Detecting stress responses in Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep (<i>Ovis canadensis canadensis</i>): reliability of cortisol concentrations in urine and feces

Miller, Michael W.; Hobbs, N. Thompson; Sousa, M. C.

doi:10.1139/z91-003

Cited by 76 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…The present results was also closely related with the results of previous study 17 which found an increase in immunoreactive 11,17-DOA after incubating faecal samples at room temperature which was probably caused by bacteria. However, this findings disagreed with Miller et al 11 who described that elevated level of faecal cortisol can be measured during stress in the Rocky mountain bighorn sheep. The findings also disagreed with other study 12 which investigated three different commercially available radioimmunoassay for W i t h d r a w n cortisol and one assay for corticosterone in a variety of wildlife mammals.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 89%

“…For example, the side chain of some C-21 steroids cleaved by the faecal flora of human and rats to C-19 compounds 10 . The elevated level of faecal cortisol can be measured during stress in the rocky mountain bighorn sheep 11 . Three different commercially available radioimmunoassay for cortisol and one assay for corticosterone in a variety of wildlife mammals were investigated 12 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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In vitro Metabolic Changes in the Corticosteroidal Hormones in Faeces of Ruminants

El-Bahr¹,

Palme²,

Möstl³

et al. 2015

Science International

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Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the extent of stability of corticosteroid hormones against the bacterial actions and their enzymatic activities that are naturally occurring in faeces. Materials and Methods: Faecal samples were freshly collected from each of 10 cattle and 10 sheep. Each sample was immediately incubated in a water bath at 38°C with either 1 μg of cortisol or corticosterone. The incubations were then run at time interval of 4, 8 and 24 h (in cattle) and at 1, 2, 4, 8 and 24 h (in sheep). The samples were extracted with methanol and the aliquots were taken after centrifugation from their supernatants and analyzed for measurement of cortisol and corticosterone by Enzyme Immunoassays (EIAs). Results: A dramatically decline in the concentrations of the added cortisol and corticosterone was observed in cattle faeces. Only about 20% of the starting levels of both hormones after 4 h in contrast to almost no cortisol with about 10% of corticosterone after 8 h and about 5% of corticosterone after 24 h was detected. Prolonged incubation of faecal samples of sheep decreased the immunoreactive substances measured by the 3-hydroxy, 11-oxoandrogens EIA (11-oxo-A-EIA), whereas with the 11, 17 dioxoandrostanes EIA (11, 17 DOA-EIA), the values were increased. Conclusion: Cortisol was heavily metabolized by faecal flora being quicker in its metabolism than corticosterone in the faeces of ruminants. In addition, the present study provides a powerful evidence to the absence of native cortisol in the faeces of ruminants.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 89%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

In vitro Metabolic Changes in the Corticosteroidal Hormones in Faeces of Ruminants

El-Bahr¹,

Palme²,

Möstl³

et al. 2015

Science International

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…While circulating hormones as measured in blood samples represent real-time fluctuations in endocrine activity, measures in urine usually show a time lag of 2-8 h (e.g., Miller et al, 1991;Bahr et al, 2000). Studies revealed that the circadian cortisol rhythm expressed in serum is comparable to the one observed in urine (Bartter et al, 1962;Kraan et al, 1998).…”

Section: Urine Sample Collection and Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Circadian Rhythms of Urinary Cortisol Levels Vary Between Individuals in Wild Male Chimpanzees: A Reaction Norm Approach

et al. 2018

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Investigating the repeatability of trait variation between individuals, that is the amount of individual variation in relation to overall phenotypic variation, indicates an upper level of heritability and reveals whether a given trait may be subject to selection. Labile traits are characterized by high levels of flexibility and consequently low trait repeatability is expected. Indeed, research examining glucocorticoid levels in various non-mammal species found low repeatability scores. However, mammals may be different in this respect as (i) differential maternal care early in life has the potential to prime hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis functioning and (ii) allelic variation affecting hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis functioning has been reported. Individuals often differ from each other in average and/or plastic labile trait expression, two aspects that can be described using a reaction norm approach. Both consistent and flexible reaction norm expression has been argued to serve adaptive purposes, depending on the stability and predictability of environmental conditions. Here, we investigated both trait and reaction norm repeatability of urinary cortisol levels in wild adult male chimpanzees. To capture the expression of the circadian urinary cortisol rhythm of individual males over time, urine samples were collected throughout the day. In total data of 30 males collected over a period of 8 years were included in the dataset. No male was sampled over the whole 8-year period however. We found minor levels of trait repeatability but considerable reaction norm repeatability. This implies a minor role of genetic or priming factors on cortisol excretion, but reveals that males differ consistently in average urinary cortisol levels and the shape of the circadian urinary cortisol rhythm. Relating these results to fitness parameters will provide answers to questions on the adaptive value of reaction norm repeatability of this labile hormonal trait in the future.

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“…Cortisol is mainly excreted in urine and urinary cortisol (UC) has already been used to test the HPA axis in humans [24], bighorn sheep [23], felids [10] and mice [19]. In pigs, UC measured on spontaneously voided urine has been shown to be a good indicator of HPA axis activity [15][16][17].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Urinary cortisol as an additional tool to assess the welfare of pregnant sows kept in two types of housing

et al. 2002

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-The use of urinary cortisol (UC) as an additional tool to evaluate sows welfare was assessed in two experiments. In a preliminary methodological experiment, the kinetics of cortisol excretion in urine was studied during an Adreno Cortico Trophic Hormone (ACTH) challenge test in 10 pregnant sows. In a second experiment, 96 primiparous sows of an experimental unit were assigned to two different housing systems: 48 animals were housed in individual pens (IP) and 48 animals in collective pens (CP) with 6 animals per pen. UC was measured at the beginning and at the end of pregnancy and compared with other welfare indicators such as behaviour or skin damage. In both experiments, UC was measured using a high pressure liquid chromatography assay. In experiment 1, UC was constant on the day before injection of ACTH, with no variations related to circadian rhythm. It began to rise 2 h after the injection, peaked between 2 to 5 h after then returned to the basal concentration on the day after the injection. In experiment 2, UC concentrations were not different between CP-and IP-housed sows but they were higher in sows exhibiting the less stereotypies in comparison with sows exhibiting the most stereotypies. The results of this study suggest that UC is a good indicator of acute stress, more convenient than plasma cortisol measurement since it is a non-invasive method avoiding restraint or catheterisation of sows. They also suggest that UC could also give additional information on the assessment of chronic stress and improve the evaluation of animal welfare if used in conjunction with other welfare indicators.pig / urinary cortisol / group housing / stress / welfare Résumé -Le cortisol urinaire comme critère d'évaluation supplémentaire du bien-être de la truie gravide dans deux systèmes de logement. L'intérêt du cortisol urinaire (CU) comme critère d'éva-luation du bien-être des truies a été testé dans deux expériences. Dans une première expérience méthodo-logique, la cinétique d'excrétion du CU dans les urines de dix truies gravides a été mesurée suite à un test à l'hormone adrénocorticotrope (ACTH). Dans une deuxième expérience, 96 truies primipares d'une (33) 2 96 01 62 23; e-mail: jp.cotte@ploufragan.afssa.fr station expérimentale ont été réparties, pendant la gestation, dans deux systèmes de logement : 48 truies en stalles individuelles (SI) et 48 autres en cases collectives (CC) de 6 animaux. Leur CU a été mesuré en début et fin de gestation puis comparé aux autres critères d'évaluation du bien-être comme le comportement ou les blessures cutanées. Dans chacune des expériences, le CU a été dosé par une méthode de chromatographie liquide haute pression (HPLC). Dans la première expérience, aucun rythme circadien du CU n'a été observé le jour précédant le test à l'ACTH. Le CU a commencé à augmenter deux heures après l'injection d'ACTH, atteint un pic entre 2 et 5 h après puis est revenu à un taux de base le lendemain. Dans la deuxième expérience, le CU des truies logées en SI n'était pas différent de celui des t...

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Detecting stress responses in Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis canadensis): reliability of cortisol concentrations in urine and feces

Cited by 76 publications

References 23 publications

In vitro Metabolic Changes in the Corticosteroidal Hormones in Faeces of Ruminants

In vitro Metabolic Changes in the Corticosteroidal Hormones in Faeces of Ruminants

Circadian Rhythms of Urinary Cortisol Levels Vary Between Individuals in Wild Male Chimpanzees: A Reaction Norm Approach

Urinary cortisol as an additional tool to assess the welfare of pregnant sows kept in two types of housing

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