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Jolicoeur V, Houde M, Loseto L, Michaud R, Verreault J. Variations in thyroid hormone levels in endangered St. Lawrence Estuary belugas: Potential linkage with stress and organohalogen contaminant exposure. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2024; 186:108647. [PMID: 38615542 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
The St. Lawrence Estuary (SLE) beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) population is highly exposed to an array of contaminants that were identified as one of the causes to the non-recovery of this endangered and declining population. In the last decade, an increasing number of parturition-associated complications and calf mortality has been reported in this population. It was suggested that elevated exposure to organohalogens (e.g., the halogenated flame retardants polybrominated diphenyl ethers [PBDEs]) and stress could play a role in this phenomenon by perturbing thyroid hormones. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of concentrations of organohalogen contaminants and stress (cortisol levels) on thyroid hormone variations in adult male and female SLE belugas. Because plasma could not be collected in SLE belugas for ethical reasons, skin biopsy (n = 40) was used as a less-invasive alternative matrix to determine organohalogens (PBDEs and other halogenated flame retardants, polychlorinated biphenyls, and organochlorine pesticides), cortisol, and thyroid hormones (triiodothyronine [T3] and thyroxine [T4]), and their metabolites reverse T3 and 3,5-diiodothyronine [3,5-T2]). Cortisol and thyroid hormones were analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-multiple reactions monitoring mass spectrometry (UPLC-MRM/MS). This method was compared using skin and plasma samples obtained from Arctic belugas. Comparisons of linear models showed that cortisol was a weak predictor for T4, rT3 and 3,5-T2. Specifically, there was a weak significant negative association between T4 and cortisol levels. Moreover, in male SLE belugas, a weak significant positive association was found between T3 and Σ34PBDE concentrations in skin. Our findings suggest that stress (i.e., elevated skin cortisol levels) along with organohalogen exposure (mainly PBDEs) may be associated with thyroid hormone level perturbations in skin of cetaceans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valérie Jolicoeur
- Centre de recherche en toxicologie de l'environnement (TOXEN), Département des sciences biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, P.O. Box 8888, Succursale Centre-ville, Montreal, QC H3C 3P8, Canada
| | - Magali Houde
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, 105 McGill Street, Montreal, QC H2Y 2E7, Canada
| | - Lisa Loseto
- Freshwater Institute, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 501 University Crescent, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N6, Canada
| | - Robert Michaud
- Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals, Tadoussac, QC G0T 2A0, Canada
| | - Jonathan Verreault
- Centre de recherche en toxicologie de l'environnement (TOXEN), Département des sciences biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, P.O. Box 8888, Succursale Centre-ville, Montreal, QC H3C 3P8, Canada.
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2
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Kothmann KH, Jons A, Wilhelmi B, Kasozi N, Graham L, Gent R, Atkin SL, Swart AC, Newell-Fugate AE. Non-invasive assessment of fecal glucocorticoid, progesterone, and androgen metabolites and microbiome in free-ranging southern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum) in South Africa. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2022; 329:114099. [PMID: 35914652 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2022.114099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Increased poaching in northern South Africa has necessitated relocation of large numbers of southern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum) to the Eastern Cape Province. The climate and grassland ecology of this province differ from that of northern South Africa which may impact the health of this species. This assessment of fecal steroid levels and microbiome in 10 free-ranging southern white rhinoceros in the Eastern Cape will provide insights into white rhinoceros physiology in this biome. Fecal steroid metabolites were analyzed using enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and ultra-performance convergence chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPC2-MS/MS). Fecal microbial composition was assessed via next generation sequencing. EIAs with antibodies raised against progesterone (P4; mouse monoclonal - CL425 clone), testosterone (T; rabbit polyclonal), corticosterone (B; sheep polyclonal) were utilized. Pregnant females had large quantities of fecal progesterone metabolites (FPMs) detected by CL425 EIA. Pregnant females also had native P4 and 11α-hydroxydihydroprogesterone (11αOHDHP4; 4-pregnen-11α-ol-3,20-dione) detected by UPC2-MS/MS but these concentrations were 1000-fold less than the concentrations of FPMs detected by the CL425 EIA. By contrast, non-pregnant females had FPM concentrations detected by CL425 EIA which were similar to native P4 and 11αOHDHP4 concentrations detected by UPC2-MS/MS. Mean fecal androgen metabolite (FAM) concentrations detected by the T EIA were similar between males and females. 11-ketoandrostenedione (11KA4) detected by UPC2-MS/MS was higher in females than males. However, there was no difference between males and females in the concentration of fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGMs) detected by the B EIA. Bacteroidia, followed by Clostridia, was the most abundant classes of fecal microbes. The unfiltered microbiome of females was more diverse than that of males. The core fecal microbiome of young rhinoceros had a higher observed species richness (Shannon diversity index, and Simpson diversity index) than that of old rhinoceros. In the alpha male, immobilization was associated with an increase in FGMs detected by 11-deoxycortisol (S) detected by UPC2-MS/MS coupled with decreased abundance of Spirochaetia. We detected substantially different FAM and FPM concentrations from those previously reported for both captive and wild white rhinoceros. Comparison of our UPC2-MS/MS and EIA results underscores the fact that most EIAs are highly cross reactive for many steroid metabolites. Our data also demonstrates a distinct effect of stress not only on FGMs but also on the fecal microbiome. This is the first non-invasive assessment of fecal steroid metabolites by UPC2-MS/MS and the fecal microbiome in wild white rhinoceros.
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Affiliation(s)
- K H Kothmann
- Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - A Jons
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Health Science Center, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - B Wilhelmi
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, 6140 South Africa
| | - N Kasozi
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, 6140 South Africa
| | - L Graham
- Ikahala Veterinary Wildlife Services, Paterson 6131 South Africa
| | - R Gent
- Department of Biochemistry, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7600 South Africa
| | - S L Atkin
- Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Bahrain
| | - A C Swart
- Department of Biochemistry, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7600 South Africa; Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7600 South Africa
| | - A E Newell-Fugate
- Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
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Selahle SK, Mpupa A, Nqombolo A, Nomngongo PN. A nanostructured o-hydroxyazobenzene porous organic polymer as an effective sorbent for the extraction and preconcentration of selected hormones and insecticides in river water. Microchem J 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.microc.2022.107791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/07/2022]
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4
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Dalle Luche G, Boggs ASP, Kucklick JR, Hawker DW, Wisse JH, Bengtson Nash S. Steroid hormone profiles and body conditions of migrating male humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2021; 313:113888. [PMID: 34425085 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2021.113888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 08/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Simultaneous analysis of multiple steroid hormones from remotely obtained blubber biopsies has the potential to concurrently provide information regarding stress and reproductive status from free-swimming cetaceans, while also investigating correlations between hormone concentrations and other health biomarkers. In this study we measured blubber concentration profiles of eight reproductive and adrenal steroid hormones (17α-hydroxy-progesterone, testosterone, androstenedione, progesterone, cortisol, 11-deoxy-corticosterone, oestrone, and oestradiol) together with body condition, as determined by the inverse Adipocyte Index, of 101 male humpback whales. Whales were sampled randomly at two time points, while migrating to and from their northeast Australian breeding grounds, allowing for intra- and inter-seasonal profile analysis. Testosterone, progesterone and cortisol together with androstenedione 17α-hydroxyprogesterone, and oestrone concentrations (the latter quantified for the first time in live biopsied male humpback whales) decreased between the northward and southward migrations. Decreasing testosterone levels during the height of humpback whale conceptions suggests asynchronicity between blubber testosterone levels and the expected peak of male fertility. Statistically significant relationships between levels of certain steroid analytes were observed and appeared to change between the early and late breeding seasons. During the northward migration, testosterone, progesterone, androstenedione, oestrone and 17α-hydroxyprogesterone levels were positively correlated. Cortisol concentrations correlated positively with those of testosterone during the northward migration, but negatively during the southward migration. Androstenedione and testosterone were positively correlated with adiposity during the late breeding season. These hormone-hormone and hormone-adiposity correlations may be reflective of the activation of certain steroid hormone synthesis pathways, or alternatively, of concomitant physiological stimuli. As steroid hormones work in concert, information on multiple steroid hormones is needed to interpret endocrinological status and understand the relationships between these compounds and ancillary health markers. This study provides steroid hormone profiles of wild male humpback whales, as well as the first insight into seasonal male endocrinology as a function of adiposity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greta Dalle Luche
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD 4111, Australia.
| | - Ashley S P Boggs
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Hollings Marine Laboratory, Charleston, SC 29412, USA
| | - John R Kucklick
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Hollings Marine Laboratory, Charleston, SC 29412, USA
| | - Darryl W Hawker
- School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD 4111, Australia
| | - Jillian H Wisse
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Susan Bengtson Nash
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD 4111, Australia
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Graham KM, Burgess EA, Rolland RM. Stress and reproductive events detected in North Atlantic right whale blubber using a simplified hormone extraction protocol. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 9:coaa133. [PMID: 33489237 PMCID: PMC7808127 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coaa133] [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: 05/15/2020] [Revised: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
As studies quantifying steroid hormones in marine mammal blubber progress, methodological refinements may improve the utility and consistency of blubber hormone measurements. This study advances blubber extraction methodologies by testing a simplified extraction protocol that reduces time and complexity compared to a protocol widely used in cetacean blubber studies. Using blubber samples archived from remote biopsy (n = 21 live whales) and necropsy collection (n = 7 dead whales) of North Atlantic right whales (NARW; Eubalaena glacialis) of known life history states, we performed analytical and biological validations to assess the feasibility of measuring reproductive (testosterone, progesterone) and glucocorticoid (cortisol) hormones in blubber via enzyme immunoassay following the simplified extraction. Analytical validations (parallelism, accuracy, extraction efficiency, repeatability) showed the simplified extraction produced similar results to the extended protocol, offering a more efficient and consistent technique. In live, apparently healthy whales, blubber testosterone concentrations (mean ± SE) were significantly higher in males (2.02 ± 0.36 ng/g) compared to females (0.81 ± 0.15 ng/g). Blubber progesterone was highest in a confirmed pregnant female (60.3 ng/g), which was 12-fold greater than the mean concentration of non-pregnant females (4.56 ± 0.88 ng/g). Blubber cortisol concentrations in whales that died from anthropogenic causes averaged 5.31 ± 2.28 ng/g, whereas most live, healthy whales had cortisol values below 1 ng/g. Among living whales, a whale actively entangled in fishing gear had the highest blubber cortisol measurement (3.51 ng/g), exhibiting levels similar to whales that died from acute entanglement (2.88 ± 0.42 ng/g). Overall, the highest blubber cortisol concentration (18.0 ng/g) was measured in a dead whale with a severe chronic entanglement, approximately 30-fold greater than mean blubber cortisol of apparently healthy whales (0.58 ± 0.11 ng/g). The methodological approach presented here provides a reference for researchers interested in an alternative, streamlined technique for hormone extraction of cetacean blubber and contributes to the diverse tool set for stress and reproductive assessments of endangered NARWs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine M Graham
- Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at the New England Aquarium, Central Wharf, Boston, MA 02110, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Burgess
- Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at the New England Aquarium, Central Wharf, Boston, MA 02110, USA
| | - Rosalind M Rolland
- Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at the New England Aquarium, Central Wharf, Boston, MA 02110, USA
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Miniewska K, Godzien J, Mojsak P, Maliszewska K, Kretowski A, Ciborowski M. Mass spectrometry-based determination of lipids and small molecules composing adipose tissue with a focus on brown adipose tissue. J Pharm Biomed Anal 2020; 191:113623. [PMID: 32966938 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2020.113623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Revised: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Adipose tissue has been the subject of research for a very long time. Many studies perform a comprehensive analysis of different types of adipose tissue with an emphasis on brown adipose tissue. Mass spectrometry-based approaches are particularly useful in the exploration not only of the metabolic composition of adipose tissue but also its function. In the presented review, a complex and critical overview of publications devoted to the analysis of adipose tissue by means of mass spectrometry was performed. Detailed investigation of analytical aspects related to either untargeted or targeted analysis of adipose tissue was performed, leading to the formation of a collection of hints at the available analytical methods. Moreover, a profound analysis of the metabolic composition of brown adipose tissue was performed. Brown adipose tissue metabolome was characterized on structural and functional levels, providing information about its exact metabolic composition but also connecting these molecules and placing them into biochemical pathways. All our work resulted in a very broad picture of the analysis of adipose tissue, starting from the analytical aspects and finishing on the current knowledge about its composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Miniewska
- Metabolomics Laboratory, Clinical Research Centre, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland
| | - Joanna Godzien
- Metabolomics Laboratory, Clinical Research Centre, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland
| | - Patrycja Mojsak
- Metabolomics Laboratory, Clinical Research Centre, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Maliszewska
- Department of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Internal Medicine, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland
| | - Adam Kretowski
- Metabolomics Laboratory, Clinical Research Centre, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland; Department of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Internal Medicine, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland
| | - Michal Ciborowski
- Metabolomics Laboratory, Clinical Research Centre, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland.
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Pujade Busqueta L, Crocker DE, Champagne CD, McCormley MC, Deyarmin JS, Houser DS, Khudyakov JI. A blubber gene expression index for evaluating stress in marine mammals. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 8:coaa082. [PMID: 32904591 PMCID: PMC7456562 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coaa082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Evaluating the impacts of anthropogenic disturbance on free-ranging marine mammal populations, many of which are in decline, requires robust diagnostic markers of physiological stress and health. However, circulating levels of canonical 'stress hormones' such as glucocorticoids, which are commonly used to evaluate animal health, do not capture the complexity of species-specific responses and cannot be easily measured in large, fully aquatic marine mammals. Alternatively, expression of stress-responsive genes in hormone target tissues such as blubber, the specialized subcutaneous adipose tissue that can be manually or remotely sampled from many marine mammals, may be a more informative and sensitive indicator of recent (within 24 h) exposure to stressors. We previously identified genes that were upregulated in the inner blubber of juvenile northern elephant seals during experimental stimulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. In this study, we measured baseline expression levels of a subset of these genes in inner blubber of unmanipulated juvenile elephant seals of varying physiological states and correlated them with other stress markers (body condition index, corticosteroid and thyroid hormone levels). Expression of 10 genes, including those associated with lipid metabolism (ACSL1, HMGCS2, CDO1), redox homeostasis (GPX3), adipokine signaling (ADIPOQ), lipid droplet formation (PLIN1, CIDEA) and adipogenesis (DKK1, AZGP1, TGFBI), was described by three principal components and was associated with cortisol and thyroid hormone levels. Significantly, baseline gene expression levels were predictive of circulating hormone levels, suggesting that these markers may be potential indicators of exposure to stressors in marine mammal species that are inaccessible for blood sampling. A similar approach may be used to identify species-specific stress markers in other tissues that can be sampled by remote biopsy dart from free-ranging marine mammals, such as outer blubber and skin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Pujade Busqueta
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA 95211, USA
| | - Daniel E Crocker
- Biology Department, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, CA 94928, USA
| | | | - Molly C McCormley
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA 95211, USA
| | - Jared S Deyarmin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA 95211, USA
| | | | - Jane I Khudyakov
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA 95211, USA
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, CA 92106, USA
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Becerril-García EE, Arellano-Martínez M, Bernot-Simon D, Hoyos-Padilla EM, Galván-Magaña F, Godard-Codding C. Steroid hormones and chondrichthyan reproduction: physiological functions, scientific research, and implications for conservation. PeerJ 2020. [DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The study of the reproductive aspects of chondrichthyans through the analysis of steroid hormones has been carried out for more than five decades in several species around the world. This scientific knowledge constitutes the basis of the reproductive endocrinology of chondrichthyans, which has provided information regarding their sexual maturation, gametogenesis, mating seasons, gestation periods, and parturition. The present review summarises the existing literature on steroid hormones in chondrichthyan reproduction and identifies future research directions addressing critical knowledge gaps in the reproductive physiology of this taxon. A total of 59 peer reviewed scientific papers from 1963 to 2020 were reviewed and the following parameters analysed: species, steroid hormones, biological matrix, field sampling (year, location), and methodology (assays, sample size, precision, and recoveries). We provided a summary of the methods, biological matrices, and the functions of up to 19 hormones on the biology of 34 species of chondrichthyans that have been analysed to date. The majority of the studies used radioimmunoassay as the main methodology (76.3%; n = 45/49); while the most frequent biological matrix used was plasma (69.5%; n = 41/49). A Kernel’s heat map was generated to present the scientific effort according to geographic location and evidenced a lack of research in high biodiversity areas for chondrichthyans worldwide. The implications of the study of steroid hormones for the conservation of chondrichthyans are discussed, as only 2.9% of the species of this group have been analysed and most of the scientific effort (93.2%; n = 55/59 papers) has focused on the analysis of less than six hormones.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Daniela Bernot-Simon
- Departamento Académico de Ciencias Marinas y Costeras, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur, La Paz, Mexico
| | | | - Felipe Galván-Magaña
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, La Paz, Mexico
| | - Céline Godard-Codding
- The Institute of Environmental and Human Health, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA
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Dalle Luche G, Boggs ASP, Kucklick JR, Groß J, Hawker DW, Bengtson Nash S. Androstenedione and testosterone but not progesterone are potential biomarkers of pregnancy in Humpback Whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) approaching parturition. Sci Rep 2020; 10:2954. [PMID: 32075989 PMCID: PMC7031522 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-58933-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The blubber steroid hormone profiles of 52 female humpback whales migrating along the east coast of Australia were investigated for seasonal endocrine changes associated with reproduction. Individuals were randomly sampled during two stages of the annual migration: before reaching the breeding grounds (northward migration; June/July), and after departing from the breeding grounds (southward migration; September/October). Assignment of reproductive status of the sampled individuals was based on season, single-hormone ranks and multi-variate analysis of the hormonal profiles. High concentrations of progesterone (>19 ng/g, wet weight), recognised as an indicator of pregnancy in this species, were only detected in one sample. However, the androgens, testosterone and androstenedione were measured in unusually high concentrations (1.6-12 and 7.8-40 ng/g wet weight, respectively) in 36% of the females approaching the breeding grounds. The absence of a strong accompanying progesterone signal in these animals raises the possibility of progesterone withdrawal prior to parturition. As seen with other cetacean species, testosterone and androstenedione could be markers of near-term pregnancy in humpback whales. Confirmation of these androgens as alternate biomarkers of near-term pregnancy would carry implications for improved monitoring of the annual fecundity of humpback whales via non-lethal and minimally invasive methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greta Dalle Luche
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, 4111, Australia.
| | - Ashley S P Boggs
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Hollings Marine Laboratory, Charleston, SC, 29412, USA
| | - John R Kucklick
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Hollings Marine Laboratory, Charleston, SC, 29412, USA
| | - Jasmin Groß
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, 4111, Australia
| | - Darryl W Hawker
- School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, 4111, Australia
| | - Susan Bengtson Nash
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, 4111, Australia
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Barratclough A, Wells RS, Schwacke LH, Rowles TK, Gomez FM, Fauquier DA, Sweeney JC, Townsend FI, Hansen LJ, Zolman ES, Balmer BC, Smith CR. Health Assessments of Common Bottlenose Dolphins ( Tursiops truncatus): Past, Present, and Potential Conservation Applications. Front Vet Sci 2019; 6:444. [PMID: 31921905 PMCID: PMC6923228 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2019.00444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is a global marine mammal species for which some populations, due to their coastal accessibility, have been monitored diligently by scientists for decades. Health assessment examinations have developed a comprehensive knowledge base of dolphin biology, population structure, and environmental or anthropogenic stressors affecting their dynamics. Bottlenose dolphin health assessments initially started as stock assessments prior to acquisition. Over the last four decades, health assessments have evolved into essential conservation management tools of free-ranging dolphin populations. Baseline data enable comparison of stressors between geographic locations and associated changes in individual and population health status. In addition, long-term monitoring provides opportunities for insights into population shifts over time, with retrospective application of novel diagnostic tests on archived samples. Expanding scientific knowledge enables effective long-term conservation management strategies by facilitating informed decision making and improving social understanding of the anthropogenic effects. The ability to use bottlenose dolphins as a model for studying marine mammal health has been pivotal in our understanding of anthropogenic effects on multiple marine mammal species. Future studies aim to build on current knowledge to influence management decisions and species conservation. This paper reviews the historical approaches to dolphin health assessments, present day achievements, and development of future conservation goals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Randall S Wells
- Chicago Zoological Society's Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, FL, United States
| | - Lori H Schwacke
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Teresa K Rowles
- NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of Protected Resources, Silver Spring, MD, United States
| | - Forrest M Gomez
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Deborah A Fauquier
- NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of Protected Resources, Silver Spring, MD, United States
| | | | | | - Larry J Hansen
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Eric S Zolman
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Brian C Balmer
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Cynthia R Smith
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, CA, United States
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Galligan TM, Boggs ASP, Balmer BC, Rowles T, Smith CR, Townsend F, Wells RS, Kellar NM, Zolman ES, Schwacke LH. Blubber steroid hormone profiles as indicators of physiological state in free-ranging common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2019; 239:110583. [PMID: 31648064 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2019.110583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2019] [Revised: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Blubber has been proposed as a possible alternative to blood in the assessment of endocrine physiology in marine mammals because it can be collected via remote biopsy, which removes some of the confounding variables and logistical constraints associated with blood collection. To date, few studies have directly assessed the relationships between circulating versus blubber steroid hormone profiles in marine mammals, and these studies have been limited to a small subset of steroid hormones, which collectively limit the current utility of blubber steroid hormone measurements. In this study, we used liquid-chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to screen for 16 steroid hormones in matched blood and blubber samples from free-ranging common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Seven steroid hormones were detected and quantified, including two progestogens, two androgens, and three corticosteroids. Using principal components analysis (PCA), we explored relationships between hormones in both matrices and three physiological states: sexual maturity, pregnancy, and acute stress response. Plasma and blubber testosterone and its precursors, 17-hydroxyprogesterone and androstenedione, loaded to the first principal component (PC1), and PC1 scores were higher in mature males. Plasma and blubber progesterone loaded to PC2, and pregnant/probable pregnant females had significantly higher PC2 scores. Pregnant females also had higher PC1 scores than other females, suggesting differences in androgen profiles between these groups. There was disagreement between plasma and blubber corticosteroid profiles, as indicated by their loading to different PCs; plasma corticosteroids loaded to PC3 and blubber corticosteroids to PC4. PC3 scores were significantly predicted by elapsed time to blood collection (i.e., time between initiating the capture process and blood collection), while elapsed time to blubber collection significantly predicted PC4 scores, indicating that corticosteroid profiles shift in both tissues during acute stress. Corticosteroid profiles were not related to demographic group, site-month, body mass index, water temperature, or time spent outside of the water on the processing boat. Overall, these results demonstrate that blubber steroid hormone profiles reflect changes in endocrine function that occur over broad temporal scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M Galligan
- Hollings Marine Laboratory, Medical University of South Carolina, 331 Fort Johnson Rd, Charleston, SC 29412, USA; Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, College of Natural Resources and the Environment, Virginia Tech, 101 Cheatham Hall, 310 West Campus Dr., Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA.
| | - Ashley S P Boggs
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Chemical Sciences Division, Hollings Marine Laboratory, 331 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412, USA
| | - Brian C Balmer
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, 2240 Shelter Island Drive, Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92106, USA
| | - Teri Rowles
- Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA
| | - Cynthia R Smith
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, 2240 Shelter Island Drive, Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92106, USA
| | - Forrest Townsend
- Bayside Hospital for Animals, 251 Racetrack Road NE, Fort Walton Beach, FL 32547, USA
| | - Randall S Wells
- Chicago Zoological Society's Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, c/o Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600 Ken Thompson Pkwy, Sarasota, FL 34236, USA
| | - Nicholas M Kellar
- Ocean Associates, Inc., under contract to the Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 4007 N Abingdon St, Arlington, VA 22207, USA
| | - Eric S Zolman
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, 2240 Shelter Island Drive, Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92106, USA
| | - Lori H Schwacke
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, 2240 Shelter Island Drive, Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92106, USA
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Boggs ASP, Ragland JM, Zolman ES, Schock TB, Morey JS, Galligan TM, Dalle Luche G, Balmer BC, Wells RS, Kucklick JR, Schwacke LH. Remote blubber sampling paired with liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry for steroidal endocrinology in free-ranging bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2019; 281:164-172. [PMID: 31199925 PMCID: PMC6990413 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2019.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2018] [Revised: 05/28/2019] [Accepted: 06/10/2019] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry allows for the measurement of steroid hormone suites in the blubber of marine mammals. By combining this technology with minimally invasive techniques such as remote biopsy, endocrine profiles can be assessed, allowing for studies of hormonal profile variation over time. In this study, we explored associations among different steroidogenic pathways and seasonal differences in blubber hormone profiles of free-ranging common bottlenose dolphins along the coast of South Carolina, USA. Male dolphins experience a peak in testosterone, androstenedione, progesterone, and 17-hydroxyprogesterone in the spring, likely related to an upregulation of the androgen steroidogenic pathway during mating season. We also observed increased cortisol concentrations during summer compared to winter. Among females, there was an increase in androstenedione with elevated progesterone concentrations indicative of pregnancy, highlighting another potential endocrine marker for pregnancy in free-ranging dolphins. This work emphasizes the importance of selecting the appropriate season for studies on endocrine status to effectively uncover physiological variation or disruption in free-ranging cetaceans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley S P Boggs
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Hollings Marine Laboratory, 331 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412, USA.
| | - Jared M Ragland
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Hollings Marine Laboratory, 331 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412, USA
| | - Eric S Zolman
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, 3419 Maybank Highway, Ste B, Johns Island, SC 29455, USA
| | - Tracey B Schock
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Hollings Marine Laboratory, 331 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412, USA
| | - Jeanine S Morey
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, 3419 Maybank Highway, Ste B, Johns Island, SC 29455, USA
| | - Thomas M Galligan
- Medical University of South Carolina, Hollings Marine Laboratory, 331 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412, USA; JHT, Inc. under contract to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Service, Hollings Marine Laboratory, 331 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412, USA; Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, 101 Cheatham Hall, 310 West Campus Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA
| | - Greta Dalle Luche
- Griffith University, Environmental Futures Research Institute, Southern Ocean Persistent Organic Pollutants Program, 170 Kessels Road, Brisbane, QLD 4111, Australia
| | - Brian C Balmer
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, 3419 Maybank Highway, Ste B, Johns Island, SC 29455, USA
| | - Randall S Wells
- Chicago Zoological Society's Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, c/o Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600 Ken Thompson Pkwy, Sarasota, FL 34236, USA
| | - John R Kucklick
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Hollings Marine Laboratory, 331 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412, USA
| | - Lori H Schwacke
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, 3419 Maybank Highway, Ste B, Johns Island, SC 29455, USA
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Dalle Luche G, Bengtson Nash S, Kucklick JR, Mingramm FMJ, Boggs ASP. Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry for the quantification of steroid hormone profiles in blubber from stranded humpback whales ( Megaptera novaeangliae). CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 7:coz030. [PMID: 32742659 PMCID: PMC6664595 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coz030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2018] [Revised: 04/12/2019] [Accepted: 05/16/2019] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Marine mammal blubber is known to have quantifiable concentrations of steroid hormones and is increasingly chosen as a matrix for the detection of these reproductive and stress biomarkers. Steroid hormones act through complex cascades, often in concert, yet studies conducted on cetaceans have rarely measured more than two steroids simultaneously. Due to the role of steroid hormones in multiple physiological processes, and variability in concentration among individuals, data on single compounds are often difficult to interpret. Here a liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method for the simultaneous analyses of multiple steroid hormones in cetacean blubber was validated and applied to samples from 10 stranded humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). Progesterone, 17α-hydroxyprogesterone, testosterone, androstenedione, oestrone, oestradiol, cortisone, cortisol, corticosterone and 11-deoxycorticosterone were reliably (relative standard deviation on six replicates <15%) and accurately (recovery of an amended sample between 70% and 120%) quantified, but not 11-deoxycortisol. With the exception of progesterone, testosterone, oestradiol and cortisol, these compounds were quantified for the first time in humpback whales. Given that blubber is frequently collected from free-swimming cetaceans in ongoing research programs, the technique developed here could substantially strengthen understanding and monitoring of the physiological condition of these species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greta Dalle Luche
- Southern Ocean Persistent Organic Pollutants Program, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD, Australia
| | - Susan Bengtson Nash
- Southern Ocean Persistent Organic Pollutants Program, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD, Australia
| | - John R Kucklick
- Hollings Marine Laboratory, National Institute of Standard and Technology, Charleston, SC , USA
| | | | - Ashley S P Boggs
- Hollings Marine Laboratory, National Institute of Standard and Technology, Charleston, SC , USA
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14
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Current trends in QuEChERS method. A versatile procedure for food, environmental and biological analysis. Trends Analyt Chem 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.trac.2019.04.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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15
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Galligan TM, Balmer BC, Schwacke LH, Bolton JL, Quigley BM, Rosel PE, Ylitalo GM, Boggs ASP. Examining the relationships between blubber steroid hormones and persistent organic pollutants in common bottlenose dolphins. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2019; 249:982-991. [PMID: 31146318 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.03.083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2018] [Revised: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 03/20/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Odontocete cetaceans bioaccumulate high concentrations of endocrine disrupting persistent organic pollutants (POPs), including dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethylene (DDE), and dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane (DDD) - collectively DDTs - but few studies have explored DDTs-mediated endocrine disruption in cetaceans. Herein, we use remotely collected blubber biopsies from common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) inhabiting a site with high localized DDTs contamination to study the relationships between DDTs exposure and steroid hormone homeostasis in cetaceans. We quantified blubber steroid hormone concentrations by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and blubber POP concentrations by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. We detected six steroid hormones in blubber, including progesterone (P4), 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17OHP4), androstenedione (AE), testosterone (T), cortisol (F), and cortisone (E). Sampled dolphins (n = 62) exhibited exposure to DDT, DDE, DDD, chlordanes (CHLDs), mirex, dieldrin, hexachlorobenzene, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and brominated diphenyl ethers (BDEs). Using principal components analysis (PCA), we determined that blubber DDTs primarily loaded to the first principal component (PC1) explaining 81.6% of the total variance in POP exposure, while the remaining POPs primarily loaded to the PC2 (10.4% of variance). PC1 scores were negatively correlated with blubber T in males and blubber F in females, suggesting that exposure to DDTs impacted androgen and corticosteroid homeostasis. These conclusions were further supported by observed negative correlations between T and o,p'-DDE, o,p'-DDD, and p,p'-DDD in males sampled in the fall, and between F and the six individual DDTs and ∑6DDTs in females. Overall, these results suggest that POP-mediated endocrine disruption may have occurred in this stock of dolphins, which could negatively impact their health and fitness. However, this study relied on uncontrolled incidental exposures, making it impossible to establish a causal relationship between DDTs exposure and endocrine effects. Importantly, this study demonstrates that remotely collected blubber biopsies are a useful matrix for studying endocrine disruption in marine mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M Galligan
- Medical University of South Carolina, Hollings Marine Laboratory, 331 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC, 29412, USA; Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, 310 West Campus Drive, 101 Cheatham Hall, Blacksburg, VA, 24060, USA.
| | - Brian C Balmer
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, 3419 Maybank Highway, Site B, Johns Island, SC, 29455, USA
| | - Lori H Schwacke
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, 3419 Maybank Highway, Site B, Johns Island, SC, 29455, USA
| | - Jennie L Bolton
- Environmental and Fisheries Sciences Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2725 Montlake Boulevard East, Seattle, WA, 98112, USA
| | - Brian M Quigley
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, 3419 Maybank Highway, Site B, Johns Island, SC, 29455, USA
| | - Patricia E Rosel
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, 646 Cajundome Boulevard, Lafayette, LA, 70506, USA
| | - Gina M Ylitalo
- Environmental and Fisheries Sciences Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2725 Montlake Boulevard East, Seattle, WA, 98112, USA
| | - Ashley S P Boggs
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Hollings Marine Laboratory, 331 Fort Johnson Rd, Charleston, SC, 29412, USA
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Misra BB, Ruiz-Hernández IM, Hernández-Bolio GI, Hernández-Núñez E, Díaz-Gamboa R, Colli-Dula RC. 1H NMR metabolomic analysis of skin and blubber of bottlenose dolphins reveals a functional metabolic dichotomy. COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY D-GENOMICS & PROTEOMICS 2019; 30:25-32. [PMID: 30771562 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbd.2019.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2018] [Revised: 02/05/2019] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is a carnivorous cetacean that thrives in marine environments, one of the apex predators of the marine food web. They are found in coastal and estuarine ecosystems, which are known to be sensitive to environmental impacts. Dolphins are considered sentinel organisms for monitoring the health of coastal marine ecosystems due to their role as predators that can bioaccumulate contaminants. Although recent studies have focused on capturing the circulating metabolomes of these mammals, and in the context of pollutants and exposures in the marine environment, skin and blubber are important surface and protective tissues that have not been adequately probed for metabolism. Using a proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR) based metabolomics approach, we quantified 51 metabolites belonging to 74 different metabolic pathways in the skin and blubber of stranded bottlenose dolphin (n = 4) samples collected at different localities in the Southern Zone coast of Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. Results indicate that metabolism of skin and blubber are quantitatively very different. These metabolite abundances could help discriminate the tissue-types using supervised partial least square regression discriminant analysis (PLSDA). Further, using hierarchical clustering analysis and random forest analysis of the metabolite abundances, the results pointed to unique metabolites that are important classifiers of the tissue-type. On one hand, the differential metabolic patterns, mainly linking fatty acid metabolism and ketogenic amino acids, seem to constitute a characteristic of blubber, thus pointing to fat synthesis and deposition. On the other hand, the skin showed several metabolites involved in gluconeogenic pathways, pointing towards an active anabolic energy-generating metabolism. The most notable pathways found in both tissues included: urea cycle, nucleotide metabolism, amino acid metabolism, glutathione metabolism among others. Our 1H NMR metabolomics analysis allowed the quantification of metabolites associated with these two organs, i.e., pyruvic acid, arginine, ornithine, 2-hydroxybutyric acid, 3-hydroxyisobutyric acid, and acetic acid, as discriminatory and classifying metabolites. These results would lead to further understanding of the functional and physiological roles of dolphin skin and blubber metabolism for better efforts in their conservation, as well as useful target biopsy tissues for monitoring of dolphin health conditions in marine pollution and ecotoxicology studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Biswapriya B Misra
- Center for Precision Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Molecular Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem 27157, NC, USA
| | | | | | - Emanuel Hernández-Núñez
- Departamento de Recursos del Mar, Cinvestav Unidad Mérida, Mérida, Yucatán 97310, Mexico; Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT), Mexico
| | - Raúl Díaz-Gamboa
- Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Campus de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, 97100 Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
| | - Reyna Cristina Colli-Dula
- Departamento de Recursos del Mar, Cinvestav Unidad Mérida, Mérida, Yucatán 97310, Mexico; Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT), Mexico.
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Charapata P, Horstmann L, Jannasch A, Misarti N. A novel method to measure steroid hormone concentrations in walrus bone from archaeological, historical, and modern time periods using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2018; 32:1999-2023. [PMID: 30192037 PMCID: PMC6282614 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.8272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2018] [Revised: 08/15/2018] [Accepted: 08/19/2018] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE A liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) method was validated and utilized to measure and analyze four steroid hormones related to stress and reproduction in individual samples from a novel tissue, Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens, herein walrus) bone. This method determines steroid hormone concentrations in the remote walrus population over millennia from archaeological (>200 bp), historical (200-20 bp), and modern (2014-2016) time periods. METHODS Lipids were extracted from walrus bone collected from these periods using methanol before LC/MS/MS analysis. Isotopically labeled internal standards for each target hormone were added to every sample. Analytical and physiological validations were performed. Additionally, a tissue comparison was done among paired walrus bone, serum, and blubber samples. A rapid resolution liquid chromatography system coupled to a QqQ mass spectrometer was used to analyze all samples after derivatization for progesterone, testosterone, cortisol, and estradiol concentrations. Multiple reaction monitoring was used for MS analysis and data were acquired in positive electrospray ionization mode. RESULTS Progesterone, testosterone, cortisol, and estradiol were linear along their respective standard calibration curves based on their R2 values (all > 0.99). Accuracy ranged from 93-111% for all hormones. The recovery of extraction, recovery of hormones without matrix effect, was 92-101%. The overall process efficiency of our method for measuring hormones in walrus bone was 93-112%. Progesterone and testosterone concentrations were not affected by reproductive status among adult females and males, respectively. However, estradiol was different among pregnant and non-pregnant adult females. Overall, steroid hormones reflect a long-term reservoir in cortical bone. This method was also successfully applied to walrus bone as old as 3585 bp. CONCLUSIONS LC/MS/MS analysis of bone tissue (0.2-0.3 g) provides stress and reproductive data from elusive walruses that were alive thousands of years ago. Based on physiological validations, tissue comparison, and published literature, steroid hormone concentrations measured in walrus cortical bone could represent an accumulated average around a 10-20-year time span. By investigating how stress and reproductive physiology may have changed over the past ~3000 years based on bone steroid hormone concentrations, this method will help answer how physiologically resilient walruses are to climate change in the Arctic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Charapata
- College of Fisheries and Ocean SciencesUniversity of Alaska FairbanksPO Box 757220FairbanksAK99775USA
- Department of BiologyBaylor UniversityOne Bear PlaceWacoTX76706USA
| | - Lara Horstmann
- College of Fisheries and Ocean SciencesUniversity of Alaska FairbanksPO Box 757220FairbanksAK99775USA
| | - Amber Jannasch
- Bindley Bioscience CenterPurdue University1203 W State St.West LafayetteIN47906USA
| | - Nicole Misarti
- Water and Environmental Research CenterUniversity of Alaska FairbanksPO Box 755910FairbanksAK99775USA
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Galligan TM, Schwacke LH, Houser DS, Wells RS, Rowles T, Boggs ASP. Characterization of circulating steroid hormone profiles in the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2018; 263:80-91. [PMID: 29627396 PMCID: PMC6668333 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2018.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2017] [Revised: 02/26/2018] [Accepted: 04/02/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Systemic steroid hormone measurements are often used in the assessment of reproductive, developmental, and stress physiology in vertebrates. In protected wildlife, such as the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), these measures can provide critical information about health and fitness to aid in effective conservation and management. Circulating steroid hormone concentrations are typically measured by immunoassays, which have imperfect specificity and are limited to the measurement of a single hormone per assay. Here we demonstrate that reverse phase solid phase extraction (SPE) coupled to liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) allows for the simultaneous, precise (<15% relative standard deviation), and accurate (between 70% and 120% recovery of spiked quantities) measurement of at least seven steroid hormones in dolphin plasma. These seven steroid hormones include three hormones that have been measured previously in bottlenose dolphin blood (progesterone, testosterone, and cortisol) and three hormones which have never been quantified in dolphin blood (17-hydroxyprogesterone, androstenedione, cortisone, and corticosterone). While 17β-estradiol was not detected endogenously, we were able to accurately and precisely measure spiked quantities estradiol. Measures from plasma were more precise (i.e., lower RSD) than serum, and thus we recommend plasma as the preferred matrix for this analytical method. In order to facilitate comparison of current and future plasma-based studies to previous serum-based studies, we characterized the relationships between hormone measurements in matched plasma and serum, and found that measurements across matrices are significantly and positively correlated. Lastly, to demonstrate potential applications of this method, we examined how steroid hormone profiles vary by pregnancy, sexual maturity, and stress status - pregnancy was associated with elevated progesterone, adult males had higher testosterone, and capture stress was associated with elevated corticosteroids. Overall, we conclude that this method will enable investigators to more thoroughly and efficiently evaluate steroid hormone homeostasis in bottlenose dolphins compared to immunoassay methods. These methods can potentially be applied to the assessment of sexual maturity/seasonality, pregnancy status, and stress in free-ranging bottlenose dolphins as well as those maintained under human care, and potentially other marine mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M Galligan
- Medical University of South Carolina, College of Graduate Studies, Hollings Marine Laboratory, 331 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412, USA; JHT, Inc. Under Contract to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, Hollings Marine Laboratory, 331 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412, USA.
| | - Lori H Schwacke
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, 2240 Shelter Island Drive Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92106, USA.
| | - Dorian S Houser
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, 2240 Shelter Island Drive Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92106, USA.
| | - Randall S Wells
- Chicago Zoological Society's Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, c/o Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600 Ken Thompson Pkwy, Sarasota, FL 34236, USA.
| | - Teri Rowles
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of Protected Resources, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA.
| | - Ashley S P Boggs
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Chemical Sciences Division, Hollings Marine Laboratory, 331 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412, USA.
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Galligan TM, Schwacke LH, McFee WE, Boggs ASP. Evidence for cortisol-cortisone metabolism by marine mammal blubber. MARINE BIOLOGY 2018; 165:10.1007/s00227-018-3373-4. [PMID: 31579267 PMCID: PMC6774200 DOI: 10.1007/s00227-018-3373-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2018] [Accepted: 06/11/2018] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Blubber, a specialized hyperdermic adipose tissue found in marine mammals, has been identified as a useful tissue for the assessment of steroid hormone homeostasis in cetaceans. However, blubber cortisol measurements are not quantitatively predictive of circulating cortisol concentrations in bottlenose dolphins. In other mammals, adipose tissue metabolizes steroid hormones. Thus, it is proposed that the disagreement between blubber and blood cortisol in bottlenose dolphins could be due in part to metabolism of corticosteroids in blubber. The purpose of this study is to characterize the ability of blubber to interconvert cortisol and cortisone using an in vitro design. Results demonstrate that bottlenose dolphin blubber microsomes interconvert cortisol and cortisone, an effect that is abated by denaturing the microsomes, indicating this is an enzymatic process. These findings lead to the conclusion that blubber is likely a site of active steroid metabolism, which should be considered in future studies utilizing blubber as a matrix for endocrine assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M. Galligan
- College of Graduate Studies, Medical University of South Carolina, 331 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412, USA
- JHT, Inc. Under Contract to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, Hollings Marine Laboratory, 331 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412, USA
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 310 West Campus Drive, Cheatham Hall Rm 101, Blacksburg 24060, VA, USA
| | - Lori H. Schwacke
- National Marine Mammal Foundation, 2240 Shelter Island Drive Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92106, USA
| | - Wayne E. McFee
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Ocean Service, Center for Coastal Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research, 219 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston 29412, SC, USA
| | - Ashley S. P. Boggs
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Chemical Sciences Division, Hollings Marine Laboratory, 331 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412, USA
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