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Biezus G, de Cristo TG, Ikuta CY, Carniel F, Volpato J, Teixeira MBDS, Neto JSF, Casagrande RA. Canine leproid granuloma (CLG) caused by mycobacterial species closely related to members of Mycobacterium simiae complex in a dog in Brazil. Top Companion Anim Med 2022; 50:100672. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tcam.2022.100672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Contreras ET, Vanderstichel R, Hovenga C, Lappin MR. Evaluation of hair and nail cortisol concentrations and associations with behavioral, physical, and environmental indicators of chronic stress in cats. J Vet Intern Med 2021; 35:2662-2672. [PMID: 34704630 PMCID: PMC8692200 DOI: 10.1111/jvim.16283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Revised: 09/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Chronic stress is implicated in behavioral and health issues in cats, but methods for recognition, evaluation, and measurement of stress are lacking. Cortisol concentration is typically used as an indicator of stress. Objectives To evaluate use of an enzyme immunoassay to quantitate hair and nail cortisol concentrations (HCC and NCC) in cats and evaluate associations between HCC and NCC and behavioral, physical, and environmental correlates of chronic stress in cats. Animals Forty‐eight adult, owned or community cats. Methods Cross‐sectional study. Nail clippings and hair were collected from cats. Medical history and cat daily lifestyle questionnaires were completed by owners or caretakers. A commercial laboratory performed cortisol extraction and quantification using a validated enzyme immunoassay kit. Correlational and regression analyses were used to evaluate associations between HCC and NCC and behavioral, environmental, and medical factors. Results Hair and nail cortisol concentrations were significantly associated (rs = 0.70; P < .001), but HCCs varied widely within and among cats. Cats with litterbox issues had significantly increased HCC (P = .02) and NCC (P = .001) as compared to cats without litterbox issues. Cats with groomed coats had lower HCCs (P = .02) as compared to cats without groomed coats, whereas cats with dander and mats had higher NCCs (P = .01) as compared to cats without dander and mats. Conclusions and Clinical Importance The quantification of NCCs might improve identification and evaluation of chronic stress in cats. The variability of HCCs in individual cats warrants caution using this measurement in chronic stress studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena T Contreras
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Long Island University College of Veterinary Medicine, Brookville, New York, USA
| | - Raphael Vanderstichel
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Long Island University College of Veterinary Medicine, Brookville, New York, USA
| | - Claire Hovenga
- Humane Society of Pikes Peak Region, Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA
| | - Michael R Lappin
- Center for Companion Animal Studies, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
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Abstract
Welfare of dairy cows can be assessed using welfare assessment protocols consisting of resource, management and animal-based measures. Welfare Quality® Assessment Protocol is one of the best-known protocols, which depends almost entirely on animal-based measures. To gain more objective and rapid welfare assessment, new techniques have been developed to measure welfare of animals, such as hair cortisol concentration. As cortisol is released in response to stress, it has long been used as a biomarker of stress in animals. While the precise mechanism of cortisol incorporation into hair is unknown, hair cortisol concentration seems to be a marker of long-term systemic cortisol concentration. Hair cortisol is, therefore, a potential marker of chronic stress and is not likely to be affected by acute stress. Studies on cattle show connections between hair cortisol concentration and factors such as pregnancy, parity, diseases, ectoparasites, body condition score, environmental changes, stocking density and milk yield. Hair cortisol concentration appears to be affected by time of sampling, cow age and breed, UV radiation, season, body region of sampled hair and hair colour. Its concentration also depends on sampling and analytical methods. Hair cortisol is a promising non-invasive tool to evaluate welfare of dairy cows, however, more research is needed to determine the extent of effects on its concentration and the appropriate method of sampling and analysis. Correlations between Welfare Quality® Assessment Protocol scores and pooled hair cortisol concentrations have not yet been found, and more research is needed with larger sample size, a standardized protocol of hair sampling, processing and analysis. With proper attention to detail, hair cortisol levels in pooled hair samples might come to be used as a reliable indicator of dairy animal welfare.
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Groppetti D, Meazzi S, Filipe JFS, Colombani C, Panseri S, Zanzani SA, Palestrini C, Cannas S, Giordano A, Pecile A. Maternal and neonatal canine cortisol measurement in multiple matrices during the perinatal period: A pilot study. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0254842. [PMID: 34293013 PMCID: PMC8297866 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress exposure during perinatal period may lead to maternal cortisol increase that negatively affects the offspring development. In recent years, the interest on non-invasive sampling methods to measure cortisol as a marker of stress is increasing in both humans and animals. Indeed, discomfort due to blood collection may compromise the diagnostic outcome, mainly in uncooperative patients. So far, some alternative matrices but not milk have been explored in adult dogs, while no data are available on the neonate and paediatric live pups. This study aimed to measure cortisol concentration in different biological substrates in both dams (blood, saliva, hair and milk) and pups (saliva and hair) at established times from proestrus up to two months after parturition. For this purpose, five female German shepherd bitches and their 22 pups were enrolled. Cortisol concentration was assessed using the enzyme immunoassay kit (Salivary Cortisol ELISA kit, Salimetrics) after matrices appropriate preparation if required. Cortisol was measurable in all the substrates, except some milk samples below the detection limit. Maternal cortisol concentrations differed among the matrices (P <0.0001) with the highest values recorded in plasma (median 0.596 μg/dL) compared to saliva (median 0.159 μg/dL), hair (median 0.083 μg/dL) and milk (median 0.045 μg/dL). Cortisol in dams did not vary within the same matrix over time. In pups, salivary (median 0.295 μg/dL) cortisol was always higher than hair (median 0.049 μg/dL; P <0.0001). At birth (P = 0.01) and two months later (P = 0.05), neonatal salivary cortisol was higher compared to other samplings. The present study demonstrates the suitability of these innovative substrates for cortisol measurement, suggesting them as potential diagnostic support in canine neonatology and welfare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debora Groppetti
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Sara Meazzi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Joel F. S. Filipe
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Carla Colombani
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences—Production, Landscape, Agroenergy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Sara Panseri
- Department of Veterinary Science for Health, Animal Production and Food Safety, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Sergio A. Zanzani
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Clara Palestrini
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Simona Cannas
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessia Giordano
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
- * E-mail:
| | - Alessandro Pecile
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
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5
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Is ECLIA Serum Cortisol Concentration Measurement, an Accurate Indicator of Pain Severity in Dogs with Locomotor Pain? Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10112036. [PMID: 33158237 PMCID: PMC7694258 DOI: 10.3390/ani10112036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Revised: 10/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Serum cortisol level reflects the activity of stress axis, ethological alterations, acute and chronic pain, life quality, or psychogenic stress. Although it is stated that stress can produce a measurable influence on the cortisol level, a certified value of this pain biomarker in dogs was not generally accepted yet. This interdisciplinary research emerged from the need for information in this field since not many studies were focused mainly on comparative analysis. We consider this field as a hot topic with various possible applications. Our survey is a methodological study within the fields of behavior and veterinary sciences, being relevant for the dog’s pain assessment. Results are having the guarantee of the high standard analysis of serum specimens, and using the updated Cortisol assay, with serum cortisol determined by Electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. We consider that our work could refresh the information in this field. Yet, an area of interest, specific pathology and pain particularities in a dog, being studied more and more in the last decade. What we can say is that serum cortisol limits cannot be adopted as a single and accurate pain marker in dog species, our study confirming these values, as non-conclusive for the assessment of the real pain levels in the dogs. Abstract The purpose of determining serum cortisol level is to reflect the activity of stress axis, ethological alterations, acute and chronic pain, life quality, or psychogenic stress. Although it is stated that stress can produce a measurable influence on the cortisol level, a certified value of this pain biomarker in dogs was not generally accepted yet. This study aimed to investigate if serum cortisol measured follows allopathic treatments only, or it is associated with physiotherapy, point out pain level in dogs with orthopedic disease, which could reveal the healing progress. The diagnostic identified: hip dysplasia, cranial cruciate ligament rupture, or intervertebral disc disease. Ortolani and Barden tests, together with clinical examination, drawer sign, and tibia compression test, were done in dogs exhibiting postures, and motion alteration, and X-Ray confirmed. A total of 30 dogs were grouped in healthy (n = 10) and pain groups (n = 20), the blood sampling is done at the beginning of the investigation, and after ten days of the study. Dogs were handled in two ways: G1—treated with Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) only and respectively, G2—by therapy and physiotherapy. The analysis was performed on a Roche Cobas Analyzer (Roche, USA), serum cortisol being determined by Electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA), and statistics using ANOVA, following Tukey’s Multiple Comparison Test. The results revealed that, out of ten specimens in the Control group, nine were within the normal limits: 5–65 ng × mL−1 (24.76 ± 19.48678), and one sample under the set limit. In G1, it was observed that the plasmatic P1 values were below the levels of P2, in six situations. In G2, although the status of all subjects improved radically with the removal or evident reduction of pain, confirmed clinically and imagistically, the P2 values in five dogs were higher than the initial P1 values, and in contradiction with the observed clinical reality. Comparing results, the mean difference in G1 was 0.41, and in G2 = 2.54, with an SD for G1 = 13.38, and G2 = 16.66, registering moderate development. Standard deviation illustrated that the values of treated groups were highly spread throughout the interval, and the serum cortisol assay did not generate significant statistical differences between groups in our case. This inferred the doubt whether the used detection method or values registered correctly indicates the pain levels in dog species.
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Bowland GB, Bernstein RM, Koster J, Fiorello C, Brenn-White M, Liu J, Schwartz L, Campbell A, von Stade D, Beagley J, Pomerantz J, González A, Quick M, McKinnon K, Aghaian A, Sparks C, Gross JB. Fur Color and Nutritional Status Predict Hair Cortisol Concentrations of Dogs in Nicaragua. Front Vet Sci 2020; 7:565346. [PMID: 33195542 PMCID: PMC7604343 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.565346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
This study examined the relationships between hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) and sex, age, nutritional status (as determined by body condition scores, or BCS), and body mass (geometric mean calculated from morphometric measurements), as well as the potential influence of hair pigmentation (light, dark, or agouti/mixed) on HCC in dogs of the Bosawas Biosphere Reserve, Nicaragua. The dogs examined in this study live in a marginal environment where disease, malnutrition, and mortality rates are high. For fur color, HCC was significantly higher in light fur than in than dark and mixed fur (p < 0.001). In addition, BCS scores were found to have a negative effect on HCC (p < 0.001). Measures of sex and body size exhibited inconclusive effects on HCC, and when compared to adult dogs, juvenile dogs did not exhibit significantly different HCC. Repeated measures of dogs over time reveal a moderate intra-class correlation, suggesting that there are unmeasured sources of individual-level heterogeneity. These findings imply a need to account for fur color in studies of HCC in dogs, and the study suggests an overlooked relationship between cortisol and body condition scores in undernourished dogs in diverse settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace B Bowland
- Anthropology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Robin M Bernstein
- Anthropology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States.,Institute of Behavioral Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Jeremy Koster
- Department of Anthropology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States.,Department of Human Behavior, Ecology, and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Maris Brenn-White
- University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States.,Saint Louis Zoo, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - James Liu
- University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Laura Schwartz
- University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | | | - Devin von Stade
- University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States.,Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Andrea Aghaian
- University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Corey Sparks
- Department of Demography, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Joshua B Gross
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
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7
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Hurst EA, Homer NZ, Mellanby RJ. Vitamin D Metabolism and Profiling in Veterinary Species. Metabolites 2020; 10:E371. [PMID: 32942601 PMCID: PMC7569877 DOI: 10.3390/metabo10090371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The demand for vitamin D analysis in veterinary species is increasing with the growing knowledge of the extra-skeletal role vitamin D plays in health and disease. The circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin-D (25(OH)D) metabolite is used to assess vitamin D status, and the benefits of analysing other metabolites in the complex vitamin D pathway are being discovered in humans. Profiling of the vitamin D pathway by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) facilitates simultaneous analysis of multiple metabolites in a single sample and over wide dynamic ranges, and this method is now considered the gold-standard for quantifying vitamin D metabolites. However, very few studies report using LC-MS/MS for the analysis of vitamin D metabolites in veterinary species. Given the complexity of the vitamin D pathway and the similarities in the roles of vitamin D in health and disease between humans and companion animals, there is a clear need to establish a comprehensive, reliable method for veterinary analysis that is comparable to that used in human clinical practice. In this review, we highlight the differences in vitamin D metabolism between veterinary species and the benefits of measuring vitamin D metabolites beyond 25(OH)D. Finally, we discuss the analytical challenges in profiling vitamin D in veterinary species with a focus on LC-MS/MS methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma A. Hurst
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, Edinburgh, Scotland EH25 9RG, UK;
- Mass Spectrometry Core, Edinburgh Clinical Research Facility, Queen’s Medical Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, Scotland EH16 4TJ, UK;
| | - Natalie Z. Homer
- Mass Spectrometry Core, Edinburgh Clinical Research Facility, Queen’s Medical Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, Scotland EH16 4TJ, UK;
| | - Richard J. Mellanby
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian, Edinburgh, Scotland EH25 9RG, UK;
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8
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Heimbürge S, Kanitz E, Otten W. The use of hair cortisol for the assessment of stress in animals. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2019; 270:10-17. [PMID: 30287191 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2018.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 161] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2018] [Revised: 09/10/2018] [Accepted: 09/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The hair cortisol concentration (HCC) is assumed to be a retrospective marker of integrated cortisol secretion and stress over longer periods of time. Its quantification is increasingly used in psychoneuroendocrinological studies in humans, but also in animal stress and welfare research. The measurement of HCCs for the assessment of stress offers many considerable benefits for use in domesticated and wild animals, especially due to the easy and minimally invasive sampling procedure and the representation of longer time periods in one sample. This review aims to outline the different fields of application and to assess the applicability and validity of HCC as an indicator for chronic stress or long-term activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in wild and domesticated animals. Specific hair characteristics are presented and the advantages and limitations of using HCC are discussed. An overview of findings on the impact of stress- and health-related factors on HCCs and of diverse influencing factors causing variation in hair cortisol levels in different species is given. Recommendations for the use of hair cortisol analysis are proposed and potential fields of future research are pointed out. The studies indicate an effect of age and pregnancy on HCCs, and cortisol incorporation into hair was also found to depend on hair colour, body region, sex and season of year, but these results are less consistent. Furthermore, the results in animals show that a wide array of stressors and pathological conditions alters the cortisol concentrations in hair and that HCC thereby provides a reliable and valid reflection of long-term cortisol secretion in many species. However, more research is necessary to investigate the underlying mechanisms of cortisol incorporation into the hair and to explore the hair growth characteristics in the species of interest. To overcome confounding influences, the use of standardized sampling protocols is strongly advised.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susen Heimbürge
- Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Institute of Behavioural Physiology, Wilhelm-Stahl-Allee 2, 18196 Dummerstorf, Germany
| | - Ellen Kanitz
- Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Institute of Behavioural Physiology, Wilhelm-Stahl-Allee 2, 18196 Dummerstorf, Germany
| | - Winfried Otten
- Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Institute of Behavioural Physiology, Wilhelm-Stahl-Allee 2, 18196 Dummerstorf, Germany.
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9
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Mack Z, Fokidis HB. A novel method for assessing chronic cortisol concentrations in dogs using the nail as a source. Domest Anim Endocrinol 2017; 59:53-57. [PMID: 27940099 DOI: 10.1016/j.domaniend.2016.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2016] [Revised: 11/03/2016] [Accepted: 11/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Cortisol, a glucocorticoid secreted in response to stress, is used to assess adrenal function and mental health in clinical settings. Current methods assess cortisol sources that reflect short-term secretion that can vary with current stress state. Here, we present a novel method for the extraction and quantification of cortisol from the dog nail using solid phase extraction coupled to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Validation experiments demonstrated accuracy (r = 0.836, P < 0.001) precision (15.1% coefficients of variation), and repeatability (14.4% coefficients of variation) with this method. Furthermore, nail cortisol concentrations were positively correlated to an established hair cortisol method (r = 0.736, P < 0.001). Nail cortisol concentrations did not differ with dog sex, breed, age, or weights; however, sample size limitations may preclude statistical significance. Nail cortisol may provide information on cortisol secretion integrated over the time corresponding to nail growth and may be useful as a tool for diagnosing stress and adrenal disorders in dogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z Mack
- Department of Biology, Rollins College, Winter Park, FL 37289, USA
| | - H B Fokidis
- Department of Biology, Rollins College, Winter Park, FL 37289, USA.
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10
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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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11
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Burnard C, Ralph C, Hynd P, Hocking Edwards J, Tilbrook A. Hair cortisol and its potential value as a physiological measure of stress response in human and non-human animals. ANIMAL PRODUCTION SCIENCE 2017. [DOI: 10.1071/an15622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
There is considerable interest in the potential for measuring cortisol in hair as a means of quantifying stress responses in human and non-human animals. This review updates the rapid advancement in our knowledge of hair cortisol, methods for its measurement, its relationship to acute and chronic stress, and its repeatability and heritability. The advantages of measuring cortisol in hair compared with other matrices such as blood, saliva and excreta and the current theories of the mechanisms of cortisol incorporation into the fibre are described. Hair cortisol as a measure of the physiological response to stress in a variety of species is presented, including correlations with other sample matrices, the relationship between hair cortisol and psychosocial stress and the repeatability and heritability of hair cortisol concentrations. Current standards for the quantification of hair cortisol are critically reviewed in detail for the first time and gaps in technical validation of these methods highlighted. The known effects of a variety of sources of hair cortisol variation are also reviewed, including hair sampling site, sex, age and adiposity. There is currently insufficient evidence to conclude that cortisol concentration in hair accurately reflects long-term blood cortisol concentrations. Similarly, there is a lack of information surrounding the mechanisms of cortisol incorporation into the hair. This review highlights several directions for future research to more fully validate the use of hair cortisol as an indicator of chronic stress.
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12
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Salaberger T, Millard M, Makarem SE, Möstl E, Grünberger V, Krametter-Frötscher R, Wittek T, Palme R. Influence of external factors on hair cortisol concentrations. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2016; 233:73-78. [PMID: 27167500 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2016.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2016] [Revised: 04/28/2016] [Accepted: 05/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Measuring hair cortisol has attracted interest as a long term parameter for chronic stress evaluation. However, some studies support the hypothesis that locally produced cortisol, originating from the hair follicle or skin cells, affects concentrations in the hair. In an animal model the influence of different treatments (extensive brushing, administration of a hyperemising fluid that enhances blood circulation or a synthetic glucocorticoid) on the local cortisol production of hair was evaluated. Therefore eight sheep were sheared and the area of the skin surface of the back was quartered, with three quarters being daily subjected to a certain treatment and one quarter remaining untreated. The skin areas were sheared again after three weeks and cortisol concentrations of all wool samples were determined by immunoassay. Systemic cortisol concentrations were additionally monitored with faecal samples, indicating a significant decline in concentrations of glucocorticoid metabolites between week 1 and 2 or 3, respectively. We found no significant difference in hair cortisol concentrations between fields before treatment (p=0.310). Comparing matched fields before and after treatment, we found no significant differences in wool cortisol concentrations for fields treated with hyperemising fluid as well as for the control fields (p=0.329, p=0.097). Hairs exposed to either extensive brushing or dexamethasone fluid had significantly higher immunoreactive cortisol concentrations after three weeks of treatment (p=0.016, p=0.01). We therefore advise cautious interpretation when measuring hair cortisol concentrations as a parameter for chronic stress, because external factors may have a significant influence on the results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theresa Salaberger
- Unit of Physiology, Pathophysiology and Experimental Endocrinology, Department for Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Marlon Millard
- Unit of Physiology, Pathophysiology and Experimental Endocrinology, Department for Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Samy El Makarem
- Unit of Physiology, Pathophysiology and Experimental Endocrinology, Department for Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Erich Möstl
- Unit of Physiology, Pathophysiology and Experimental Endocrinology, Department for Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Viktoria Grünberger
- Unit of Physiology, Pathophysiology and Experimental Endocrinology, Department for Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Reinhild Krametter-Frötscher
- University Clinic for Ruminants, Department of Farm Animal and Public Health in Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas Wittek
- University Clinic for Ruminants, Department of Farm Animal and Public Health in Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Rupert Palme
- Unit of Physiology, Pathophysiology and Experimental Endocrinology, Department for Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
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13
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Peric T, Comin A, Corazzin M, Montillo M, Canavese F, Stebel M, Prandi A. Relocation and Hair Cortisol Concentrations in New Zealand White Rabbits. J APPL ANIM WELF SCI 2016; 20:1-8. [PMID: 27191037 DOI: 10.1080/10888705.2016.1183489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
To investigate how long relocation modified hair cortisol concentrations in New Zealand white rabbits, 19 rabbits were subjected to a change in their breeding facility at the beginning of the trial and then were kept under stable environmental conditions. Hair samples were collected at the time of arrival to the nonhuman animal facility and at 40-day intervals from the same skin area for up to 440 days after the animals' arrival to the facility. A period effect on the hair cortisol concentration was found (p < .01). The transfer of the rabbits to the new facility might have induced an increase in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity (p < .01). A second increase in hair cortisol concentration (p < .01) occurred at 320 days, after a change of personnel at the facility that occurred at 280 days, which was the only environmental change. The relocation of rabbits to the facility resulted in a stress response leading to elevated cortisol levels. The effect of relocation on mean cortisol concentrations was exhausted within 120 days when all environmental factors were kept stable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanja Peric
- a Department of Food Science , University of Udine , Udine , Italy
| | - Antonella Comin
- a Department of Food Science , University of Udine , Udine , Italy
| | - Mirco Corazzin
- b Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences , University of Udine , Udine , Italy
| | - Marta Montillo
- a Department of Food Science , University of Udine , Udine , Italy
| | - Federico Canavese
- c Hôpital Estaing, Centre Hospitalier University of Clermont Ferrand , Clermont Ferrand , France
| | - Marco Stebel
- d Department of Life Sciences , University of Trieste , Trieste , Italy
| | - Alberto Prandi
- a Department of Food Science , University of Udine , Udine , Italy
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Hair cortisol varies with season and lifestyle and relates to human interactions in German shepherd dogs. Sci Rep 2016; 6:19631. [PMID: 26791276 PMCID: PMC4726137 DOI: 10.1038/srep19631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2015] [Accepted: 12/16/2015] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
It is challenging to measure long-term endocrine stress responses in animals. We investigated whether cortisol extracted from dog hair reflected the levels of activity and stress long-term, during weeks and months. Hair samples from in total 59 German shepherds were analysed. Samples for measuring cortisol concentrations were collected at three occasions and we complemented the data with individual scores from the Canine Behavioural Assessment and Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ). Generalised linear mixed model (GLMM) results showed that hair cortisol varied with season and lifestyle: competition dogs had higher levels than companion, and professional working dogs, and levels were higher in January than in May and September. In addition, a positive correlation was found between the cortisol levels and the C-BARQ score for stranger-directed aggression (r = 0.31, P = 0.036). Interestingly, the factor “playing often with the dog” (r = −0.34, P = 0.019) and “reward with a treat/toy when the dog behaves correctly” (r = −0.37, P = 0.010) correlated negatively with cortisol levels, suggesting that positive human interactions reduce stress. In conclusion, hair cortisol is a promising method for revealing the activity of the HPA-axis over a longer period of time, and human interactions influence the cortisol level in dogs.
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