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Naidu SJ, Arangasamy A, Selvaraju S, Binsila BK, Reddy IJ, Ravindra JP, Bhatta R. Maternal influence on the skewing of offspring sex ratio: a review. ANIMAL PRODUCTION SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.1071/an21086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Häffelin KE, Lindenwald R, Kaufmann F, Döhring S, Spindler B, Preisinger R, Rautenschlein S, Kemper N, Andersson R. Corticosterone in feathers of laying hens: an assay validation for evidence-based assessment of animal welfare. Poult Sci 2020; 99:4685-4694. [PMID: 32988503 PMCID: PMC7598325 DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2020.06.065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Revised: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Studies indicate that the evaluation of animal welfare in birds may be carried out with the measurement of the stress-related hormone corticosterone in feathers. However a standardized procedure for corticosterone measurements in feathers is lacking, a validation needs to be carried out for each new species before implementation. The aim of the present study was to establish a valid method to measure corticosterone concentrations in feathers of laying hens in a precise and repeatable manner using an established and commercially available ELISA. Validation was performed with feather pools of tail and interscapular feathers of commercial Lohmann Brown laying hens. Assessment groups, consisting of 5 replicates, were created. All replicates of an assessment group were processed at the same time. Each replicate was run in 4 repetitions by ELISA. Intra-assay and interassay CV was 7.5 and 6.4%, respectively. The serial dilution showed linearity and parallelism. Examining the hormone extraction efficiency by using different methanol volumes resulted in no statistical differences (P > 0.05). Pulverized feathers showed higher corticosterone values than minced feathers (P > 0.05). Differences were shown between 2 feather types (tail vs. interscapular feathers; P < 0.05), as well as between vane and rachis (P < 0.05). Performance of a freeze-thaw cycle led to a decrease of corticosterone concentrations in the samples. A possible effect of UV-A radiation on the stability of corticosterone in the feathers was not found (P > 0.05). With the present study, a valid protocol, feasible for analyzing feather pools of laying hens, was developed. It may provide fundamentals for further investigations on corticosterone in feathers as a noninvasive indicator to evaluate aspects of animal welfare.
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Affiliation(s)
- K E Häffelin
- Faculty of Agriculture Sciences and Landscape Architecture, Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences, 49090 Osnabrück, Germany.
| | - R Lindenwald
- Clinic for Poultry, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover (Foundation), 30559 Hannover, Germany
| | - F Kaufmann
- Faculty of Agriculture Sciences and Landscape Architecture, Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences, 49090 Osnabrück, Germany
| | - S Döhring
- Faculty of Agriculture Sciences and Landscape Architecture, Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences, 49090 Osnabrück, Germany
| | - B Spindler
- Institute for Animal Hygiene, Animal Welfare and Farm Animal Behavior, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover (Foundation), 30173 Hannover, Germany
| | | | - S Rautenschlein
- Clinic for Poultry, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover (Foundation), 30559 Hannover, Germany
| | - N Kemper
- Institute for Animal Hygiene, Animal Welfare and Farm Animal Behavior, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover (Foundation), 30173 Hannover, Germany
| | - R Andersson
- Faculty of Agriculture Sciences and Landscape Architecture, Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences, 49090 Osnabrück, Germany
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Puttabyatappa M, Sargis RM, Padmanabhan V. Developmental programming of insulin resistance: are androgens the culprits? J Endocrinol 2020; 245:R23-R48. [PMID: 32240982 PMCID: PMC7219571 DOI: 10.1530/joe-20-0044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Insulin resistance is a common feature of many metabolic disorders. The dramatic rise in the incidence of insulin resistance over the past decade has enhanced focus on its developmental origins. Since various developmental insults ranging from maternal disease, stress, over/undernutrition, and exposure to environmental chemicals can all program the development of insulin resistance, common mechanisms may be involved. This review discusses the possibility that increases in maternal androgens associated with these various insults are key mediators in programming insulin resistance. Additionally, the intermediaries through which androgens misprogram tissue insulin sensitivity, such as changes in inflammatory, oxidative, and lipotoxic states, epigenetic, gut microbiome and insulin, as well as data gaps to be filled are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Robert M. Sargis
- Department of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
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Koren L, Bryan H, Matas D, Tinman S, Fahlman Å, Whiteside D, Smits J, Wynne‐Edwards K. Towards the validation of endogenous steroid testing in wildlife hair. J Appl Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Lee Koren
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life SciencesBar‐Ilan University Ramat‐Gan Israel
| | - Heather Bryan
- Department of GeographyUniversity of Victoria Victoria British Columbia Canada
- Raincoast Conservation Foundation Sidney British Columbia Canada
| | - Devorah Matas
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life SciencesBar‐Ilan University Ramat‐Gan Israel
| | - Simon Tinman
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life SciencesBar‐Ilan University Ramat‐Gan Israel
| | - Åsa Fahlman
- Swedish Biodiversity CentreSwedish University of Agricultural Sciences Uppsala Sweden
| | - Douglas Whiteside
- Faculty of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of Calgary Calgary Alberta Canada
- Calgary Zoo Alberta Canada
| | - Judit Smits
- Faculty of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of Calgary Calgary Alberta Canada
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Fishman R, Vortman Y, Shanas U, Koren L. Cortisol advantage of neighbouring the opposite sex in utero. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2018; 5:171636. [PMID: 30839724 PMCID: PMC6170571 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.171636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2017] [Accepted: 08/09/2018] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Population sex ratios naturally fluctuate around equality. It is argued that the production of an equal number of male and female offspring by individual parents should be favoured by selection, if all costs and benefits are equal. Theoretically, an even sex ratio should yield the highest probability for a fetus to be adjacent to a fetus of the opposite sex in utero. This may cause developmental costs or benefits that have been overlooked. We examined the physiological and developmental parameters associated with in utero sex ratios in the nutria (Myocastor coypus), an invasive wildlife species with a strong reproductive output. Using hair testing, we found that litters with even sex ratios had the highest average cortisol levels. Fetuses neighbouring the opposite sex exhibited longer trunks than those neighbouring the same sex, which might imply better lung development. Our results are the first, to our knowledge, to link intra-utero sex ratios and fetal cortisol and suggest that fetal cortisol might be a mechanism by which even sex ratios are maintained via developmental advantages.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. Fishman
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel
| | - Y. Vortman
- Hula Research Center, Department of Animal Sciences, Tel-Hai College, Upper Galilee 1220800, Israel
| | - U. Shanas
- Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Haifa—Oranim, Tivon 3600600, Israel
| | - L. Koren
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel
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6
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Female-biased sex ratios are associated with higher maternal testosterone levels in nutria (Myocastor coypus). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2517-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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Cattet M, Stenhouse GB, Boulanger J, Janz DM, Kapronczai L, Swenson JE, Zedrosser A. Can concentrations of steroid hormones in brown bear hair reveal age class? CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2018; 6:coy001. [PMID: 29399362 PMCID: PMC5788069 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coy001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2017] [Revised: 12/17/2017] [Accepted: 01/05/2018] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Although combining genetic and endocrine data from non-invasively collected hair samples has potential to improve the conservation of threatened mammals, few studies have evaluated this opportunity. In this study, we determined if steroid hormone (testosterone, progesterone, estradiol and cortisol) concentration profiles in 169 hair samples collected from free-ranging brown bears (Ursus arctos) could be used to accurately discriminate between immature and adult bears within each sex. Because hair samples were acquired opportunistically, we also needed to establish if interactions between hormones and several non-hormone factors (ordinal day, year, contact method, study area) were associated with age class. For each sex, we first compared a suite of candidate models by Akaike Information Criteria model selection, using different adult-age thresholds (3, 4 and 5 years), to determine the most supported adult age. Because hair hormone levels better reflect the endocrine state at an earlier time, possibly during the previous year, then at the time of sampling, we re-analysed the data, excluding the records for bears at the adult-age threshold, to establish if classification accuracy improved. For both sexes, candidate models were most supported based on a 3-year-old adult-age threshold. Classification accuracy did not improve with the 3-year-old bear data excluded. Male age class was predicted with a high degree of accuracy (88.4%) based on the concomitant concentrations of all four hormones. Female age class was predicted with less accuracy (77.1%) based only on testosterone and cortisol. Accuracy was reduced for females, primarily because we had poor success in correctly classifying immature bears (60%) whereas classification success for adult females was similar to that for males (84.5%). Given the small and unbalanced sample used in this study, our findings should be viewed as preliminary, but they should also provide a basis for more comprehensive future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Cattet
- RGL Recovery Wildlife Health & Veterinary Services, 415 Mount Allison Crescent, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7H 4A6, Canada
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5B4, Canada
| | - Gordon B Stenhouse
- fRI Research and Alberta Environment and Parks, 1176 Switzer Drive, Hinton, Alberta T7V 1X6, Canada
| | - John Boulanger
- Integrated Ecological Research, 924 Innes Street, Nelson, British Columbia V1L 5T2, Canada
| | - David M Janz
- Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5B4, Canada
| | - Luciene Kapronczai
- Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, 44 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5B3, Canada
| | - Jon E Swenson
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Nature Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, PO Box 5003, NO-1432 Ås, Norway and Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Høgskoleringen 9, 7034 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Andreas Zedrosser
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health, Telemark University College of Southeast Norway, NO-3800 Bø i Telemark, Norway
- Department for Integrative Biology, Institute for Wildlife Biology and Game Management, University for Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna A-1180, Austria
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Kobayashi S, Matsumoto T, Ando M, Iguchi M, Watanabe S, Taguchi K, Kobayashi T. UDP-induced relaxation is enhanced in aorta from female obese Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty rats. Purinergic Signal 2017; 14:91-96. [PMID: 29188550 DOI: 10.1007/s11302-017-9595-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2017] [Accepted: 11/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Uridine 5'-diphosphate (UDP) plays an important role in controlling vascular tone; however, UDP-mediated response in metabolic syndromes, including obesity and type 2 diabetes in females, remains unclear. In this study, we investigated UDP-mediated response in the aorta of female obese Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats and control Long-Evans Tokushima Otsuka (LETO) rats. In OLETF rat aortas precontracted by phenylephrine (PE) (vs. LETO), (1) UDP-induced relaxation was increased, whereas acetylcholine (ACh)-induced relaxation was decreased; (2) no UDP- or ACh-induced relaxations were observed in endothelial denudation, whereas UDP-induced small contraction was observed; and (3) NG-nitro-L-arginine [L-NNA, a nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor] eliminated UDP-induced relaxation and small contraction, whereas caused contrasting responses by ACh, including slight relaxations (LETO) and contractions (OLETF). Indomethacin, a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, eliminated the difference in UDP- and ACh-induced relaxations between the groups by increased UDP-induced relaxation in the LETO group and increased ACh-induced relaxation in the OLETF group. MRS2578, a P2Y6 receptor antagonist, eliminated the difference in UDP-induced relaxations between the groups by decreasing UDP-induced relaxation in the OLETF group. MRS2578 had no effect on UDP-induced contraction in endothelium-denuded aortas. Therefore, these findings demonstrate opposite trends of relaxations by UDP and ACh in OLETF and LETO rat aortas. These differences may be attributed to the imbalance between NO and vasoconstrictor prostanoids upon stimulations. Increased UDP-induced relaxation in OLETF rat aorta may be caused by the activation of endothelial MRS2578-sensitive P2Y6 receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shota Kobayashi
- Department of Physiology and Morphology, Institute of Medicinal Chemistry, Hoshi University, 2-4-41 Ebara, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, 142-8501, Japan
| | - Takayuki Matsumoto
- Department of Physiology and Morphology, Institute of Medicinal Chemistry, Hoshi University, 2-4-41 Ebara, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, 142-8501, Japan
| | - Makoto Ando
- Department of Physiology and Morphology, Institute of Medicinal Chemistry, Hoshi University, 2-4-41 Ebara, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, 142-8501, Japan
| | - Maika Iguchi
- Department of Physiology and Morphology, Institute of Medicinal Chemistry, Hoshi University, 2-4-41 Ebara, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, 142-8501, Japan
| | - Shun Watanabe
- Department of Physiology and Morphology, Institute of Medicinal Chemistry, Hoshi University, 2-4-41 Ebara, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, 142-8501, Japan
| | - Kumiko Taguchi
- Department of Physiology and Morphology, Institute of Medicinal Chemistry, Hoshi University, 2-4-41 Ebara, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, 142-8501, Japan
| | - Tsuneo Kobayashi
- Department of Physiology and Morphology, Institute of Medicinal Chemistry, Hoshi University, 2-4-41 Ebara, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, 142-8501, Japan.
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10
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Erickson RL, Browne CA, Lucki I. Hair corticosterone measurement in mouse models of type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Physiol Behav 2017; 178:166-171. [PMID: 28089708 PMCID: PMC5507747 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.01.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2016] [Revised: 01/10/2017] [Accepted: 01/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
In diabetes, glucocorticoid secretion increases secondary to hyperglycemia and is associated with an extensive list of disease complications. Levels of cortisol in humans, or corticosterone in rodents, are usually measured as transitory biomarkers of stress in blood or saliva. Glucocorticoid concentrations accumulate in human or animal hair over weeks and could more accurately measure the cumulative stress burden of diseases like chronic diabetes. In this study, corticosterone levels were measured in hair in verified rodent models of diabetes mellitus. To induce type 1 diabetes, C57BL/6J mice were injected with streptozotocin and blood and hair samples were collected 28days following induction. Leptin receptor deficient (db/db) mice were used as a spontaneous model of type 2 diabetes and blood and hair samples were collected at 8weeks of age, after the development of hyperglycemia and obesity. Corticosterone levels from serum, new growth hair and total growth hair were analyzed using an enzyme immunoassay. Corticosterone levels in new growth hair and serum were significantly elevated in both models of diabetes compared to controls. In contrast, corticosterone levels in old hair growth did not differ significantly between diabetic and non-diabetic animals. Thus, hair removal and sampling of new hair growth was a more sensitive procedure for detecting changes in hair corticosterone levels induced by periods of hyperglycemia lasting for 4weeks in mice. These results validate the use of hair to measure long-term changes in corticosterone induced by diabetes in rodent models. Further studies are now needed to validate the utility of hair cortisol as a tool for measuring the stress burden of individuals with diabetes and for following the effects of long-term medical treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca L Erickson
- University Laboratory Animal Resources, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States; Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Caroline A Browne
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Irwin Lucki
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States.
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11
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Matsumoto T, Kobayashi S, Ando M, Watanabe S, Iguchi M, Taguchi K, Kobayashi T. Impaired endothelium-derived hyperpolarization-type relaxation in superior mesenteric arteries isolated from female Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty rats. Eur J Pharmacol 2017; 807:151-158. [PMID: 28433656 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2017.03.062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2016] [Revised: 02/27/2017] [Accepted: 03/31/2017] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Endothelium-derived hyperpolarization (EDH) is an important signaling mechanism of endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation, and little attention has been paid to the EDH-type responses in female metabolic syndrome such as that observed with type-2 diabetes. We previously reported that EDH-type relaxation was impaired in superior mesenteric arteries from male Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rat, a model of type-2 diabetes, however, the response was unclear in female OLETF rat. Thus, the aim of this study was to examine if EDH-type relaxation was altered in superior mesenteric arteries isolated from female OLETF rats compared to age-matched, control female Long-Evans Tokushima Otsuka (LETO) rats at age 50-59 weeks. We investigated concentration-relaxation curves for acetylcholine (at age 50-53 weeks), NS309 (an activator of small- and intermediate-conductance calcium-activated potassium channels) (at age 50-53 weeks), and GSK1016790A (an agonist of transient receptor potential vanilloid type 4, TRPV4) (at age 58 or 59 weeks) in the presence of the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor NG-nitro-L-arginine and the cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin to investigate EDH-type responses in the superior mesenteric artery. Obesity, mild hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, and hyperlipidemia (i.e., increased total cholesterol, triglyceride, and non-esterified fatty acids) were more frequent in OLETF rats than in age-matched LETO rats at age 50-53 weeks. Acetylcholine-, NS309-, and GSK1016790A-induced relaxations in arteries from OLETF rats were all significantly reduced compared to those in LETO rats. These results indicated that EDH-type relaxations were impaired in female OLETF rats. This novel experimental model may provide new insights into vascular dysfunction in metabolic syndrome in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takayuki Matsumoto
- Department of Physiology and Morphology, Institute of Medicinal Chemistry, Hoshi University, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 142-8501, Japan
| | - Shota Kobayashi
- Department of Physiology and Morphology, Institute of Medicinal Chemistry, Hoshi University, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 142-8501, Japan
| | - Makoto Ando
- Department of Physiology and Morphology, Institute of Medicinal Chemistry, Hoshi University, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 142-8501, Japan
| | - Shun Watanabe
- Department of Physiology and Morphology, Institute of Medicinal Chemistry, Hoshi University, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 142-8501, Japan
| | - Maika Iguchi
- Department of Physiology and Morphology, Institute of Medicinal Chemistry, Hoshi University, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 142-8501, Japan
| | - Kumiko Taguchi
- Department of Physiology and Morphology, Institute of Medicinal Chemistry, Hoshi University, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 142-8501, Japan
| | - Tsuneo Kobayashi
- Department of Physiology and Morphology, Institute of Medicinal Chemistry, Hoshi University, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 142-8501, Japan.
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Schell CJ, Young JK, Lonsdorf EV, Mateo JM, Santymire RM. Investigation of techniques to measure cortisol and testosterone concentrations in coyote hair. Zoo Biol 2017; 36:220-225. [DOI: 10.1002/zoo.21359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2016] [Accepted: 02/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Julie K. Young
- Department of Wildland ResourcesUSDA‐WS‐NWRCPredator Research FacilityUtah State UniversityLoganUtah
| | | | - Jill M. Mateo
- Committee on Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of ChicagoChicagoIllinois
| | - Rachel M. Santymire
- Committee on Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of ChicagoChicagoIllinois
- Department of Conservation and ScienceLincoln Park ZooChicagoIllinois
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13
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Cattet M, Stenhouse GB, Janz DM, Kapronczai L, Anne Erlenbach J, Jansen HT, Nelson OL, Robbins CT, Boulanger J. The quantification of reproductive hormones in the hair of captive adult brown bears and their application as indicators of sex and reproductive state. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2017; 5:cox032. [PMID: 28580147 PMCID: PMC5452076 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/cox032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2017] [Revised: 04/16/2017] [Accepted: 05/08/2017] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Recognizing the potential value of steroid hormone measurements to augment non-invasive genetic sampling, we developed procedures based on enzyme-linked immunoassays to quantify reproductive steroid hormone concentrations in brown bear (Ursus arctos) hair. Then, using 94 hair samples collected from eight captive adult bears over a 2-year period, we evaluated (i) associations between hair concentrations of testosterone, progesterone, estradiol and cortisol; (ii) the effect of collecting by shaving vs. plucking; and (iii) the utility of reproductive hormone profiles to differentiate sex and reproductive state. Sample requirements (125 mg of guard hair) to assay all hormones exceeded amounts typically obtained by non-invasive sampling. Thus, broad application of this approach will require modification of non-invasive techniques to collect larger samples, use of mixed (guard and undercoat) hair samples and/or application of more sensitive laboratory procedures. Concentrations of hormones were highly correlated suggesting their sequestration in hair reflects underlying physiological processes. Marked changes in hair hormone levels during the quiescent phase of the hair cycle, coupled with the finding that progesterone concentrations, and their association with testosterone levels, differed markedly between plucked and shaved hair samples, suggests steroids sequestered in hair were likely derived from various sources, including skin. Changes in hair hormone concentrations over time, and in conjunction with key reproductive events, were similar to what has been reported concerning hormonal changes in the blood serum of brown bears. Thus, potential for the measurement of hair reproductive hormone levels to augment non-invasive genetic sampling appears compelling. Nonetheless, we are conducting additional validation studies on hair collected from free-ranging bears, representative of all sex, age and reproductive classes, to fully evaluate the utility of this approach for brown bear conservation and research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Cattet
- RGL Recovery Wildlife Health & Veterinary Services, 415 Mount Allison Crescent, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, CanadaS7H 4A6
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, CanadaS7N 5B4
- Corresponding author: RGL Recovery Wildlife Health & Veterinary Services, 415 Mount Allison Crescent, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada S7H 4A6. Tel: +1-306-280-3782.
| | - Gordon B. Stenhouse
- fRI Research and Alberta Environment and Parks, 1176 Switzer Drive, Hinton, Alberta, CanadaT7V 1X6
| | - David M. Janz
- Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, CanadaS7N 5B4
| | - Luciene Kapronczai
- Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, 44 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, CanadaS7N 5B3
| | - Joy Anne Erlenbach
- School of the Environment, Washington State University, PO Box 642812, Pullman, WA99164, USA
| | - Heiko T. Jansen
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, 1815 Ferdinand's Lane, Veterinary and Biomedical Research Building 205, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - O. Lynne Nelson
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, PO Box 647010, Pullman, WA 99164,USA
| | - Charles T. Robbins
- School of the Environment and School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, PO Box 644236, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - John Boulanger
- Integrated Ecological Research, 924 Innes Street, Nelson, British Columbia, CanadaV1L 5T2
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