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Burger M, Webster AB, Majelantle TL, Scheun J, Ganswindt A. Method development: Assigning sex to African clawless otter spraints and assessing stability of faecal androgen and progestagen metabolites post-defaecation. MethodsX 2024; 13:102883. [PMID: 39206057 PMCID: PMC11350257 DOI: 10.1016/j.mex.2024.102883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/30/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Monitoring reproductive physiology in wildlife can be a useful tool for assessing population dynamics for conservation and management purposes. Utilizing non-invasive approaches for this, such as quantifying reproductive hormone metabolites from faeces, can be challenging when defaecation events are not observed, or when cryptic species like African clawless otters (Aonyx capensis) are involved. Additionally, test systems for quantifying hormone metabolites in a species for the first time must first be reliably validated prior to use. Our results indicate that Epiandrosterone and Progesterone EIAs are most suitable for determining fAM and fPM concentrations in African clawless otter spraints. The fAM:fPM ratio and respective thresholds are more reliable in sex identification compared to the separate use of individual hormone classes. Sex-related hormone metabolite concentrations remained comparable for up to 12hrs post-defaecation in both sexes.•We screened two androgen and two progestagen enzyme-immunoassays (EIAs) for suitability and reliable quantification of faecal androgen metabolites (fAM) and faecal progestagen metabolites (fPM) in African clawless otters.•We assessed whether the ratio of fAM:fPM concentrations can be used to assign sex to faecal samples from unknown individuals.•We tested the stability of fAM and fPM concentrations post-defaecation to determine the effects of environmental exposure and bacterial metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marli Burger
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Endocrine Research Laboratory, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Andrea B. Webster
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Endocrine Research Laboratory, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Tshepiso L. Majelantle
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Endocrine Research Laboratory, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Juan Scheun
- Department Nature Conservation, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Andre Ganswindt
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Endocrine Research Laboratory, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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Asencio CJ, Palme R, Ferrari HR, Lattanzi ML, Eguizábal GV, Busso JM. Faecal Glucocorticoid Metabolites and Hair Cortisone/Cortisol Measurements in Domestic Pigs Exposed to Road Transportation and Dexamethasone Treatment. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:2700. [PMID: 39335289 PMCID: PMC11429306 DOI: 10.3390/ani14182700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2024] [Revised: 09/11/2024] [Accepted: 09/16/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Pig homeostasis is challenged by stressful production practices, like road transportation. Glucocorticoids (GCs) are mediators of reactive homeostasis, and their concentrations are frequently used as a stress indicator. The adrenocortical activity of fattening female and castrated male pigs was monitored over a 5-day longitudinal study. A bi-factorial experimental design was applied on day 2; 18 pigs in pen 1 were transported for 3 h (T; 1.2 m2/pig), and 18 pigs were kept in pen 2 (NT). Ten pigs from each pen were treated with dexamethasone (T-D or NT-D), and eight with saline solution (T-SS or NT-SS). Adrenocortical activity was assessed by measuring the levels of faecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGMs) and hair cortisol and cortisone. In T-SS pigs, the level of FGMs was higher after transportation than in NT-SS pigs. The level of FGMs of T-D pigs initially increased but then reached similar levels to those of NT-SS sooner than T-SS. In contrast, hair cortisol and cortisone did not respond to the treatments. Nevertheless, the hair cortisone/cortisol ratio increased due to transport and decreased after dexamethasone administration. Daily faecal sampling proved still more reliable than 60-day hair sampling for assessing adrenocortical activity. Transported pigs recovered their adrenocortical baseline levels within 24 h. Dexamethasone attenuated the response to transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila J. Asencio
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas (IIBYT), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)-Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales (FCEFyN), Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (UNC), Av. Vélez Sarsfield 1611, Córdoba X5016GCA, Argentina; (C.J.A.); (G.V.E.)
- Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de los Alimentos, FCEFyN-UNC Av. Vélez Sarsfield 1611, Córdoba X5016GCA, Argentina
| | - Rupert Palme
- Department of Biological Sciences and Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Héctor R. Ferrari
- Cátedra de Bienestar Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Av. Chorroarín 280, Buenos Aires C1427CWO, Argentina;
| | - Mariano L. Lattanzi
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), EEA Marcos Juárez, Marcos Juárez X2580, Argentina;
| | - Gabina V. Eguizábal
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas (IIBYT), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)-Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales (FCEFyN), Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (UNC), Av. Vélez Sarsfield 1611, Córdoba X5016GCA, Argentina; (C.J.A.); (G.V.E.)
- Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de los Alimentos, FCEFyN-UNC Av. Vélez Sarsfield 1611, Córdoba X5016GCA, Argentina
| | - Juan M. Busso
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas (IIBYT), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)-Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales (FCEFyN), Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (UNC), Av. Vélez Sarsfield 1611, Córdoba X5016GCA, Argentina; (C.J.A.); (G.V.E.)
- Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de los Alimentos, FCEFyN-UNC Av. Vélez Sarsfield 1611, Córdoba X5016GCA, Argentina
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3
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Grundei LL, Wolf TE, Brandes F, Schütte K, Freise F, Siebert U, Touma C, Pees M. Validation of Fecal Glucocorticoid Metabolites as Non-Invasive Markers for Monitoring Stress in Common Buzzards ( Buteo buteo). Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:1234. [PMID: 38672380 PMCID: PMC11047616 DOI: 10.3390/ani14081234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2024] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
For wild animals, being in captivity in wildlife centers can cause considerable stress. Therefore, it is necessary to establish and validate non-invasive tools to measure chronic stress during rehabilitation. Eight Common Buzzards which lived in permanent husbandry were placed individually into prepared aviaries and their feces were collected before, during and after a stress event for biological validation over a period of seven days. The extracted fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (fGCMs) were analyzed with three different enzyme immune assays (EIA) to find the most suitable one. Additionally, we aimed to investigate the stability of fGCM levels after defecation because further metabolization by bacterial enzymes can lead to changed results. The Cortisone-EIA performed best in males and females and showed that the stress event led to an fGCM increase of 629% (557% in females and 702% in males) in relation to basal values. We found no significant differences between the sexes, but observed significant differences between different times of day. FGCM concentration significantly changed after eight hours at room temperature. Our study successfully validated the non-invasive measurement of fGCM as a stress indicator in Common Buzzards and could therefore lay the foundation for future studies providing new insights for animal welfare research in Buzzards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara-Luisa Grundei
- Department of Small Mammal, Reptile and Avian Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Bünteweg 9, 30559 Hanover, Germany
| | - Tanja E. Wolf
- Department of Behavioral Biology, School of Biology/Chemistry, Osnabrück University, Barbarastrasse 11, 49076 Osnabrück, Germany
- Mammal Research Institute, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0028, South Africa
| | - Florian Brandes
- Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center, Hohe Warte 1, 31553 Sachsenhagen, Germany
| | - Karolin Schütte
- Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center, Hohe Warte 1, 31553 Sachsenhagen, Germany
| | - Fritjof Freise
- Department of Biometry, Epidemiology and Information Processing, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Bünteweg 2, 30559 Hanover, Germany
| | - Ursula Siebert
- Institute of Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Bischofsholer Damm 15, 30173 Hanover, Germany
| | - Chadi Touma
- Department of Behavioral Biology, School of Biology/Chemistry, Osnabrück University, Barbarastrasse 11, 49076 Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Michael Pees
- Department of Small Mammal, Reptile and Avian Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Bünteweg 9, 30559 Hanover, Germany
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Barbosa-Moyano H, Zacariotti RL, de Oliveira CA. Validation of enzyme immunoassays for quantifying sex steroid hormones in tropical screech owls (Megascops choliba). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2024; 345:114386. [PMID: 37748527 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2023.114386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
Androgens and estrogens are steroid hormones that regulate reproductive processes in both males and females. Monitoring plasma levels of these steroids or their metabolites present in feces, offers diagnostic support for assessing the reproductive status of animals. Immunoassays are commonly used methods for quantifying these hormones, but their protocols require species-specific validation to ensure reliability. The objective of this study was to perform analytically and biologically validation of enzyme immunoassay (EIA) kits for measuring testosterone (T), estradiol (E2), faecal androgen metabolites (fAM), and faecal estrogenic metabolites (fEM) in the tropical screech owl (Megascops choliba). Serum and fecal samples were collected from six adult females and six males both before and during breeding season, with males' gonadal activity assessed using electroejaculation (EE). The parallelism test confirmed the immunogenic similarity of the antigens in the estradiol and testosterone standards and the antigens in the serum samples and fecal extracts of M. choliba. Additionally, the EIA kits displayed nearly 100% recovery rates, and showed coefficients of variation ranging from 8% to 14% at the intra-assay level and from 10% to 16% at the inter-assay level, underscoring result reliability and consistency. In males, the highest serum T and fAM levels were recorded concurrently with the presence of spermatozoa in samples collected via EE. Although females did not exhibit oviposition events, significantly higher E2 and fEM levels were observed in August compared to May, suggesting potential seasonal variations in estrogenic hormone production. Fecal androgen and estrogen levels were significantly different between sexes in August, with males having higher fAM and females having higher fEM levels. Overall, the immunoassays validated in this study were found to be efficient in diagnosing reproductive activity in owls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heriberto Barbosa-Moyano
- Departamento de Reprodução Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | | | - Claudio Alvarenga de Oliveira
- Departamento de Reprodução Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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Colding-Jørgensen P, Hestehave S, Abelson KSP, Kalliokoski O. Hair glucocorticoids are not a historical marker of stress - Exploring the time-scale of corticosterone incorporation into hairs in a rat model. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2023; 341:114335. [PMID: 37302763 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2023.114335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Hair glucocorticoids are increasingly popular biomarkers, used across numerous research fields, and studied species, as a measure of stress. Although they are suggested to be a proxy of the average HPA axis activity spanning a period of weeks or months into the past, this theory has never been tested. In the present study, adrenalectomized rats with no endogenous (adrenal) glucocorticoid production were used to study how circulating glucocorticoid levels would be reflected in the glucocorticoid levels found in hair samples. By dosing the animals daily with high levels of corticosterone for seven days, while sampling hairs before, during, and after treatments, a timeline for glucocorticoid uptake into hairs was constructed. This kinetic profile was compared to two hypothetical models, and the theory that hair glucocorticoids are a record of historical stress had to be rejected. Corticosterone concentrations in hairs were found to increase within three hours of the first injection, the highest concentrations were found on the seventh day of treatments, and the decrease in concentrations post-treatment suggests rapid elimination. We speculate that hair glucocorticoid levels can only be used to characterize a stress-response for a few days following a postulated stressor. An updated model, where glucocorticoids diffuse into, along, and out of hairs needs to be adopted to reconcile the experimentally obtained data. The inescapable consequence of this updated model is that hair glucocorticoids become a marker of - and can only be used to study - recent, or ongoing, stress, as opposed to historical events, weeks or months in the past.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pernille Colding-Jørgensen
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Sara Hestehave
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, United Kingdom
| | - Klas S P Abelson
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Otto Kalliokoski
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Behringer V, Heistermann M, Malaivijitnond S, Schülke O, Ostner J. Developmental and environmental modulation of fecal thyroid hormone levels in wild Assamese macaques (Macaca assamensis). Am J Primatol 2023; 85:e23530. [PMID: 37365835 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Thyroid hormones are key modulators of development, as well as mediators of environmental conditions, by regulating developmental processes and metabolism in primates. Hormone measurement in noninvasively collected samples, that is, feces and urine, is a valuable tool for studying the endocrine function of wildlife, and recent studies have demonstrated the feasibility of measuring thyroid hormones in fecal samples of zoo-housed and wild nonhuman primates. Our study aimed to (i) validate the measurement of immunoreactive fecal total triiodothyronine (IF-T3) in wild Assamese macaques (Macaca assamensis) and (ii) to investigate its developmental changes and its response to environmental changes, including stress responses, in immature individuals. Fecal samples and environmental parameters were collected from individuals of three social groups of wild Assamese macaques living at Phu Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary, Northeastern Thailand. Our study confirmed the methodological feasibility and biological validity of measuring IF-T3 in this population. Specifically, the biological validation demonstrated higher IF-T3 levels in immatures compared to adults, and higher levels in females during late gestation compared to the preconception stage. Our analysis of IF-T3 levels in developing immature macaques revealed a significant increase with age. Furthermore, we found a positive association between IF-T3 and immunoreactive fecal glucocorticoid levels, an indicator of the physiological stress response. Neither minimum temperature nor fruit abundance predicted variation in IF-T3 levels in the immatures. Our findings indicate the possibility for differing effects of climatic factors and food availability on thyroid hormone level changes in immature versus adult animals and in wild compared to experimental conditions. Overall, our study provides the basis for further investigations into the role of thyroid hormones in shaping species-specific traits, growth, and overall primate development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verena Behringer
- Endocrinology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Michael Heistermann
- Endocrinology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Suchinda Malaivijitnond
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- National Primate Research Center of Thailand, Chulalongkorn University, Saraburi, Thailand
| | - Oliver Schülke
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
- Behavioral Ecology Department, University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Primate Social Evolution Group, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Julia Ostner
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
- Behavioral Ecology Department, University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Primate Social Evolution Group, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
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Barbosa-Moyano H, Sobral G, de Oliveira CA. Glucocorticoid metabolites in an ex situ nocturnal bird, the tropical screech owl Megascops choliba: effects of sex, activity period and inter-individual variation. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 11:coad016. [PMID: 37101705 PMCID: PMC10123863 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coad016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Glucocorticoids mediate physiological processes to obtain energy, presenting daily variation in basal levels that may be related to behavioural activity pattern. Identification of plasticity in the secretion of these hormones is essential to understand their effects on physiology and behaviour of wild birds and, therefore, their success in their natural or artificial environment. Serial endocrine evaluations are facilitated by implementing non-invasive methodologies that minimize possible effects of manipulation on the animal's physiological variables. However, non-invasive endocrine-behavioural studies in nocturnal birds, such as owls, are immature. The present work aimed to validate an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) to quantify glucocorticoid metabolites (MGC) in Megascops choliba as well as to evaluate differences in their production at the individual, sexual or daily level. We recorded the behaviour of nine owls during three continuous days to establish activity budget under captive conditions and aiming to correlate with daily MGC variation. The EIA proved to be effective in analytical assays and in pharmacological testing with synthetic ACTH, validating this immunoassay for the species. Additionally, individual differences in MGC production were confirmed in relation to the time of day, especially at 1700 and 2100, but not in relation to sex. During night hours, the owls showed greater behavioural activity, positively related to MGC values. Higher MGC concentrations were significantly related to greater expressions of active behaviours, such as maintenance, while lower MGC concentrations were recorded during moments of higher alertness and resting. The results presented show daily MGC variation to be inversed in this nocturnal species. Our findings can aid future theoretical studies of daily rhythm and evaluations of challenging and/or disturbing situations that result in changes in behaviour or hormonal cascades of these changes in ex situ populations of owls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heriberto Barbosa-Moyano
- Corresponding author: Departamento de Reprodução Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Dr. Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87, CEP: 05508270, São Paulo (SP), Brazil. Tel: +55 11 94856-3251;
| | - Gisela Sobral
- Instituto de Biodiversidade e Sustentabilidade NUPEM/UFRJ, Av. São José do Barreto, 764–São José do Barreto, Macaé – Rio de Janeiro (RJ), 27965-045, Brazil
| | - Claudio Alvarenga de Oliveira
- Departamento de Reprodução Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Dr. Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87, CEP: 05508270, São Paulo (SP), Brazil
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Vogt A, König von Borstel U, Waiblinger S, Palme R, Barth K. Fecal cortisol metabolites reflect transport stress in 3-month-old dairy calves pre- and postweaning: A pilot study. J Dairy Sci 2023; 106:2124-2136. [PMID: 36631319 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2022-22341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Measurement of fecal cortisol metabolites (FGCM) is a well-established, noninvasive method to assess stress in adult dairy cattle. However, this procedure has not yet been validated for unweaned dairy calves, and it can be expected that the milk proportion of the diet may influence the resulting FGCM concentrations. The aim of this study was therefore to assess whether a peak in FGCM concentrations in response to a stressor can be measured in unweaned dairy calves on a largely milk-based diet. If so, further objectives were to examine whether maximum FGCM concentrations, as well as the time lag until they are reached, are comparable to the values in the same calves on a solid-based diet after weaning. For this study, 5 German Holstein calves of about 3 mo of age (93 to 102 d preweaning) were exposed to a 45 min transport stressor once before and once after weaning, which was 3 wk apart. All voided fecal samples were collected for 24 h after termination of the transport. Fecal cortisol metabolites were analyzed with an 11-oxoetiocholanolone enzyme immunoassay and changes in FGCM concentrations relative to the individual baseline (FGCMrel) were calculated. Results showed a clear peak in FGCM concentrations on both diet types. The peak FGCMrel concentrations tended to be higher when the calves were on the preweaning diet (at peak: +233 ± 25% increase relative to baseline) in comparison to the postweaning diet (+124 ± 23%). Considering the whole 24 h sampling period, the FGCMrel concentrations for all calves were significantly higher on the preweaning diet than on the postweaning diet. There was also a numerical difference in the delay between occurrence of the stressor and appearance of the peak FGCMrel concentrations in feces, as the time lag was 1.5 ± 1.2 h longer when the calves were on the preweaning diet compared with the postweaning diet. In conclusion, our results suggest that FGCM concentrations are a useful stress marker for unweaned dairy calves in the same way they are for older cattle, but that FGCMrel concentrations tend to be higher in unweaned than in weaned calves and are thus not directly comparable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anina Vogt
- Division of Animal Husbandry, Behaviour and Welfare, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany.
| | - Uta König von Borstel
- Division of Animal Husbandry, Behaviour and Welfare, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Susanne Waiblinger
- Institute of Animal Welfare Science, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Rupert Palme
- Institute of Physiology, Pathophysiology and Experimental Endocrinology, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Kerstin Barth
- Institute of Organic Farming, Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute, Federal Research Institute for Rural Areas, Forestry and Fisheries, 23847 Westerau, Germany
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Ružinská R, Kaňuch P. Testing of Daubenton's Bat (Myotis daubentonii) Droppings for Field Behavioural Endocrinology. ACTA CHIROPTEROLOGICA 2023. [DOI: 10.3161/15081109acc2022.24.2.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Romana Ružinská
- Institute of Forest Ecology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Zvolen, Slovakia
| | - Peter Kaňuch
- Institute of Forest Ecology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Zvolen, Slovakia
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10
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Barbosa-Moyano H, de Oliveira CA. Temperament traits and glucocorticoid metabolites in tropical screech owl (Megascops choliba). Appl Anim Behav Sci 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2023.105866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/13/2023]
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11
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Hartell-DeNardo J, Kozlowski C, Baskir E, Macek M, Dorsey C, Powell DM. Behavior and adrenal physiology of Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) serving as ambassador animals. Zoo Biol 2022; 42:243-253. [PMID: 36097680 DOI: 10.1002/zoo.21735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Ambassador animals are part of many zoo programs, but studies assessing their impact on these animals are relatively rare. This study validated an excrement glucocorticoid metabolite (GCM) assay for Magellanic penguins and used GCM measures in conjunction with behavioral observations to evaluate individual responses to participation in an ambassador animal program. Excrement samples and behavioral observations were collected daily from each bird during two phases, 1 week during which it participated in a twice-daily ambassador program and 1 week in which it did not. We found no differences in GCMs between phases or in comparisons between penguins with 5 or 10 years of program experience. GCM also did not show significant individual variation and did not increase over time during the program phase. There were no significant correlations between bird experience and behavior frequencies, nor GCM concentrations and behavior, across birds. We observed significant positive correlations between the penguins' engagement with novel objects during programs and their unguided approach to guests. Our results suggest that there is no adverse physiological effect of program participation on these penguins, that behavioral and physiological responses may be decoupled, and that choice and control can increase desired behaviors behavior during ambassador programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Hartell-DeNardo
- Animal Division, Saint Louis Zoo, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.,George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA
| | - Corinne Kozlowski
- Department of Reproductive & Behavioral Sciences, Saint Louis Zoo, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Eli Baskir
- Department of Reproductive & Behavioral Sciences, Saint Louis Zoo, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Michael Macek
- Animal Division, Saint Louis Zoo, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Candice Dorsey
- Association of Zoos & Aquariums, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - David M Powell
- Department of Reproductive & Behavioral Sciences, Saint Louis Zoo, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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12
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Can stress and anxiety be assessed in African elephants (Loxodonta africana) using self-directed behaviour? Appl Anim Behav Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2022.105746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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de Souza LJ, Tanaka Y, Di Santo LG, Duarte JMB. Effect of dietary fiber on fecal androgens levels: An experimental analysis in brown brocket deer (Mazama gouazoubira). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2022; 321-322:114029. [PMID: 35307413 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2022.114029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Revised: 02/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Non-invasive endocrinology is an important tool for animal conservation, but its success depends on many factors (e.g. adequate hormonal extraction, diet, antibody used in the assay). Dietary fiber is one of the main sources that can lead to erroneous interpretation of the endocrine status provided by EIA analysis. This study aimed to evaluate the dietary fiber effect on the fecal androgen metabolites (FAM) detection, on the daily defecation rate and fecal production, as well as to analyze the gastrointestinal passage and retention time of the experimental diets. Eight brown brocket deer (Mazama gouazoubira) males were randomly assigned to two groups and submitted to both isocaloric and isoproteic experimental diets for 10 days, in a crossover system: low fiber percentage feed (LF, 7% fiber) and high fiber percentage feed (HF, 19% fiber). Such groups were alternated in the middle of this period, with an interval of 10 days between them. In addition, there was a five-day adaptation phase at the beginning of each diet. Fecal collection for FAM measurement was performed during 10 days of treatment, whereas,the defecation rate and fecal production were performed every two hours, for 6 days. The mean FAM level in the HF group was 5038.0 ± 1529.1 ng/g, while for LF, 2178.7 ± 824.9 ng/g (p < 0.05). The mean HF fecal production was 182.6 ± 36.2 g DM/day and 117.5 ± 12.6 g DM/day for LF (p < 0.05). There were no differences in terms of mean defecation rate, passage, and retention times between groups. The results suggest that dietary fiber affects the FAM detection, and this should be taken into consideration before conducting experiments using fecal samples as a source of reproductive hormones profiling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laís Jaqueline de Souza
- Graduação em Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Via de Acesso Prof. Paulo Donato Castellane, S/N, Jaboticabal, SP 14884-900, Brazil; Núcleo de Pesquisa e Conservação de Cervídeos (NUPECCE), Via de Acesso Prof. Paulo Donato Castellane, S/N, Vila Industrial, Jaboticabal, SP 14884-900, Brazil
| | - Yuki Tanaka
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Via de Acesso Prof. Paulo Donato Castellane, S/N, Jaboticabal, SP 14884-900, Brazil; Núcleo de Pesquisa e Conservação de Cervídeos (NUPECCE), Via de Acesso Prof. Paulo Donato Castellane, S/N, Vila Industrial, Jaboticabal, SP 14884-900, Brazil
| | - Ludmilla Geraldo Di Santo
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Via de Acesso Prof. Paulo Donato Castellane, S/N, Jaboticabal, SP 14884-900, Brazil
| | - José Maurício Barbanti Duarte
- Núcleo de Pesquisa e Conservação de Cervídeos (NUPECCE), Via de Acesso Prof. Paulo Donato Castellane, S/N, Vila Industrial, Jaboticabal, SP 14884-900, Brazil.
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Zhang J, Huang J, Zhao H, Deng J, Kong F, Zhang H, Wang Q. Using the Ratio of Urine Testosterone to Estrone-3-Glucuronide to Identify the Sex of Chinese Giant Salamanders ( Andrias davidianus). Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12091112. [PMID: 35565540 PMCID: PMC9103924 DOI: 10.3390/ani12091112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Minimally invasive sampling was used to determine the sex of Chinese giant salamanders (Andrias davidianus). Urine samples (n = 25) were collected from 6 adults in the breeding season and from 19 individuals (7 adults and 12 juveniles) in the non-breeding season. The hormone testosterone (T) and estrone-3-glucuronide (E1G) in urine were collected from Chinese giant salamanders (CGSs), and the hormone extracts were analyzed by enzyme immunoassays (EIA). The data demonstrated that the urine T concentration of the male CGSs was significantly higher than that of the females during the breeding season (p < 0.05) and even more pronounced during the non-breeding season (p < 0.01). The urine E1G concentration of the males was less pronounced than that of the females during the breeding season (p < 0.01) and significantly lower during the non-breeding season (p < 0.05). The urine T/E1G values of all the male salamanders were significantly higher than those of the females (p < 0.01) during both the breeding season and the non-breeding season. An interesting pattern was found in this study: the value of urine log10(T/E1G) of the male CGSs was higher than 1, whereas the value for the females was lower than 1, during both the breeding and non-breeding seasons, and in the adult and sub-adult age groups of CGSs. There were 25 salamanders in this study and the accuracy rate reached 100% by using a log10(T/E1G) value of 1. The results of the log10(T/E1G) value provide new insight into the future development of the sex identification of CGSs and also lay the foundation for accurate sex identification in the preparation for artificial release. This is the first study to show that the T/E1G ratio in urinary hormones is reliable for the sex identification of CGSs. Additionally, urinary hormone T/E1G measures are promising sex identification tools for amphibian or monomorphic species and for those whose secondary sex characteristics are visible only during the breeding season.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianlu Zhang
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, Xi’an 710032, China; (J.Z.); (J.H.); (H.Z.); (J.D.); (F.K.); (H.Z.)
| | - Jiqin Huang
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, Xi’an 710032, China; (J.Z.); (J.H.); (H.Z.); (J.D.); (F.K.); (H.Z.)
| | - Hu Zhao
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, Xi’an 710032, China; (J.Z.); (J.H.); (H.Z.); (J.D.); (F.K.); (H.Z.)
| | - Jie Deng
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, Xi’an 710032, China; (J.Z.); (J.H.); (H.Z.); (J.D.); (F.K.); (H.Z.)
| | - Fei Kong
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, Xi’an 710032, China; (J.Z.); (J.H.); (H.Z.); (J.D.); (F.K.); (H.Z.)
| | - Hongxing Zhang
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, Xi’an 710032, China; (J.Z.); (J.H.); (H.Z.); (J.D.); (F.K.); (H.Z.)
| | - Qijun Wang
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, Xi’an 710032, China; (J.Z.); (J.H.); (H.Z.); (J.D.); (F.K.); (H.Z.)
- Key Lab of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-158-9178-5863
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15
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Translocation stress is reflected in corticosterone metabolites in pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) droppings. ACTA VET BRNO 2022. [DOI: 10.2754/avb202291010051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Translocation (including transportation and experiencing a new environment) represents a significant stressor for animals. The aim of this study was to assess changes in corticosterone metabolite (CM) levels related to translocation in common pheasants (Phasianus colchicus). Sixteen birds (8 males and 8 females) aged 17 weeks were crated and transported for 3.5 h (distance travelled 140 km) to the target customer. Serial individual droppings were collected from 2 days prior until 3 days after transport. Concentrations of CMs in droppings were determined with a non-commercial cortisone enzyme immunoassay (EIA). Transport stress resulted in increased CM concentrations in the droppings in our study. The CM concentrations significantly increased within 2.5 h of transport (P < 0.01) compared to pre-transport levels (747 ng/g vs. 187 ng/g). After additional 3 h, the CM concentrations fell back to the baseline levels (207.7 ng/g). In the new environment, the second peak (median: 1383 ng/g) was determined with CM concentrations increasing (P < 0.01) compared to baseline levels. This increase was likely connected to the stress resulting from the new environment. The CM levels returned back to the baseline level 26 h after the start of transportation. No differences in concentrations of CM between sexes were found in our study. The utilized cortisone EIA proved suited to detect biologically meaningful alterations in adrenocortical activity of pheasants exposed to procedures related to their transport.
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Engel JM, Hemsworth PH, Butler KL, Tilbrook AJ. Measurement of corticosterone in the plasma, eggs and faeces of laying hens. ANIMAL PRODUCTION SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.1071/an21535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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17
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Zane L, Ensminger DC, Vázquez-Medina JP. Short-term elevations in glucocorticoids do not alter telomere lengths: A systematic review and meta-analysis of non-primate vertebrate studies. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0257370. [PMID: 34597314 PMCID: PMC8486123 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0257370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The neuroendocrine stress response allows vertebrates to cope with stressors via the activation of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis, which ultimately results in the secretion of glucocorticoids (GCs). Glucocorticoids have pleiotropic effects on behavior and physiology, and might influence telomere length dynamics. During a stress event, GCs mobilize energy towards survival mechanisms rather than to telomere maintenance. Additionally, reactive oxygen species produced in response to increased GC levels can damage telomeres, also leading to telomere shortening. In our systematic review and meta-analysis, we tested whether GC levels impact telomere length and if this relationship differs among time frame, life history stage, or stressor type. We hypothesized that elevated GC levels are linked to a decrease in telomere length. Methods We conducted a literature search for studies investigating the relationship between telomere length and GCs in non-human vertebrates using four search engines: Web of Science, Google Scholar, Pubmed and Scopus, last searched on September 27th, 2020. This review identified 31 studies examining the relationship between GCs and telomere length. We pooled the data using Fisher’s Z for 15 of these studies. All quantitative studies underwent a risk of bias assessment. This systematic review study was registered in the Open Science Framework Registry (https://osf.io/rqve6). Results The pooled effect size from fifteen studies and 1066 study organisms shows no relationship between GCs and telomere length (Fisher’s Z = 0.1042, 95% CI = 0.0235; 0.1836). Our meta-analysis synthesizes results from 15 different taxa from the mammalian, avian, amphibian groups. While these results support some previous findings, other studies have found a direct relationship between GCs and telomere dynamics, suggesting underlying mechanisms or concepts that were not taken into account in our analysis. The risk of bias assessment revealed an overall low risk of bias with occasional instances of bias from missing outcome data or bias in the reported result. Conclusion We highlight the need for more targeted experiments to understand how conditions, such as experimental timeframes, stressor(s), and stressor magnitudes can drive a relationship between the neuroendocrine stress response and telomere length.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Zane
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - David C. Ensminger
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States of America
- Department of Biological Sciences, San Jose State University, San Jose, CA, United States of America
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18
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The Application of NIRS to Determine Animal Physiological Traits for Wildlife Management and Conservation. REMOTE SENSING 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/rs13183699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The ability to measure and monitor wildlife populations is important for species management and conservation. The use of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to rapidly detect physiological traits from wildlife scat and other body materials could play an important role in the conservation of species. Previous research has demonstrated the potential for NIRS to detect diseases such as the novel COVID-19 from saliva, parasites from feces, and numerous other traits from animal skin, hair, and scat, such as cortisol metabolites, diet quality, sex, and reproductive status, that may be useful for population monitoring. Models developed from NIRS data use light reflected from a sample to relate the variation in the sample’s spectra to variation in a trait, which can then be used to predict that trait in unknown samples based on their spectra. The modelling process involves calibration, validation, and evaluation. Data sampling, pre-treatments, and the selection of training and testing datasets can impact model performance. We review the use of NIRS for measuring physiological traits in animals that may be useful for wildlife management and conservation and suggest future research to advance the application of NIRS for this purpose.
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Kumari Patel S, Biswas S, Goswami S, Bhatt S, Pandav B, Mondol S. Effects of faecal inorganic content variability on quantifying glucocorticoid and thyroid hormone metabolites in large felines: Implications for physiological assessments in free-ranging animals. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2021; 310:113833. [PMID: 34089705 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2021.113833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Revised: 05/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Faecal glucocorticoid (GC) and triiodothyronine (T3) metabolites and their interactions are increasingly used to monitor perceived stress and nutritional challenges in free-ranging animals. However, a number of extrinsic and intrinsic factors including hormone-inert dietary materials, inorganic matters etc. are known to affect reliable hormone metabolite quantifications. In this study, the impacts of inorganic matter (IOM) on faecal GC (fGCMs) and T3 (fT3Ms) metabolite measure were addressed in wild tiger (n = 193 from Terai Arc landscape, India) and captive lion (n = 120 from Sakkarbaug Zoological Garden, Gujarat, India) and possible corrective measures were evaluated. The wild tiger samples contained highly variable IOM content (9-98%, mostly with > 40% IOM) compared to captive Asiatic lion (17-57%, majority with < 40% IOM). Significant correlations were observed between IOM content and tiger fGCM (r = -0.46, p = 0.000), fT3M (r = -0.58, p = 0.000) and lion fT3M measures (r = -0.43, p = 0.003). Two corrective measures viz. removing samples with ≥ 80% IOM and subsequently expressing concentrations as per gram of organic dry matter (instead of total dry matter) reduced IOM influence on tiger fGCM, fT3M and lion fT3M, without affecting lion fGCM measures. The corrective measures changed the interpretations of fT3M data of field-collected tiger samples with no significant changes in fGCM (both tiger and lion) and fT3M (lion) data. As faecal IOM content is common in many wild species, the results emphasize the need to reduce IOM-driven hormone data variation for ecologically relevant interpretations towards species conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiv Kumari Patel
- Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248001 India
| | - Suvankar Biswas
- Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248001 India
| | - Sitendu Goswami
- Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248001 India
| | - Supriya Bhatt
- Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248001 India
| | - Bivash Pandav
- Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248001 India
| | - Samrat Mondol
- Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248001 India.
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20
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An approach to assess stress in response to drive hunts using cortisol levels of wild boar (Sus scrofa). Sci Rep 2021; 11:16381. [PMID: 34385546 PMCID: PMC8361105 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-95927-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Hunting can easily be linked to stress in wildlife. Drive hunts performed two to three times in one area during the respective hunting period, are thought to decrease the pressure hunting places on wildlife. Nevertheless, the expression of cortisol—one of the main mammalian stress hormones—is considered to have negative impacts on animals’ well-being if expressed excessively, which may occur during some (especially repeated) hunting events. We explored the effect of drive hunts on cortisol levels in wild boar in Lower Saxony, Germany, compared these cortisol levels to reference values given by a similar study, and investigated the effect of age, sex, and pregnancy. Blood collected from wild boar shot on drive hunts was analysed using a radioimmunoassay. As expected, we observed elevated cortisol levels in all samples, however, we still found significant differences between age groups and sexes, as well as an influence of pregnancy on cortisol levels. The effect of drive hunts on cortisol levels appears to be weaker than predicted, while the effects of other variables, such as sex, are distinct. Only half of the evaluated samples showed explicitly increased cortisol levels and no significant differences were found between sampling months and locations. Group living animals and pregnant females showed significantly higher cortisol levels. The impact of hunting is measurable but is masked by natural effects such as pregnancy. Thus, we need more information on stress levels in game species.
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21
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Dominoni DM, Teo D, Branston CJ, Jakhar A, Albalawi BFA, Evans NP. Feather, But Not Plasma, Glucocorticoid Response to Artificial Light at Night Differs between Urban and Forest Blue Tit Nestlings. Integr Comp Biol 2021; 61:1111-1121. [PMID: 34272860 PMCID: PMC8490687 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icab067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Urbanization drives phenotypic variation in many animal species. This includes behavioral and physiological traits such as activity patterns, aggression, and hormone levels. A current challenge of urban evolutionary ecology is to understand the environmental drivers of phenotypic variation in cities. Moreover, do individuals develop tolerance to urban environmental factors, which underlie adaptative responses and contribute to the evolution of urban populations? Most available evidence comes from correlative studies and rare experiments where a single urban-related environmental factor has been manipulated in the field. Here we present the results of an experiment in which we tested for differences in the glucocorticoid (CORT) response of urban and rural blue tits nestlings (Cyanistes caeruleus) to artificial light at night (ALAN). ALAN has been suggested to alter CORT response in several animal species, but to date no study has investigated whether this effect of ALAN differs between urban and rural populations. Immediately after hatching, urban and forest broods were either exposed to 2 lux of ALAN (using an LED source mounted inside the nestbox) or received no treatment (dark control). The experiment lasted until the chicks fledged. When the chicks were 13 days old plasma samples were collected to measure baseline CORT concentrations, and feather samples to provide an integrative measure of CORT during growth. Forest birds had higher plasma CORT (pCORT) concentrations than their urban counterparts, irrespective of whether they were exposed to ALAN or not. Conversely, we found population-specific responses of feather CORT to ALAN. Specifically, urban birds that received ALAN had increased feather CORT compared with the urban dark controls, while the opposite was true for the forest birds. pCORT concentrations were negatively associated to fledging success, irrespective of population and treatment, while feather CORT was positively associated to fledging success in broods exposed to ALAN, but negatively in the dark control ones. Our results demonstrate that ALAN can play a role in determination of the glucocorticoid phenotype of wild animals, and may thus contribute to phenotypic differences between urban and rural animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide M Dominoni
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Dylon Teo
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Claire J Branston
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Aryan Jakhar
- Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Thiruvananthapuram, India
| | | | - Neil P Evans
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
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22
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McMahon EK, Cavigelli SA. Gaps to Address in Ecological Studies of Temperament and Physiology. Integr Comp Biol 2021; 61:1917-1932. [PMID: 34097030 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icab118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecology is a diverse field with many researchers interested in drivers and consequences of variability within populations. Two aspects of variability that have been addressed are behavioral and physiological. While these have been shown to separately influence ecological outcomes such as survival, reproductive success and fitness, combined they could better predict within-population variability in survival and fitness. Recently there has been a focus on potential fitness outcomes of consistent behavioral traits that are referred to as personality or temperament (e.g. boldness, sociability, exploration, etc.). Given this recent focus, it is an optimal time to identify areas to supplement in this field, particularly in determining the relationship between temperament and physiological traits. To maximize progress, in this perspective paper we propose that the following two areas be addressed: (1) increased diversity of species, and (2) increased number of physiological processes studied, with an eye toward using more representative and relatively consistent measures across studies. We first highlight information that has been gleaned from species that are frequently studied to determine how animal personality relates to physiology and/or survival/fitness. We then shine a spotlight on important taxa that have been understudied and that can contribute meaningful, complementary information to this area of research. And last, we propose a brief array of physiological processes to relate to temperament, and that can significantly impact fitness, and that may be accessible in field studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elyse K McMahon
- Ecology Graduate Program, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.,Center for Brain, Behavior, and Cognition, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.,Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Sonia A Cavigelli
- Center for Brain, Behavior, and Cognition, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.,Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
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Sadoughi B, Girard-Buttoz C, Engelhardt A, Heistermann M, Ostner J. Non-invasive assessment of metabolic responses to food restriction using urinary triiodothyronine and cortisol measurement in macaques. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2021; 306:113736. [PMID: 33610572 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2021.113736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Regulation of energy allocation and metabolic rate plays an important role in determining behavior and fitness in wild animals, calling for the validation of non-invasive markers of energetic condition. Recently, the thyroid hormone triiodothyronine (T3) has emerged as a promising marker as concentrations decrease to lower the metabolic rate during energetically challenging periods. However, it remains largely unclear whether T3 merely represents an alternative or provides additional information compared to other compounds involved in the regulation of energy acquisition and allocation, like cortisol and C-peptide, as few joint measurements have been conducted to date in non-invasively collected samples. We aimed to validate the non-invasive measurement of immunoreactive urinary total T3 (uTT3), in comparison to urinary cortisol (uCort) and urinary C-peptide (uCP), as a marker of metabolic response to variation in food intake in macaques, and to address a number of issues regarding the collection, storage and processing of samples which are important for application of uTT3 measurements under field conditions. We used daily samples and body mass measures from a prior food restriction-refeeding experiment over 4 weeks with six captive macaques and analyzed concentrations of uTT3 and uCort in samples collected prior to (fasting) and after morning feeding (non-fasting). Concentrations of uTT3 decreased in response to restriction in food supply and were also lower during weeks of food restriction compared to weeks of refeeding. Variation in uTT3 also correlated positively with variation in body mass and concentrations of uCP. As expected, uCort showed the reverse pattern, increasing during food restriction and decreasing following refeeding, but was not associated with variation in body mass. Generally, compared to fasting samples, concentrations were higher in post-morning feeding, i.e. non-fasting, samples for uTT3 but not uCort. Contamination of urine samples with fecal matter, but not soil, and exposure to UV light led to a decrease in uTT3. uTT3 was largely unaffected by repeated freeze-thaw cycles and by refrigeration for medium-term storage (2 days) but degraded substantially when stored at ambient temperature for the same period. In conclusion, uTT3 measurements inform on the effect of food intake and its associated metabolic response to variation in energetic status. Since uTT3 is reasonably robust to many issues associated with collection and storage of urine samples under field conditions, it is a promising biomarker for studies of energetic condition and basal metabolic rate in wild macaques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baptiste Sadoughi
- Department of Behavioral Ecology, University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany; Research Group Primate Social Evolution, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany; Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Cédric Girard-Buttoz
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Antje Engelhardt
- Faculty of Science, School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool L3 3AF, UK
| | - Michael Heistermann
- Endocrinology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Julia Ostner
- Department of Behavioral Ecology, University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany; Research Group Primate Social Evolution, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany; Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
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24
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Verspeek J, Behringer V, Laméris DW, Murtagh R, Salas M, Staes N, Deschner T, Stevens JMG. Time-lag of urinary and salivary cortisol response after a psychological stressor in bonobos (Pan paniscus). Sci Rep 2021; 11:7905. [PMID: 33846457 PMCID: PMC8041877 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-87163-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Cortisol is often measured as a marker for stress. Therefore, a profound validation of the time-lag between the stressor and the increase and peak in cortisol levels is needed. No study measured both the urinary and salivary cortisol time-lag after a psychological stressor. In this study, we used a frequent sampling study design to (1) describe the urinary and salivary cortisol pattern during a control day; and (2) characterize the induced excretion pattern of urinary and salivary cortisol after a psychological stressor in six zoo-housed bonobos. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was used to analyze 71 urine and 162 saliva samples collected on a control and a test day. We found that the time-lag between the stressor and the maximal cortisol concentration was similar in urine and saliva (160 min after the stressor). However, salivary cortisol after the stressor did show a faster and steeper increase than urinary cortisol. We also show inter-individual variation in the baseline and stress levels of cortisol, which should be considered in future cortisol studies. Our research highlights the importance of validation studies to confirm relevant sampling windows for cortisol sampling in order to obtain biologically meaningful results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Verspeek
- Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
- Antwerp ZOO Centre for Research & Conservation (CRC), Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp (RZSA), Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Verena Behringer
- Interim Group Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Endocrinology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Daan W Laméris
- Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Antwerp ZOO Centre for Research & Conservation (CRC), Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp (RZSA), Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Róisín Murtagh
- Interim Group Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Marina Salas
- Antwerp ZOO Centre for Research & Conservation (CRC), Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp (RZSA), Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Nicky Staes
- Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Antwerp ZOO Centre for Research & Conservation (CRC), Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp (RZSA), Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Tobias Deschner
- Interim Group Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jeroen M G Stevens
- Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- SALTO, Agro- and Biotechnology, Odisee University College, Brussels, Belgium
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25
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Davidian E, Wachter B, Heckmann I, Dehnhard M, Hofer H, Höner OP. The interplay between social rank, physiological constraints and investment in courtship in male spotted hyenas. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eve Davidian
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
| | - Bettina Wachter
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
| | - Ilja Heckmann
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
| | - Martin Dehnhard
- Department of Reproduction Biology Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
| | - Heribert Hofer
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
- Department of Veterinary Medicine Freie Universität Berlin Berlin Germany
- Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy Freie Universität Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - Oliver P. Höner
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
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26
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Levy EJ, Gesquiere LR, McLean E, Franz M, Warutere JK, Sayialel SN, Mututua RS, Wango TL, Oudu VK, Altmann J, Archie EA, Alberts SC. Higher dominance rank is associated with lower glucocorticoids in wild female baboons: A rank metric comparison. Horm Behav 2020; 125:104826. [PMID: 32758500 PMCID: PMC7541639 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104826] [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: 02/24/2020] [Revised: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
In vertebrates, glucocorticoid secretion occurs in response to energetic and psychosocial stressors that trigger the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Measuring glucocorticoid concentrations can therefore shed light on the stressors associated with different social and environmental variables, including dominance rank. Using 14,172 fecal samples from 237 wild female baboons, we test the hypothesis that high-ranking females experience fewer psychosocial and/or energetic stressors than lower-ranking females. We predicted that high-ranking females would have lower fecal glucocorticoid (fGC) concentrations than low-ranking females. Because dominance rank can be measured in multiple ways, we employ an information theoretic approach to compare 5 different measures of rank as predictors of fGC concentrations: ordinal rank; proportional rank; Elo rating; and two approaches to categorical ranking (alpha vs non-alpha and high-middle-low). Our hypothesis was supported, but it was also too simplistic. We found that alpha females exhibited substantially lower fGCs than other females (typical reduction = 8.2%). If we used proportional rank instead of alpha versus non-alpha status in the model, we observed a weak effect of rank such that fGCs rose 4.2% from the highest- to lowest-ranking female in the hierarchy. Models using ordinal rank, Elo rating, or high-middle-low categories alone failed to explain variation in female fGCs. Our findings shed new light on the association between dominance rank and the stress response, the competitive landscape of female baboons as compared to males, and the assumptions inherent in a researcher's choice of rank metric.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily J Levy
- Department of Biology, Duke University, 130 Science Drive, Durham, NC 27708, USA,.
| | - Laurence R Gesquiere
- Department of Biology, Duke University, 130 Science Drive, Durham, NC 27708, USA,.
| | - Emily McLean
- Oxford College of Emory University, 801 Emory Street, Oxford, GA 30054, USA.
| | - Mathias Franz
- Institute for Biology, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Königin-Luise-Strasse 1-3, D-14195 Berlin, Germany.
| | | | - Serah N Sayialel
- Amboseli Baboon Research Project, PO Box 72211-0020, Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | - Tim L Wango
- Amboseli Baboon Research Project, PO Box 72211-0020, Nairobi, Kenya; Department of Veterinary Anatomy and Animal Physiology, University of Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Vivian K Oudu
- Amboseli Baboon Research Project, PO Box 72211-0020, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Jeanne Altmann
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA; Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi 00502, Kenya,.
| | - Elizabeth A Archie
- Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi 00502, Kenya,; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA.
| | - Susan C Alberts
- Department of Biology, Duke University, 130 Science Drive, Durham, NC 27708, USA,; Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi 00502, Kenya,; Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, 130 Science Drive, Durham, NC 27708, USA.
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27
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Scheun J, Neller S, Bennett NC, Kemp LV, Ganswindt A. Endocrine correlates of gender and throat coloration in the southern ground-hornbill (Bucorvus leadbeateri). Integr Zool 2020; 16:189-201. [PMID: 32761760 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The southern ground-hornbill (SGH) is a cooperatively breeding bird endemic to eastern and southern Africa, but is endangered in its southern distributional range. The national conservation restoration program harvests redundant chicks for captive breeding and reintroduction; with sexing and social grouping of the species evaluated by throat-skin coloration, with adult males displaying a completely red color compared to dark blue within the red observed in adult females. However, recent findings indicate that dominant and subordinate adult males exhibit patches of blue throat-skin. To optimize SGH management practices, it is vital to determine the role of red and blue coloration, as well as the possible drivers thereof. As a prerequisite, an enzyme immunoassay for monitoring fecal androgen metabolite (fAM) concentrations in SGH was established. Following this, fresh fecal samples were collected from 78 SGH, of various demographics and origin, across 12 captive institutions, to determine whether fAM concentrations differ between blue (B), partially blue (sB), and fully red (R) throat-skin colored SGH. Furthermore, fAM concentrations were compared between males housed in different social groups of different age and sex classes. Individual median fAM concentrations of B, sB, and R adult males did not differ significantly but were considerably higher in B and sB males compared to R males. Social dynamics within captivity, for example, dominance, played no role as a driver of male gonadal activity or throat skin coloration. The results of the study indicate that androgens and apparent social dynamics are not primary determinants of throat coloration in male SGH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Scheun
- Department of Life and Consumer Sciences, University of South Africa, South Africa.,Biodiversity Research Services, National Zoological Gardens, South Africa.,Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Sophie Neller
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.,Mabula Ground Hornbill Project/ IUCN Hornbill Specialist Group, Bela-Bela, South Africa
| | - Nigel C Bennett
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Lucy V Kemp
- Mabula Ground Hornbill Project/ IUCN Hornbill Specialist Group, Bela-Bela, South Africa.,Department of Applied Behavioural Ecology & Ecosystem Research, University of South Africa, South Africa
| | - Andre Ganswindt
- Biodiversity Research Services, National Zoological Gardens, South Africa.,Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.,Endocrine Research Laboratory, Department of Anatomy & Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, South Africa
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28
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Yamahachi H, Zai AT, Tachibana RO, Stepien AE, Rodrigues DI, Cavé-Lopez S, Lorenz C, Arneodo EM, Giret N, Hahnloser RHR. Undirected singing rate as a non-invasive tool for welfare monitoring in isolated male zebra finches. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0236333. [PMID: 32776943 PMCID: PMC7416931 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0236333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Accepted: 07/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Research on the songbird zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) has advanced our behavioral, hormonal, neuronal, and genetic understanding of vocal learning. However, little is known about the impact of typical experimental manipulations on the welfare of these birds. Here we explore whether the undirected singing rate can be used as an indicator of welfare. We tested this idea by performing a post hoc analysis of singing behavior in isolated male zebra finches subjected to interactive white noise, to surgery, or to tethering. We find that the latter two experimental manipulations transiently but reliably decreased singing rates. By contraposition, we infer that a high-sustained singing rate is suggestive of successful coping or improved welfare in these experiments. Our analysis across more than 300 days of song data suggests that a singing rate above a threshold of several hundred song motifs per day implies an absence of an acute stressor or a successful coping with stress. Because singing rate can be measured in a completely automatic fashion, its observation can help to reduce experimenter bias in welfare monitoring. Because singing rate measurements are non-invasive, we expect this study to contribute to the refinement of the current welfare monitoring tools in zebra finches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Homare Yamahachi
- Institute of Neuroinformatics and Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Anja T. Zai
- Institute of Neuroinformatics and Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ryosuke O. Tachibana
- Institute of Neuroinformatics and Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Anna E. Stepien
- Institute of Neuroinformatics and Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Diana I. Rodrigues
- Institute of Neuroinformatics and Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sophie Cavé-Lopez
- Institute of Neuroinformatics and Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Corinna Lorenz
- Institute of Neuroinformatics and Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Institut des Neurosciences Paris Saclay, UMR 9197 CNRS, Université Paris Saclay, Orsay, France
| | - Ezequiel M. Arneodo
- Institute of Neuroinformatics and Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Giret
- Institut des Neurosciences Paris Saclay, UMR 9197 CNRS, Université Paris Saclay, Orsay, France
| | - Richard H. R. Hahnloser
- Institute of Neuroinformatics and Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
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29
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Augustine L, Miller K, Peters A, Franklin AD, Steinbeiser CM, Brown JL, Prado NA. Impacts of the season and reproductive status on fecal reproductive and adrenocortical steroid metabolites in zoo Cuban crocodiles (Crocodylus rhombifer). Zoo Biol 2020; 39:411-421. [PMID: 32770706 DOI: 10.1002/zoo.21559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2019] [Revised: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Conservation strategies for crocodilians often include captive breeding to create stable assurance populations. Evaluating adrenal and gonadal hormone patterns can provide animal managers with data to more effectively monitor animal welfare and reproductive status. This study evaluated the effects of season (breeding, nesting, or off), sex (male and female), and reproductive status of females (egg-laying/housed with a male or non-laying/housed solo) on concentrations of fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGM), fecal androgen metabolite (FAM), and fecal progestogen metabolite (FPM) in seven Cuban crocodiles, Crocodylus rhombifer, at the Smithsonian's National Zoological Park. Overall, seasonal changes in FGM and FPM concentrations were only observed in egg-laying females; FGM and FPM concentrations were both higher during the nesting season compared to the breeding and off seasons. Seasonal changes in FAM concentrations were only observed in males; males had higher FAM concentrations during the breeding and nesting seasons compared to the off season. Future studies investigating the use of fecal hormone metabolites in crocodilians are necessary to understand differences between individuals and species, to further elucidate the interactions between hormones and environmental factors, such as social housing, and to develop long-term datasets for the management of this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Augustine
- Department of Herpetology, Saint Louis Zoo, Saint Louis, Missouri.,Department of Herpetology, Animal Care Sciences, Smithsonian's National Zoological Park, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Kyle Miller
- Department of Herpetology, Animal Care Sciences, Smithsonian's National Zoological Park, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Alan Peters
- Department of Herpetology, Animal Care Sciences, Smithsonian's National Zoological Park, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Ashley D Franklin
- Department of Reproductive and Behavioral Sciences, AZA Reproductive Management Center, Saint Louis Zoo, Saint Louis, Missouri
| | | | - Janine L Brown
- Department of Reproductive Sciences, Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation and Biology Institute, Front Royal, Virginia
| | - Natalia A Prado
- Department of Reproductive Sciences, Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation and Biology Institute, Front Royal, Virginia
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30
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Mohlman JL, Navara KJ, Sheriff MJ, Terhune TM, Martin JA. Validation of a noninvasive technique to quantify stress in northern bobwhite ( Colinus virginianus). CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 8:coaa026. [PMID: 32308982 PMCID: PMC7154183 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coaa026] [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: 02/21/2019] [Revised: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Examination of the endocrine system through non-invasive fecal sampling may improve population management more than using demographic indicators alone. By addressing the physiological mechanisms that are influencing fitness, management actions can be proactively developed to alleviate stressors. Proactive determination of vulnerable populations is critical for species of concern, such as the Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus), which have suffered decades of population decline. We validated an assay to noninvasively measure the adrenocortical response of captive reared bobwhite through fecal corticosterone metabolites (FCM). All individuals received three sequential 48-hour treatments in which samples were collected every 4 hours, including a reference period, an adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) challenge and a biological stressor (exposure to a hunting dog). Reference FCM values had a mean concentration of 16.75 pg/mg (95% CrI: 13.68, 19.91) with adrenocortical activity increasing by 73% for the duration of the ACTH challenge (29.00 pg/mg; CrI: 25.01, 33.78). FCM concentrations remained similar to that of the reference levels during the biological stressor (16.56 pg/mg; CrI: 13.33, 19.92). Our study validates the use of feces to detect changes in FCM levels in our subject species but also demonstrates the complexity of FCM and the importance of both physiological and biological validation prior to field implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L Mohlman
- D. B. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Kristen J Navara
- Department of Poultry Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Michael J Sheriff
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Dartmouth, MA, 02747, USA
| | | | - James A Martin
- D. B. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
- Savannah River Ecology Lab, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
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31
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Harris BN. Stress hypothesis overload: 131 hypotheses exploring the role of stress in tradeoffs, transitions, and health. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2020; 288:113355. [PMID: 31830473 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2019.113355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2019] [Revised: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Stress is ubiquitous and thus, not surprisingly, many hypotheses and models have been created to better study the role stress plays in life. Stress spans fields and is found in the literature of biology, psychology, psychophysiology, sociology, economics, and medicine, just to name a few. Stress, and the hypothalamic-pituitaryadrenal/interrenal (HPA/I) axis and sympathetic nervous system (SNS), are involved in a multitude of behaviors and physiological processes, including life-history and ecological tradeoffs, developmental transitions, health, and survival. The goal of this review is to highlight and summarize the large number of available hypotheses and models, to aid in comparative and interdisciplinary thinking, and to increase reproducibility by a) discouraging hypothesizing after results are known (HARKing) and b) encouraging a priori hypothesis testing. For this review I collected 214 published hypotheses or models dealing broadly with stress. In the main paper, I summarized and categorized 131 of those hypotheses and models which made direct connections among stress and/or HPA/I and SNS, tradeoffs, transitions, and health. Of those 131, the majority made predictions about reproduction (n = 43), the transition from health to disease (n = 38), development (n = 23), and stress coping (n = 18). Additional hypotheses were classified as stage-spanning or models (n = 37). The additional 83 hypotheses found during searches were tangentially related, or pertained to immune function or oxidative stress, and these are listed separately. Many of the hypotheses share underlying rationale and suggest similar, if not identical, predictions, and are thus not mutually exclusive; some hypotheses spanned classification categories. Some of the hypotheses have been tested multiple times, whereas others have only been examined a few times. It is the hope that multi-disciplinary stress researchers will begin to harmonize their naming of hypotheses in the literature so as to build a clearer picture of how stress impacts various outcomes across fields. The paper concludes with some considerations and recommendations for robust testing of stress hypotheses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Breanna N Harris
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, United States.
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32
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Auer KE, Kußmaul M, Möstl E, Hohlbaum K, Rülicke T, Palme R. Measurement of Fecal Testosterone Metabolites in Mice: Replacement of Invasive Techniques. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10010165. [PMID: 31963733 PMCID: PMC7023058 DOI: 10.3390/ani10010165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2019] [Revised: 01/11/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Testosterone is the main reproductive hormone in male vertebrates and conventional methods to measure testosterone rely on invasive blood sampling procedures. Here, we aimed to establish a non-invasive alternative by assessing testosterone metabolites (TMs) in fecal and urinary samples in mice. We performed a radiometabolism study to determine the effects of daytime and sex on the metabolism and excretion pattern of radiolabeled TMs. We performed physiological and biological validations of the applied EIA to measure TMs and assessed diurnal fluctuations in TM excretions in male and female mice and across strains. We found that males excreted significantly more radiolabeled TMs via the feces (59%) compared to females (49.5%). TM excretion patterns differed significantly between urinary and fecal samples and were affected by the daytime of ³H-testosterone injection. Overall, TM excretion occurred faster in urinary than fecal samples. Peak excretion of fecal TMs occurred after 8 h when animals received the 3H-testosterone in the morning, or after 4 h when they received the 3H-testosterone injection in the evening. Daytime had no effect on the formed TMs; however, males and females formed different types of TMs. As expected, males showed higher fecal TM levels than females. Males also showed diurnal fluctuations in their TM levels but we found no differences in the TM levels of C57BL/6J and B6D2F1 hybrid males. Finally, we successfully validated our applied EIA (measuring 17β-hydroxyandrostane) by showing that hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) administration increased TM levels, whereas castration reduced them. In conclusion, our EIA proved suitable for measuring fecal TMs in mice. Our non-invasive method to assess fecal TMs can be widely used in various research disciplines like animal behavior, reproduction, animal welfare, ecology, conservation, and biomedicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerstin E. Auer
- Department for Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
- Correspondence:
| | - Marius Kußmaul
- Department for Biomedical Sciences, Unit of Physiology, Pathophysiology and Experimental Endocrinology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Erich Möstl
- Department for Biomedical Sciences, Unit of Physiology, Pathophysiology and Experimental Endocrinology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Katharina Hohlbaum
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Animal Welfare, Animal Behavior and Laboratory Animal Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Königsweg 67, 14163 Berlin, Germany
| | - Thomas Rülicke
- Department for Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Rupert Palme
- Department for Biomedical Sciences, Unit of Physiology, Pathophysiology and Experimental Endocrinology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
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33
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Malek I, Haim A, Izhaki I. Melatonin mends adverse temporal effects of bright light at night partially independent of its effect on stress responses in captive birds. Chronobiol Int 2019; 37:189-208. [DOI: 10.1080/07420528.2019.1698590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- I. Malek
- Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - A. Haim
- The Israeli Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Chronobiology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - I. Izhaki
- Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
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34
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MALEK I, HAIM A. Bright artificial light at night is associated with increased body mass, poor reproductive success and compromised disease tolerance in Australian budgerigars (
Melopsittacus undulatus
). Integr Zool 2019; 14:589-603. [DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Itay MALEK
- Department of Evolutionary and Environmental BiologyUniversity of Haifa Mount Carmel Haifa Israel
| | - Abraham HAIM
- The Israeli Center for Interdisciplinary Research in ChronobiologyUniversity of Haifa Haifa Israel
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35
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Franchini M, Prandi A, Filacorda S, Pezzin EN, Fanin Y, Comin A. Cortisol in hair: a comparison between wild and feral cats in the north-eastern Alps. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-019-1330-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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36
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Rincon AV, Ostner J, Heistermann M, Deschner T. Measuring urinary cortisol and testosterone levels in male Barbary macaques: A comparison of EIA and LC-MS. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2019; 281:117-125. [PMID: 31145893 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2019.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2018] [Revised: 04/04/2019] [Accepted: 05/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The development of methods to quantify hormones from non-invasively collected samples such as urine or feces has facilitated endocrinology research on wild-living animals. To ensure that hormone measurements are biologically meaningful, method validations are strongly recommended for each new species or sample matrix. Our aim was to validate three commonly used enzyme immunoassays (EIA), one for analysis of cortisol and two for analysis of testosterone, to assess adrenocortical and gonadal endocrine activity, respectively, from the urine of male Barbary macaques. We compared EIA and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) results to determine if the EIA measurements truly reflect levels of the target hormone and to determine if antibody cross-reactivities with other steroids were potentially confounding results. Furthermore, we conducted a biological validation of testosterone to ensure that both EIA and LC-MS were able to capture physiologically meaningful differences in hormone levels. We found that cortisol measured by EIA correlated strongly with cortisol measured by LC-MS in both adult and immature males, without the need for deconjugation of steroids in the urine. Both testosterone EIAs correlated strongly with LC-MS in adult males, but only if steroids in the urine were deconjugated by enzymatic hydrolysis prior to analysis. However, in immature males, EIA and LC-MS results did not correlate significantly. Further correlation analyses suggest this is likely due to cross-reactivity of the testosterone antibodies with other adrenal steroids such as cortisol, DHEA, and likely others, which are present at much higher concentrations relative to testosterone in immature males. Testosterone levels were significantly higher in adult compared to immature males as measured by LC-MS but not as measured by EIA. Taken together, our results suggest that the testosterone EIAs are suitable to assess gonadal activity in adult but not immature males, and only if a hydrolysis of the urine is conducted prior to analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan V Rincon
- Department of Behavioral Ecology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany; Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Goettingen, Germany.
| | - Julia Ostner
- Department of Behavioral Ecology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany; Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Goettingen, Germany; Research Group Social Evolution in Primates, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Michael Heistermann
- Endocrinology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Tobias Deschner
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
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37
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Szipl G, Depenau M, Kotrschal K, Hemetsberger J, Frigerio D. Costs and benefits of social connectivity in juvenile Greylag geese. Sci Rep 2019; 9:12839. [PMID: 31492937 PMCID: PMC6731237 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-49293-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2019] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Living in groups has various advantages and disadvantages for group members. We investigated the fitness consequences of early social connectivity (normalized Freeman degrees based on nearest neighbour data), physiology (levels of excreted corticosterone metabolites assayed from droppings), and agonistic interactions in a group of free-ranging greylag geese (Anser anser). Forty-four greylag geese below 3 years of age were observed in three different seasonal phases: during the re-aggregation of the flock in autumn, at the end of the winter and during the forthcoming breeding season. We show that corticosterone metabolite levels and initiated and received aggression increased with increasing social connectivity. Individuals had higher connectivity scores in the winter flock than during the mating and breeding seasons. One-year old juveniles were more connected than 2- and 3-year old individuals. In addition, we examined the link between social connectivity during early development and reproductive success several years later. We found that birds with greater connectivity early in life attempted to breed at a younger age. Furthermore, successful breeders with higher early connectivity scores had higher numbers of fledged goslings. Our results show that social context in early life stages may have long-term effects on individual fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgine Szipl
- Core Facility Konrad Lorenz Forschungsstelle for Behaviour and Cognition, University of Vienna, Fischerau 11, 4645, Gruenau im Almtal, Austria.
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Marie Depenau
- Core Facility Konrad Lorenz Forschungsstelle for Behaviour and Cognition, University of Vienna, Fischerau 11, 4645, Gruenau im Almtal, Austria
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Osnabrueck, Barbarastrasse 11, 49076, Osnabrueck, Germany
| | - Kurt Kotrschal
- Core Facility Konrad Lorenz Forschungsstelle for Behaviour and Cognition, University of Vienna, Fischerau 11, 4645, Gruenau im Almtal, Austria
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Josef Hemetsberger
- Core Facility Konrad Lorenz Forschungsstelle for Behaviour and Cognition, University of Vienna, Fischerau 11, 4645, Gruenau im Almtal, Austria
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Didone Frigerio
- Core Facility Konrad Lorenz Forschungsstelle for Behaviour and Cognition, University of Vienna, Fischerau 11, 4645, Gruenau im Almtal, Austria
- Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria
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Jepsen EM, Ganswindt A, Ngcamphalala CA, Bourne AR, Ridley AR, McKechnie AE. Non-invasive monitoring of physiological stress in an afrotropical arid-zone passerine bird, the southern pied babbler. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2019; 276:60-68. [PMID: 30836104 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2019.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2018] [Revised: 02/01/2019] [Accepted: 03/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Using faecal matter to monitor stress levels in animals non-invasively is a powerful technique for elucidating the effects of biotic and abiotic stressors on free-living animals. To validate the use of droppings for measuring stress in southern pied babblers (Turdoides bicolor) we performed an ACTH challenge on captive individuals and determined the effect of temporary separation from their social group on their faecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM) concentration. Additionally, we compared fGCM concentrations of captive babblers to those of wild conspecifics and examined the effects of dominance rank on fGCM concentration. We found droppings to be a suitable matrix for measuring physiological stress in babblers and that individual separation from the group caused an increase in fGCM levels. In addition, babblers temporarily held in captivity had substantially higher fGCM concentrations than wild individuals, indicating that babblers kept in captivity experience high levels of stress. In wild, free-living individuals, dominant males showed the highest levels of stress, suggesting that being the dominant male of a highly territorial social group is stressful. Non-invasive sampling allows field-based researchers to reduce disturbance related to monitoring adrenocortical function, thereby avoiding artificially increasing circulating corticosterone concentration as it is not necessary to physically restrain study animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma M Jepsen
- South African Research Chair in Conservation Physiology, National Zoological Garden, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, South Africa; DST-NRF Centre of Excellence at the FitzPatrick Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield 0028, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - André Ganswindt
- Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield 0028, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Celiwe A Ngcamphalala
- South African Research Chair in Conservation Physiology, National Zoological Garden, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, South Africa; DST-NRF Centre of Excellence at the FitzPatrick Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield 0028, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Amanda R Bourne
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Amanda R Ridley
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, Cape Town, South Africa; Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
| | - Andrew E McKechnie
- South African Research Chair in Conservation Physiology, National Zoological Garden, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, South Africa; DST-NRF Centre of Excellence at the FitzPatrick Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield 0028, Pretoria, South Africa.
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Naidenko SV, Berezhnoi MA, Kumar V, Umapathy G. Comparison of tigers' fecal glucocorticoids level in two extreme habitats. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0214447. [PMID: 30969977 PMCID: PMC6457496 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0214447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2018] [Accepted: 03/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Application of different antibodies and extraction methods results in a wide range of steroid metabolite concentrations obtained during noninvasive hormones monitoring. It makes regional comparisons of steroid concentration very difficult. We compared three methods for extraction of glucocorticoids metabolites in tiger feces to examine correct stress level in Bengal and Amur tigers in India and Russia respectively. The results obtained with three different extraction methods correlate with each other positively and significantly. The highest concentration of fecal glucocorticoids metabolites (FGCM) was found after the extraction of wet feces samples with 90% methanol. The level of FGCM was significantly higher in Bengal tigers in India than in Amur tigers in Russian Far East. The reasons might be related to tigers' density or anthropogenic pressure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergey V. Naidenko
- A.N.Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Moscow, Russia
- * E-mail:
| | | | - Vinod Kumar
- CSIR-Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, India
| | - Govindhaswamy Umapathy
- CSIR-Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, India
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Fletcher K, Xiong Y, Fletcher E, Gustafsson L. Glucocorticoid response to both predictable and unpredictable challenges detected as corticosterone metabolites in collared flycatcher droppings. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0209289. [PMID: 30571789 PMCID: PMC6301662 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0209289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2018] [Accepted: 12/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In most vertebrate animals, glucocorticoid hormones are the chief mediators of homeostasis in response to ecological conditions and as they progress through their lifecycle. In addition, glucocorticoids are a major part of the stress response and stress induced elevations of the hormone can make it difficult to assess glucocorticoid secretion in response to changes in life-stage and current environmental conditions in wild animals. Particularly when quantifying circulating levels of glucocorticoids in the blood which fluctuate rapidly in response to stress. An alternative method of quantifying glucocorticoids is as hormone metabolites in faeces or urine giving a historical sample related to the gut passage time and urinary tract that is less sensitive to stressful events which cause spikes in the circulating hormone level. Although the concentration of glucocorticoid metabolites are influenced by faecal mass thereby potentially affecting any differences in hormone metabolites detected amongst samples. In the present study, we aimed to detect changes in levels of corticosterone, the primary bird glucocorticoid, in relation to the phase of reproduction, in a breeding population of collared flycatchers by sampling corticosterone metabolites in droppings. We also tested how corticosterone metabolite concentrations were affected by ambient temperature and related to body condition in adult birds. Our results indicate that the upregulation of corticosterone between incubation and nestling feeding in female birds is crucial for successful reproduction in this species. Also, females appear to downregulate corticosterone during incubation in response to lower ambient temperature and poorer body condition. Our results did not indicate a relationship between dropping mass and corticosterone metabolite concentrations, which suggests that our findings were linked to the regulation of corticosterone in response to predictable and unpredictable challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Fletcher
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Animal Ecology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- * E-mail:
| | - Ye Xiong
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Animal Ecology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Erika Fletcher
- Biomedicine Centre, Pharmacuetical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Lars Gustafsson
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Animal Ecology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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Price K, Kittridge C, Damby Z, Hayes SG, Addis EA. Relaxing life of the city? Allostatic load in yellow-bellied marmots along a rural-urban continuum. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2018; 6:coy070. [PMID: 30591838 PMCID: PMC6301289 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coy070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Revised: 11/06/2018] [Accepted: 11/26/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Urban environments are expanding. As rural areas are urbanized, animals living in those environments must respond. Examinations of ecological responses to urbanization are abundant, but much less work has focused on the physiological responses driving those ecological patterns, particularly in mammals. Whether an animal interprets urbanized environments as stressful or not can help us understand, and even predict, the likelihood of individuals persisting in urbanized areas. Unpredictable events can cause stress and responses to such events can deplete limited stores of energy. Differences between required and available energy is termed allostatic load and is an indicator of stress. Allostatic load, and hence stress, is correlated with baseline levels of the metabolic hormones, glucocorticoids. We examined allostatic load in yellow-bellied marmots along a rural-urban gradient through analysis of fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGMs). We used GIS data and 'on-the-ground' measurements to quantify the degree of urbanization. We collected fecal samples from males and females of all age classes at six sites along this continuum. Female marmots had higher FGMs than males. All age groups of marmots exhibited a parabolic relationship between the degree of urbanization and FGM levels. In general, adult marmots had higher FGMs in more rural than urban environments, and both juveniles and yearlings had exhibited higher FGM levels in more urban environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten Price
- Biology Department, Gonzaga University, AD-5, 502 E Boone Ave, Spokane, WA, USA
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Charles Kittridge
- Biology Department, Gonzaga University, AD-5, 502 E Boone Ave, Spokane, WA, USA
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Zach Damby
- Biology Department, Gonzaga University, AD-5, 502 E Boone Ave, Spokane, WA, USA
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Stephen G Hayes
- Biology Department, Gonzaga University, AD-5, 502 E Boone Ave, Spokane, WA, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Addis
- Biology Department, Gonzaga University, AD-5, 502 E Boone Ave, Spokane, WA, USA
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Palme R. Non-invasive measurement of glucocorticoids: Advances and problems. Physiol Behav 2018; 199:229-243. [PMID: 30468744 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2018.11.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 329] [Impact Index Per Article: 54.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Revised: 11/16/2018] [Accepted: 11/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Glucocorticoids (GCs; i.e. cortisol/corticosterone) are a central component of the stress response and thus their measurement is frequently used to evaluate the impact of stressful situations. Their metabolites from faeces of various animal species are more and more taken as a non-invasive aid to assess GC release and thus adrenocortical activity. The current literature review includes an extensive collection (1327 papers) and evaluation (see also Supplementary Tables) of the literature on faecal cortisol/corticosterone metabolite (FCM) analysis published to date. It aims at giving reference for researchers interested in implementing FCM analysis into their study or seeking to improve such methods by providing background knowledge on GC metabolism and excretion, conveying insights into methodological issues and stating caveats of FCM analysis and by highlighting prerequisites for and some examples of a successful application of such methods. Collecting faecal samples and analysing FCMs may appear simple and straightforward, but researchers have to select and apply methods correctly. They also need to be aware of the many pitfalls and potentially confounding factors and, last but not least, have to carefully interpret results. Applied properly, measurement of FCMs is a powerful non-invasive tool in a variety of research areas, such as (stress) biology, ethology, ecology, animal conservation and welfare, but also biomedicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rupert Palme
- Unit of Physiology, Pathophysiology and Experimental Endocrinology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria.
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Molina‐García L, Pérez JM, Sarasa M, Ureña‐Gutiérrez B, Espinosa J, Azorit C. HPLC-QTOF method for quantifying 11-ketoetiocholanolone, a cortisol metabolite, in ruminants' feces: Optimization and validation. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:9218-9228. [PMID: 30377495 PMCID: PMC6194299 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2017] [Revised: 04/23/2018] [Accepted: 05/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies of animal ecology can benefit from a quantified understanding of eco-physiological processes and, in particular, of the physiological responses in free-ranging animals to potential stressors. The determination of fecal cortisol metabolites as a noninvasive method for monitoring stress has proved to be a powerful tool. High-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) has emerged as the most accurate method for avoiding problems related to the nonspecificity of immunoassays. In this study, we optimize and validate a reliable method using HPLC-MS/MS for quantifying 11-ketoetiocholanolone (11-k), a representative fecal cortisol metabolite in ruminants. An appropriate extraction and purification procedure was developed taking into account the complex nature of feces. The final extract obtained was then analyzed with HPLC-MS/MS using a quadrupole-time-of-fly (QTOF) tandem mass spectrometer with an electrospray ionization interface operating in positive mode, which allowed an unequivocal determination of the metabolite due to its accurate mass capabilities. After rigorous optimization of both sample extraction and the HPLC-QTOF parameters, making use of feces from free-ranging Iberian ibex, ideal conditions were established. Matrix-matched standards were used to calibrate the method. The limit of detection and quantification was 13- and 40- ng/g, respectively. The validation of the method was performed with recoveries in the range of 85-110%, a figure much higher than the 60% obtained with the previous extraction methods used in our laboratory, and with relative standard deviations (RSDs) no higher than 15% for the complete analytical procedure, including extraction and analysis. The time required for the fecal 11-k analysis was greatly reduced in comparison with the previous work carried out in our laboratory. This is the first time that QTOF mass detection coupled with HPLC has been validated for 11-k quantification in feces from free-ranging ruminants such as Iberian ibex. Given the high selectivity and sensitivity attained, our method could become a useful tool for noninvasive stress quantification in ruminants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucía Molina‐García
- Department of Animal and Plant Biology, and EcologyUniversity of JaénJaénSpain
| | - Jesus M. Pérez
- Department of Animal and Plant Biology, and EcologyUniversity of JaénJaénSpain
| | - Mathieu Sarasa
- Fédération Nationale des Chasseurs (FNC)Issy‐les‐MoulineauxFrance
- Present address:
BEOPSToulouseFrance
| | | | - Jose Espinosa
- Department of Animal and Plant Biology, and EcologyUniversity of JaénJaénSpain
| | - Concepción Azorit
- Department of Animal and Plant Biology, and EcologyUniversity of JaénJaénSpain
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Behringer V, Deimel C, Hohmann G, Negrey J, Schaebs FS, Deschner T. Applications for non-invasive thyroid hormone measurements in mammalian ecology, growth, and maintenance. Horm Behav 2018; 105:66-85. [PMID: 30063897 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2017] [Revised: 07/24/2018] [Accepted: 07/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Thyroid hormones (THs) play a pivotal role in the regulation of metabolic activity throughout all life stages. Cross-talk with other hormone systems permits THs to coordinate metabolic changes as well as modifications in growth and maintenance in response to changing environmental conditions. The scope of this review is to explain the relevant basics of TH endocrinology, highlight pertinent topics that have been investigated so far, and offer guidance on measuring THs in non-invasively collected matrices. The first part of the review provides an overview of TH biochemistry, which is necessary to understand and interpret the findings of existing studies and to apply non-invasive TH monitoring. The second part focuses on the role of THs in mammalian ecology, and the third part highlights the role of THs in growth and maintenance. The fourth part deals with the advantages and difficulties of measuring THs in non-invasively collected samples. This review concludes with a summary that considers future directions in the study of THs.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Behringer
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
| | - C Deimel
- Department of Anthropology, Indiana University Bloomington, 701 E Kirkwood Ave, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - G Hohmann
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - J Negrey
- Department of Anthropology, Boston University, 232 Bay State Road, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - F S Schaebs
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - T Deschner
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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Wingfield JC. Environmental Endocrinology: Insights into the Diversity of Regulatory Mechanisms in Life Cycles. Integr Comp Biol 2018; 58:790-799. [DOI: 10.1093/icb/icy081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- John C Wingfield
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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Assessment of Commercially Available Immunoassays to Measure Glucocorticoid Metabolites in African Grey Parrot ( Psittacus Erithacus) Droppings: A Ready Tool for Non-Invasive Monitoring of Stress. Animals (Basel) 2018; 8:ani8070105. [PMID: 29958413 PMCID: PMC6071241 DOI: 10.3390/ani8070105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2018] [Revised: 06/18/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The African Grey Parrot is a very popular bird commonly found in zoological collections. However, captivity can prevent it from meeting its natural needs and so become an ongoing stressor, leading sometimes to clinical and/or behavioral disorders. Non-invasive forms of stress assessment are of definite interest for monitoring welfare in captive bird populations. One notable stress outcome is the excretion of glucocorticoid metabolites (from the stress hormone corticosterone) in droppings. The aim of this study was to carefully assess methods of glucocorticoid metabolites extraction and measurement in droppings from African Grey Parrots. Several extraction and enzyme immunoassays procedures were tested, based on the evaluation of analytical quality parameters and biological relevance. The best procedure was found to be a combination of a 60% methanol extraction with the use of a commercial corticosterone enzyme immunoassay. To determine whether this method was suitable for assessing different stress levels, a significant correlation with another reliable stress marker in birds, the Heterophil: Lymphocyte Ratio, was evidenced. This method can thus be used to evaluate stress in African Gray Parrots in a non-invasive way and help to monitor their welfare in zoo populations for instance. Abstract Despite being undomesticated, African Grey Parrots (Psittacus erithacus) are commonly found in captivity, in zoos or as pets. Captivity can be an ongoing stressor. Non-invasive glucocorticoid metabolites (GCM) measurements from bird droppings are of interest for assessing stress but require careful evaluation in each newly studied species. This study describes the assessment of such methods for Psittacus erithacus to provide tools for evaluating stress and monitoring welfare. We evaluated 12 method combinations of GCM extraction and enzyme immunoassay (EIA) from a pool of African Grey Parrot droppings, through the validation of several analytical parameters. Then, Heterophil: Lymphocyte Ratios (HLR), another reliable stress marker, were determined and correlated to individual dropping GCM concentrations for 29 birds to determine whether the method is biologically relevant. We found that the best procedure to measure GCM in African Grey Parrot droppings is a combination of 60% methanol extraction measured using a Corticosterone EIA kit (Cayman Chemical Company) from fresh or dry droppings. The establishment of a significant correlation (Pearson coefficient correlation = 0.48; p = 0.0082) between HLR and GCM in the studied population confirmed the method biological relevance. This method can thus be applied to assess stress in Psittacus erithacus and support welfare monitoring in zoo populations.
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Bertocchi M, Pelizzone I, Parmigiani E, Ponzio P, Macchi E, Righi F, Di Girolamo N, Bigliardi E, Denti L, Bresciani C, Di Ianni F. Monitoring the reproductive activity in captive bred female ball pythons (P. regius) by ultrasound evaluation and noninvasive analysis of faecal reproductive hormone (progesterone and 17β-estradiol) metabolites trends. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0199377. [PMID: 29949610 PMCID: PMC6021098 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0199377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2017] [Accepted: 06/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The royal python (Python regius) is commonly bred in captivity. To have a successful breeding season, accurate monitoring of the reproductive activity is necessary. The use of non-invasive monitoring methods in exotics is important in order to minimize stress. For this purpose ultrasound has been anecdotally used to monitor royal python reproductive activity. However, there is limited information regarding the reproductive cycle of this species. The aim of the present study is to monitor the female reproductive cycle of the royal python using ultrasonography and gonadal steroid metabolite measurements in the faeces. The reproductive activity of one hundred twenty-nine adult female P. regius was examined during two consecutive years. We performed brief scans on non-anaesthetized snakes using a portable ultrasound system and a 10–12 MHz linear array transducer (MyLab™ 30 Gold, Esaote). Ultrasound features, dimension and echogenicity of the reproductive structures were determined. During the second reproductive cycle, the hormonal profiles of 30 animals were also evaluated, with a monthly collection of faecal samples. These samples were classified according to reproductive stage, as identified by ultrasonographic examination, and the mean faecal progesterone and 17β-estradiol levels were calculated using the results from an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Progesterone levels increased during the reproductive cycle. Estradiol levels showed greater variability, although they appeared to increase before coupling when compared to the levels between coupling and egg laying. The present study suggests that it is possible to identify different phases in the female royal python reproductive cycle: anovulatory phase, transition, folliculogenesis and embryogenesis. Ultrasound is also useful for identifying follicular regression or slugs. Gonadal steroid metabolite measurements from the faeces could help integrate reproductive information. The use of ultrasonography in addition to the steroid metabolite measurement in the faeces gives an accurate picture of ovarian activity in captive adult female royal pythons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mara Bertocchi
- Department of Veterinary Science, Università degli Studi di Parma, Via Del Taglio, Parma, Italy
| | | | - Enrico Parmigiani
- Department of Veterinary Science, Università degli Studi di Parma, Via Del Taglio, Parma, Italy
| | - Patrizia Ponzio
- Department of Veterinary Science, Università degli Studi di Torino, Via Leonardo da Vinci, Grugliasco (TO), Italy
| | - Elisabetta Macchi
- Department of Veterinary Science, Università degli Studi di Torino, Via Leonardo da Vinci, Grugliasco (TO), Italy
| | - Federico Righi
- Department of Veterinary Science, Università degli Studi di Parma, Via Del Taglio, Parma, Italy
| | - Nicola Di Girolamo
- Tai Wai Small Animal and Exotic Hospital, Lap Wo Building, Tai Wai, Sha Tin, Hong Kong
| | - Enrico Bigliardi
- Department of Veterinary Science, Università degli Studi di Parma, Via Del Taglio, Parma, Italy
- * E-mail:
| | - Laura Denti
- Department of Veterinary Science, Università degli Studi di Parma, Via Del Taglio, Parma, Italy
| | - Carla Bresciani
- Department of Veterinary Science, Università degli Studi di Parma, Via Del Taglio, Parma, Italy
| | - Francesco Di Ianni
- Department of Veterinary Science, Università degli Studi di Parma, Via Del Taglio, Parma, Italy
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McDonald R, Roth J, Anderson W. Prey cortisol affects the usefulness of fecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentration as an indicator of stress in a carnivore. CAN J ZOOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2017-0065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The noninvasive nature of sample collection makes analysis of fecal hormone concentrations useful for examining endocrine responses in free-living wild animals. Glucocorticoid hormones (i.e., cortisol and corticosterone) are frequently measured as an indicator of activation of the endocrine stress axis. However, many factors may influence glucocorticoid concentrations in feces, and the influence of prey glucocorticoids on concentrations in the feces of predators is rarely considered. We tested whether cortisol consumption influenced concentrations of glucocorticoid metabolites in feces of captive Arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus (Linnaeus, 1758)) by adding cortisol (5 mg cortisol per kg fox body mass) to the foxes’ diet. Food supplemented with supraphysiological concentrations of cortisol increased fecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations of Arctic foxes by 97% in males and 51% in females, compared with controls. In addition, fecal metabolite concentrations in nontreatment samples were higher for females (22.2 ± 3.3 ng·g−1, mean ± SE) than males (13.3 ± 1.5 ng·g−1), suggesting female Arctic foxes may have higher baseline cortisol concentrations or females may be more sensitive to captivity or relocation. These results indicate that prey cortisol can influence measurement of glucocorticoid metabolites in carnivore feces and suggest caution may be needed when interpreting such measurements in wild carnivores.
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Affiliation(s)
- R.S. McDonald
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - J.D. Roth
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - W.G. Anderson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
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de Almeida AC, Palme R, Moreira N. How environmental enrichment affects behavioral and glucocorticoid responses in captive blue-and-yellow macaws ( Ara ararauna ). Appl Anim Behav Sci 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2017.12.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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