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Author |
Baltic, M.; Jenni-Eiermann, S.; Arlettaz, R.; Palme, R. |
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Title |
A noninvasive technique to evaluate human-generated stress in the black grouse |
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Journal Article |
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Year |
2005 |
Publication |
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences |
Abbreviated Journal |
Ann N Y Acad Sci |
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Volume |
1046 |
Issue |
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Pages |
81-95 |
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Keywords |
Adrenocorticotropic Hormone/metabolism; Animals; Bird Diseases/*metabolism; Conservation of Natural Resources; Corticosterone/*metabolism; Ecosystem; Feces/*chemistry; Female; Galliformes/*metabolism; Immunoenzyme Techniques/methods/veterinary; Male; Reproducibility of Results; Stress/metabolism/*veterinary; Tritium/diagnostic use |
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Abstract |
The continuous development of tourism and related leisure activities is exerting an increasingly intense pressure on wildlife. In this study, a novel noninvasive method for measuring stress in the black grouse, an endangered, emblematic species of European ecosystems that is currently declining in several parts of its European range, is tested and physiologically validated. A radiometabolism study and an ACTH challenge test were performed on four captive black grouse (two of each sex) in order to get basic information about the metabolism and excretion of corticosterone and to find an appropriate enzyme-immunoassay (EIA) to measure its metabolites in the feces. Peak radioactivity in the droppings was detected within 1 to 2 hours. Injected (3)H-corticosterone was excreted as polar metabolites and by itself was almost absent. A cortisone-EIA was chosen from among seven tested EIAs for different groups of glucocorticoid metabolites, because it cross-reacted with some of the formed metabolites and best reflected the increase of excreted corticosterone metabolites, after the ACTH challenge test. Concentrations of the metabolites from fecal samples collected from snow burrows of free-ranging black grouse were within the same range as in captive birds. The noninvasive method described may be appropriate for evaluating the stress faced by free-living black grouse populations in the wild, particularly in mountain ecosystems where human disturbance, especially by winter sports, is of increasing conservation concern. |
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Zoological Institute, Division of Conservation Biology, Baltzerstrasse 6, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland |
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0077-8923 |
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PMID:16055845 |
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Call Number |
Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
Serial |
4080 |
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Author |
Thiel, D.; Jenni-Eiermann, S.; Palme, R. |
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Title |
Measuring corticosterone metabolites in droppings of capercaillies (Tetrao urogallus) |
Type |
Journal Article |
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Year |
2005 |
Publication |
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences |
Abbreviated Journal |
Ann N Y Acad Sci |
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Volume |
1046 |
Issue |
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Pages |
96-108 |
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Keywords |
Adrenocorticotropic Hormone/administration & dosage/analysis/metabolism; Animals; Circadian Rhythm; Corticosterone/administration & dosage/*analysis/*metabolism; Feces/*chemistry; Female; Freezing; Galliformes/*metabolism; Male; Reproducibility of Results; Sex Factors; Temperature; Time Factors; Tritium/diagnostic use |
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Abstract |
The capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus), the largest grouse species in the world, is decreasing in numbers in major parts of its distribution range. Disturbances by human outdoor activities are discussed as a possible reason for this population decline. An indicator for disturbances is the increase of the glucocorticoid corticosterone, a stress hormone, which helps to cope with life-threatening situations. However, repeated disturbances might result in a long-term increase of the basal corticosterone concentration, which can result in detrimental effects like reduced fitness and survival of an animal. To measure corticosterone metabolites (CMs) noninvasively in the droppings of free-living capercaillies, first an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) in captive birds had to be selected and validated. Therefore, the excretion pattern of intravenously injected radiolabeled corticosterone was determined and 3H metabolites were characterized. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) separations of the samples containing peak concentrations revealed that corticosterone was extensively metabolized. The HPLC fractions were tested in several EIAs for glucocorticoid metabolites. The physiological relevance of this method was proved after pharmacological stimulation of the adrenocortical activity. Only the recently established cortisone assay, measuring CMs with a 3,11-dione structure, detected an expressed increase of concentrations following ACTH stimulation. To set up a sampling protocol suited for the field, we examined the influence of various storage conditions and time of day on concentrations of CMs. |
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Swiss Ornithological Institute, 6204 Sempach, Switzerland. dominik.thiel@vogelwarte.ch |
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0077-8923 |
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PMID:16055846 |
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Call Number |
Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
Serial |
4079 |
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Author |
Heistermann, M.; Palme, R.; Ganswindt, A. |
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Title |
Comparison of different enzyme-immunoassays for assessment of adrenocortical activity in primates based on fecal analysis |
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Journal Article |
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Year |
2006 |
Publication |
American journal of primatology |
Abbreviated Journal |
Am. J. Primatol. |
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Volume |
68 |
Issue |
3 |
Pages |
257-273 |
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Keywords |
11-Hydroxycorticosteroids/*analysis; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone/pharmacology; Anesthesia; Animals; Corticosterone/analysis; Feces/*chemistry; Glucocorticoids/*analysis; Haplorhini/*metabolism; Hydrocortisone/analysis; Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System/drug effects/physiology; Immunoenzyme Techniques/*methods; Pituitary-Adrenal System/drug effects/physiology; Species Specificity |
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Abstract |
Most studies published to date that used fecal glucocorticoid measurements to assess adrenocortical activity in primate (and many nonprimate) species applied a specific cortisol or corticosterone assay. However, since these native glucocorticoids are virtually absent in the feces of most vertebrates, including primates, the validity of this approach has recently been questioned. Therefore, the overall aim of the present study was to assess the validity of four enzyme-immunoassays (EIAs) using antibodies raised against cortisol, corticosterone, and reduced cortisol metabolites (two group-specific antibodies) for assessing adrenocortical activity using fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (GCM) measurements in selected primate species (marmoset, long-tailed macaque, Barbary macaque, chimpanzee, and gorilla). Using physiological stimulation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis by administering exogenous ACTH or anesthesia, we demonstrated that at least two assays detected the predicted increase in fecal GCM levels in response to treatment in each species. However, the magnitude of response varied between assays and species, and no one assay was applicable to all species. While the corticosterone assay generally was of only limited suitability for assessing glucocorticoid output, the specific cortisol assay was valuable for those species that (according to high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis data) excreted clearly detectable amounts of authentic cortisol into the feces. In contrast, in species in which cortisol was virtually absent in the feces, group-specific assays provided a much stronger signal, and these assays also performed well in the other primate species tested (except the marmoset). Collectively, the data suggest that the reliability of a given fecal glucocorticoid assay in reflecting activity of the HPA axis in primates clearly depends on the species in question. Although to date there is no single assay system that can be used successfully across species, our data suggest that group-specific assays have a high potential for cross-species application. Nevertheless, regardless of which GC antibody is chosen, our study clearly reinforces the necessity of appropriately validating the respective assay system before it is used. |
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Department of Reproductive Biology, German Primate Center, Gottingen, Germany. mheiste@gwdg.de |
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0275-2565 |
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Notes |
PMID:16477600 |
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Call Number |
Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
Serial |
4078 |
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Author |
Keay, J.M.; Singh, J.; Gaunt, M.C.; Kaur, T. |
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Title |
Fecal glucocorticoids and their metabolites as indicators of stress in various mammalian species: a literature review |
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Journal Article |
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Year |
2006 |
Publication |
Journal of zoo and wildlife medicine : official publication of the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians |
Abbreviated Journal |
J Zoo Wildl Med |
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Volume |
37 |
Issue |
3 |
Pages |
234-244 |
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Keywords |
Animals; *Animals, Wild/metabolism; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods/veterinary; Circadian Rhythm; Conservation of Natural Resources; *Ecosystem; Feces/*chemistry; Glucocorticoids/*analysis/metabolism; Humans; Seasons; Species Specificity; Specimen Handling/methods/veterinary; Stress, Psychological/*metabolism |
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Abstract |
Conservation medicine is a discipline in which researchers and conservationists study and respond to the dynamic interplay between animals, humans, and the environment. From a wildlife perspective, animal species are encountering stressors from numerous sources. With the rapidly increasing human population, a corresponding increased demand for food, fuel, and shelter; habitat destruction; and increased competition for natural resources, the health and well-being of wild animal populations is increasingly at risk of disease and endangerment. Scientific data are needed to measure the impact that human encroachment is having on wildlife. Nonbiased biometric data provide a means to measure the amount of stress being imposed on animals from humans, the environment, and other animals. The stress response in animals functions via glucocorticoid metabolism and is regulated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Fecal glucocorticoids, in particular, may be an extremely useful biometric test, since sample collection is noninvasive to subjects and, therefore, does not introduce other variables that may alter assay results. For this reason, many researchers and conservationists have begun to use fecal glucocorticoids as a means to measure stress in various animal species. This review article summarizes the literature on many studies in which fecal glucocorticoids and their metabolites have been used to assess stress levels in various mammalian species. Variations between studies are the main focus of this review. Collection methods, storage conditions, shipping procedures, and laboratory techniques utilized by different researchers are discussed. |
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Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, 0442 Duck Pond Drive, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA |
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1042-7260 |
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PMID:17319120 |
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Call Number |
refbase @ user @ |
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616 |
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Author |
Li, C.; Jiang, Z.; Tang, S.; Zeng, Y. |
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Title |
Influence of enclosure size and animal density on fecal cortisol concentration and aggression in Pere David's deer stags |
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Journal Article |
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Year |
2007 |
Publication |
General and Comparative Endocrinology |
Abbreviated Journal |
Gen Comp Endocrinol |
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Volume |
151 |
Issue |
2 |
Pages |
202-209 |
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Keywords |
*Aggression; Animals; *Deer; *Environment; Feces/*chemistry; Handling (Psychology); Housing, Animal; Hydrocortisone/*analysis; Male; Population Density |
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Abstract |
We investigated the impact of enclosure size and animal density on behavior and adrenocortical secretion in Pere David's deer in Dafeng Nature Reserve, China. From February 15 to April 16 in 2004, we conducted two experiments. First, we studied maintenance behavior and conflict behavior of Pere David's deer stags in a large enclosure (200 ha) with low animal density (0.66 deer/ha) and a small display pen (0.75 ha) with high animal density (25.33 deer/ha). The maintenance behavior we recorded included standing, locomotion, foraging and rest. During the behavioral observations, we collected fresh voided fecal samples from the stags periodically, and analyzed the fecal cortisol concentrations in those samples using radioimmunoassay technique. Second, we monitored the fecal cortisol concentrations of one group of stags (12 deer lived in an enclosure of 100 ha) before and after transferred into a small pen (0.5 ha). We found that in the first experiment: (1) there were significant differences in standing and rest whereas no significant differences of locomotion and foraging between the free-ranging group and the display group; (2) frequency of conflict behavior in the display group was significantly higher than those in the free-ranging group; and (3) fecal cortisol concentration of the display group (326.17+/-16.98 ng/g dry feces) was significantly higher than that of the free-ranging group (268.98+/-15.21 ng/g dry feces). In the second experiment, there was no significant difference of the fecal cortisol concentrations among sampling days, but the mean fecal cortisol concentration of the day after transferring (337.46+/-17.88 ng/g dry feces) was significantly higher than that of the day before transferring (248.44+/-7.99 ng/g dry feces). Comparison with published findings, our results indicated that enclosure size and animal density affect not only behaviors, but also adrenocortical secretion in Pere David's deer. Small living space with high animal density may impose physiological stress to captive Pere David's deer. Moreover, long-term physiological stress and increase of conflict behavior may subsequently affect survival and reproduction of the deer. |
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Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080, China |
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0016-6480 |
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PMID:17324429 |
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Call Number |
Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
Serial |
5475 |
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Author |
Schwarzenberger, F.; Mostl, E.; Bamberg, E.; Pammer, J.; Schmehlik, O. |
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Title |
Concentrations of progestagens and oestrogens in the faeces of pregnant Lipizzan, trotter and thoroughbred mares |
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Journal Article |
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Year |
1991 |
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Journal of reproduction and fertility. Supplement |
Abbreviated Journal |
J Reprod Fertil Suppl |
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Volume |
44 |
Issue |
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Pages |
489-499 |
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Keywords |
Animals; Estrogens/*analysis; Feces/*chemistry; Female; Gestational Age; Horses/*metabolism; Immunoenzyme Techniques; Labor, Obstetric; Pregnancy; Pregnancy, Animal/*metabolism; Pregnenes/analysis; Progestins/*analysis |
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Faecal samples were collected at weekly intervals from pregnant Lipizzan mares during Weeks 7-16 following mating and from Lipizzan, Trotter and Thoroughbred mares during the last 3 months of gestation. After parturition, samples were taken daily from the Thoroughbred mares for another 6 days. Non-pregnant mares served as controls. The concentrations of unconjugated oestrogens (Eg), 20 alpha-OH-progestagens (20 alpha-G) and 20 beta-OH-progestagens (20 beta-G) were measured by enzyme immunoassay. In the faeces of Lipizzan mares, immunoreactive progestagens were significantly (P less than 0.01) elevated above the levels in non-pregnant mares by Week 11, and Eg by Week 13 of pregnancy onwards. During the last 3 months of gestation, concentrations of Eg were significantly higher in Trotter mares than in Lipizzan and Thoroughbred mares. Concentrations of 20 alpha-G and 20 beta-G increased to maximal values in the last month of gestation. There was no significant difference among the 3 breeds with respect to 20 alpha-G but, during the 10 weeks before parturition, concentrations of 20 beta-G in the Lipizzan mares were significantly lower (P less than 0.05) than those in the Thoroughbred mares. They were also significantly lower than those of the Trotter mares during the last 4 weeks of gestation. After parturition, the concentrations of Eg and progestagens had declined to baseline values by Days 3 and 4 respectively. From these results we conclude that high concentrations of progestagens with 20 alpha- and 20 beta-hydroxyl groups are present in the faeces of pregnant mares, especially during the last month of gestation. |
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Institut fur Biochemie, Veterinary Medical University, Vienna, Austria |
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0449-3087 |
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PMID:1795293 |
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Call Number |
refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
322 |
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