SGAI, M. G. F. Evaluation of environmental enrichment techniques on endocrinal and behavioral parameters of Callithrix penicillata (black tufted-ear marmoset) kept in social stability and isolated. [Avaliação da influência das técnicas de enriquecimento ambiental nos parâmetros endócrinos e comportamentais de Callithrix penicillata (sagüide-tufos-pretos) mantidos em estabilidade social e isolados] 2007. 107 f. Dissertação

RESUMO.-[Relação do grau de automutilação com as concentrações de metabólitos fecais de glicocorticoides em chimpanzés (Pan troglodytes).]A influência do estresse de um ambiente nas variáveis endócrino-comportamentais de primatas vem sendo cada vez mais estudada por diversos autores, e mostram que comportamentos anormais associados a aumentos de glicocorticóides podem estar diretamente relacionados ao comprometimento do bem-estar. Neste trabalho foram utilizados 22 chimpanzés (Pan troglodytes) adultos, sendo 11 machos e 11 fêmeas mantidos em cativeiro de três instituições diferentes. Todos os animais tiveram seus comportamentos registrados pelo método de amostragem focal por intervalo de tempo, durante seis meses, totalizando 4800 registros para cada animal. Amostras fecais foram coletadas três vezes por semana, durante este período, para extração e dosagem de metabólitos The influence of stress in an environment, according with the behavioral and endocrine variables of primates, are increasingly being studied by a diversity of authors, and have shown that abnormal behaviors associated with increased glucocorticoids may be directly related with the impairment of their well-being. In this work were used 22 adult chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), 11 males and 11 females, kept in captivity in three different institutions. All animals had their behavior registered by focal session using a 30 seconds sample interval, during six months, totaling 4,800 registries per each animal. During this period, fecal samples were collected 3 times a week for the extraction and measurement of the concentration of fecal metabolites of glucocorticoid by radioimmunoassay. Of the total observed, stereotypical behaviors represented 13,45±2.76%, and among them, self-mutilation represented 38.28±3.98 %. The animals were classified into three different scores, according with the percentage of body surface with alopecia due to self-mutilation. It was found a positive correlation of high intensity between the scores of alopecia due to the observed mutilation and the average concentrations of fecal metabolites of glucocorticoids. This result strongly suggests that this measurement of self-mutilation in a chimpanzee can be used as an important auxiliary tool to evaluate de conditions of adaptation of an animal in captivity, functioning as a direct indicator of the presence of chronic stress.

Pesq. Vet. Bras. 33(6) Captive penguins are prone to pododermatitis (bumblefoot) lesions due to sedentary habits, changes in normal activity patterns, prolonged time on hard and abrasive surfaces, and less time swimming in the water. Environmental enrichment allows the use of creative and ingenious techniques that aim to keep the captive animals occupied by increasing the range and the diversity of behavioral opportunities always respecting the ethological needs of the species. The main goal of this work was to use environmental enrichment techniques to reduce pododermatitis in a group of captive penguins. Five captive Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) that were showing bumblefoot lesions were followed during this project. To monitor the lesions, all animals were physically restraint 3 times a week over a period of 12 weeks. Environmental enrichment was introduced daily in the water with the goal of enhancing their time in the water for one extra hour daily. The results demonstrate that in a twelve weeks period, four animals showed significant reduction of the lesions in both feet and in two animals the lesions were completely healed. With these results we can conclude that aquatic environmental enrichment allowed this group of penguins to spend more time in the water, favoring the reduction of the bumblefoot lesions. ambiental aquático para este grupo de pingüins permitiu um maior tempo de permanência dos animais na água favorecendo a redução das lesões de bumblefoot.

Neste trabalho foi realizado estudo comparativo dos níveis de corticóides fecais (CF) de chimpanzé (Pan troglodytes) e orangotango (Pongo pygmaeus). Foram analisadas amostras coletadas em duas fases distintas, relacionadas com a introdução de técnicas de enriquecimento ambiental, a saber: Base (antes da introdução) e Habituação (imediatamente após). Realizamos as validações do conjunto comercial para radioimunoensaio ImmunuChemTM Double Antibody Corticosterone da MP Biomedicals, para mensuração de CF. A validação laboratorial dos conjuntos diagnósticos para uso em extrato fecal de primatas foi realizada pelo método de paralelismo, no qual, para cada espécie, concentrações conhecidas de corticosterona foram adicionadas a um pool de extratos fecais, sendo estas amostras analisadas em seguida. As inclinações das curvas obtidas nestes ensaios e da curva padrão do ensaio foram então comparadas. Os resultados obtidos para chimpanzé e orangotango, foram respectivamente, Y= 17,23+1,31*X;R^2=0,98 e Y=11,14+1,29*X; R^2=0,99. Para a validação fisiológica, foi utilizada a introdução de técnicas de enriquecimento ambiental como causador de aumento dos níveis de CF, conseqüentes à indução de resposta do tipo estresse. Os resultados foram expressos em médias e erros-padrão da média. As concentrações médias destes corticóides foram: chimpanzés: Base (5,90 +/-2,41x10³ ng/g de fezes), Habituação (14,92 +/- 4,66x10³ ng/g de fezes) e para o orangotango: Base (91,1 +/- 30,0x10³ ng/g de fezes), Habituação (185,1 +/- 57x10³ng/g de fezes). Houve diferença significativa (P<0,05) para os valores destes CF para ambas as espécies entre as duas fases estudadas.

Measuring stress responses is an important aspect for the conservation of endangered wild species. Non-invasive measuring of glucocorticoid metabolite levels has become an important tool to measure stress intensity. The aims of the present study were as follows: to validate the enzyme immunoassay to measure the concentration of fecal metabolites of glucocorticoids (FGM) after stressful stimuli and to determine whether FGM concentrations fluctuate diurnally in Black-tufted Marmosets Callithrix penicillata in captivity. Eight captive healthy adult Black-tufted Marmosets (four males and four females) were included in the study. The animals were subjected to three treatments: (1) hormone challenge with adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), ( 2) saline administration and (3) control treatment to monitor diurnal changes of FGM. Fecal samples were collected on days -1, 0, +1 and +2, with intramuscular administration of ACTH and saline performed on day 0. To control diurnal variations, all feces from all animals were collected over six consecutive days and identified using the time of defecation and animal identification number. There were four designated two-hour periods per day (8-10 h, 10-12 h, 12-14 h and 14-16 h), and the samples were grouped for each two-hour period to obtain a representative pool. The samples were frozen, and the metabolite concentrations were measured by enzyme immunoassay following extraction. The results show that immunoassay measurements of FGM concentrations in C. penicillata can be validated physiologically. Diurnal variation of the FGM concentration was observed, with significantly increased FGM levels in the early afternoon in both sexes. The mean FGM concentration was higher in captive females than in males. Physical restraint followed by saline administration led to adrenocortical stimulation similar to that observed following ACTH hormone challenge, a finding that has not previously been reported in C. penicillata. Our results show immunoassay measurements of FGM concentrations provide a valuable tool for the non-invasive study of the endocrine correlates of behavior and wellbeing of this species.