressors, the alterations in metabolic pathways facilitating both increased food intake and conservation of energy, and the changes in fertility that occur postpartum are described. The mechanisms underlying these processes as well as the factors that contribute to them and the relative contributions of these stimuli at different times postpartum are also reviewed. The induction and maintenance of the adaptations observed in the postpartum maternal brain are dependent on mother-young interaction and, in most cases, on suckling stimulation and its consequences for the hormonal profile of the mother. The peptide hormone prolactin acting on receptors within the brain makes a major contribution to changes in metabolic pathways, suppression of fertility and the attenuation of the neuroendocrine response to stress during lactation. Oxytocin is also released, both into the circulation and in some hypothalamic nuclei, in response to suckling stimulation and this hormone has been implicated in the decrease in anxiety behavior seen in the early postpartum period. The relative importance of these hormones changes across lactation and it is becoming increasingly clear that many of the adaptations to motherhood reviewed here reflect the outcome of multiple influences. © 2016 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 6:1493-1518, 2016.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Woodside
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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45
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Hofer H, Benhaiem S, Golla W, East ML. Trade-offs in lactation and milk intake by competing siblings in a fluctuating environment. Behav Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arw078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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46
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Wells JCK, Yao P, Williams JE, Gayner R. Maternal investment, life-history strategy of the offspring and adult chronic disease risk in South Asian women in the UK. EVOLUTION MEDICINE AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2016; 2016:133-45. [PMID: 26988862 PMCID: PMC4826584 DOI: 10.1093/emph/eow011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2015] [Accepted: 03/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Patterns of development predict cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, and ethnic differences therein, but it remains unclear why apparently 'adaptive plasticity' in early life should generate health costs in later life. We hypothesized that offspring receiving low maternal investment during fetal life, the primary period of organogenesis, should predict a shorter reproductive career and develop a fast life-history strategy, prioritizing reproduction over growth and homeostatic maintenance. METHODOLOGY We studied 58 young adult South Asian women living in the UK, a group with high susceptibility to CVD. We obtained gestational age, birth weight (BW) and menarcheal age by recall and measured anthropometry, body composition, resting metabolic rate (RMR) and blood pressure (BP). RESULTS BW and gestational age were inversely associated with menarcheal age, indicating that lower maternal investment is associated with faster maturation. Menarcheal age was positively associated with height but inversely with adiposity, indicating that rapid maturation prioritizes lipid stores over somatic growth. BW was inversely associated with BP, whereas adiposity was positively associated, indicating that lower maternal investment reduces BP homeostasis. BW was positively associated with RMR, whereas menarche was inversely associated, indicating that maternal investment influences adult metabolism. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Supporting our hypothesis, low maternal investment promoted faster life histories, demonstrated by earlier menarche, reduced growth and elevated adiposity. These traits were associated with poorer BP regulation. This is the first study demonstrating strategic adjustment of the balance between reproduction and metabolic health in response to the level of maternal investment during fetal life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan C K Wells
- Childhood Nutrition Research Centre, UCL Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC 1N 1EH, UK
| | - Pallas Yao
- Childhood Nutrition Research Centre, UCL Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC 1N 1EH, UK
| | - Jane E Williams
- Childhood Nutrition Research Centre, UCL Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC 1N 1EH, UK
| | - Rebecca Gayner
- Childhood Nutrition Research Centre, UCL Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC 1N 1EH, UK
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Smith H, Frère C, Kobryn H, Bejder L. Dolphin sociality, distribution and calving as important behavioural patterns informing management. Anim Conserv 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- H. Smith
- Cetacean Research Unit; School of Veterinary and Life Sciences; Murdoch University; Perth WA Australia
- Marine Science Program, Parks and Wildlife; Kensington, Perth WA Australia
| | - C. Frère
- GeneCology Research Centre; University of the Sunshine Coast; Maroochydore DC Qld Australia
| | - H. Kobryn
- Environmental and Conservation Sciences; School of Veterinary and Life Sciences; Murdoch University; Perth WA Australia
| | - L. Bejder
- Cetacean Research Unit; School of Veterinary and Life Sciences; Murdoch University; Perth WA Australia
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Zhang Z, Hou R, Lan J, Wang H, Kurokawa H, Takatsu Z, Kobayashi T, Koie H, Kamata H, Kanayama K, Watanabe T. Analysis of the breast milk of giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) and the preparation of substitutes. J Vet Med Sci 2016; 78:747-54. [PMID: 26781707 PMCID: PMC4905826 DOI: 10.1292/jvms.15-0677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The first milk substitute for giant panda cubs was developed in 1988 based on limited
data about giant panda breast milk and that of certain types of bear. Mixtures of other
formulas have also been fed to cubs at some facilities. However, they are not of
sufficient nutritional quality for promoting growth in panda cubs. Here, we report
analysis of giant panda breast milk and propose new milk substitutes for cubs, which were
developed based on the results of our analysis. The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda
Breeding obtained breast milk samples from three giant pandas. Up to 30
ml of breast milk were collected from each mother by hand. Then, the
milk samples were frozen and sent to Nihon University. The levels of protein, fat,
carbohydrates, ash, moisture, vitamins, minerals, total amino acids, fatty acids, lactose
and other carbohydrates in the milk were analyzed. The breast milk samples exhibited the
following nutritional values: protein: 6.6–8.5%, fat: 6.9–16.4%, carbohydrates: 2.5–9.1%,
ash: 0.9–1.0% and moisture: 67–83%. We designed two kinds of milk substitutes based on the
data obtained and the nutritional requirements of dogs, cats and rodents. The nutritional
composition of the milk substitutes for the first and second stages was as follows:
protein: 38 and 26%, fat: 40 and 40%, carbohydrates: 13 and 25%, ash: 6 and 6% and
moisture: 3 and 3%, respectively. In addition, the substitutes contained vitamins,
minerals, taurine, docosahexaenoic acid, lactoferrin, nucleotides and other nutrients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihe Zhang
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Chengdu, Sichuan, P. R. China
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Fowler MA, Debier C, Champagne CD, Crocker DE, Costa DP. The demands of lactation promote differential regulation of lipid stores in fasting elephant seals. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2016; 225:125-132. [PMID: 26407500 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2015.09.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2015] [Revised: 09/03/2015] [Accepted: 09/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Fasting animals must ration stored reserves appropriately for metabolic demands. Animals that experience fasting concomitant with other metabolically demanding activities are presented with conflicting demands of energy conservation and expenditure. Our objective was to understand how fasting northern elephant seals regulate the mobilization of lipid reserves and subsequently milk lipid content during lactation. We sampled 36 females early and 39 at the end of lactation. To determine the separate influences of lactation from fasting, we also sampled fasting but non-lactating females early and late (8 and 6 seals, respectively) in their molting fasting period. Mass and adiposity were measured, as well as circulating non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA), triacylglycerol (TAG), cortisol, insulin and growth hormone levels. Milk was collected from lactating females. Milk lipid content increased from 31% in early to 51% in late lactation. In lactating females plasma NEFA was positively related to cortisol and negatively related to insulin, but in molting seals, only variation in cortisol was related to NEFA. Milk lipid content varied with mass, adiposity, NEFA, TAG, cortisol and insulin. Surprisingly, growth hormone concentration was not related to lipid metabolites or milk lipid. Suppression of insulin release appears to be the differential regulator of lipolysis in lactating versus molting seals, facilitating mobilization of stored lipids and maintenance of high NEFA concentrations for milk synthesis. Milk lipid was strongly impacted by the supply of substrate to the mammary gland, indicating regulation at the level of mobilization of lipid reserves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melinda A Fowler
- Dept of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, USA.
| | - Cathy Debier
- Institut des Sciences de la Vie, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Cory D Champagne
- Dept of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, USA
| | | | - Daniel P Costa
- Dept of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, USA
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50
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Cadieux MA, Muir DCG, Béland P, Hickie BE. Lactational Transfer of Polychlorinated-Biphenyls (PCBs) and Other Organochlorines in St. Lawrence Beluga Whales (Delphinapterus leucas). ARCHIVES OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2016; 70:169-179. [PMID: 26323485 DOI: 10.1007/s00244-015-0223-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2015] [Accepted: 08/17/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
This study uses an individual-based contaminant bioaccumulation model for marine mammals to explore factors controlling the transfer of PCBs from mother to calf via nursing in beluga from the St. Lawrence Estuary. Beluga blubber samples (n = 46), along with four matched milk samples from stranded animals over the 1986-1994 period were used for comparison with modelled results. Based on 68 POPs, including 48 PCBs and 20 other organochlorine compounds, milk:blubber ratios were 0.65 between log K OW 3-6.5, then decreased to 0.1 at log K OW 8. Model simulations based on this relationship indicated females were transferring PCBs that were relatively very hydrophobic and highly chlorinated less readily than their lower chlorinated counterparts, resulting in an enriched concentration of very hydrophobic congeners in nursing females relative to adult males. There was very good agreement between observed and modelled male:female PCB concentration ratios. Four females within our dataset (15 %) had male-like ΣPCB concentrations as well as male-like congener profiles, suggesting that these individuals may have had a reduced or limited nursing history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc A Cadieux
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON, K9J 7B8, Canada
| | - Derek C G Muir
- Aquatic Ecosystem Protection Research Division, Environment Canada, Burlington, ON, L7R 4A6, Canada
| | - Pierre Béland
- St. Lawrence National Institute of Ecotoxicology, Montréal, QC, H2J 3C3, Canada
| | - Brendan E Hickie
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON, K9J 7B8, Canada.
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