Determining Adrenocortical Activity as a Measure of Stress in African Buffalo (<i>Syncerus caffer</i>) Based on Faecal Analysis

Ganswindt, André; Tordiffe, Adrian S. W.; Stam, Eduard M.; Howitt, Mark; Jori, Ferrán

doi:10.3377/004.047.0211

Cited by 34 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 34 publications

(22 reference statements)

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“…Due to logistical constraints, we were unable to determine the physiological stress responses individually in the semi-captive and free-ranging golden langur populations and therefore can only present fGCM concentrations on a group level. The 11-oxoaetiocholanolone I assay was also chosen to determine adrenocorticotropin responses in numerous other species including banded mongooses (Laver, Ganswindt, Ganswindt, Williams, & Alexander, 2012), African buffaloes (Ganswindt, Tordiffe, Stam, Howitt, & Jori, 2012), Barbary macaques (Wallner, Möstl, Dittami, & Prossinger, 1999), bushbabies (Scheun et al, 2015), and other nonhuman primates (Bahr et al, 2000). Based on these and our present findings, we are therefore confident that the 11-oxoaetiocholanolone I assay is valid for monitoring adrenocortical activity in golden langurs.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 58%

Non‐invasive assessment of adrenocortical function as a measure of stress in the endangered golden langur

Sarmah

Hazarika²,

Berkeley

et al. 2017

Zoo Biology

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The golden langur (Trachypithecus geei) is an endangered primate endemic to northern India and Bhutan. The main stressors to the species are habitat degradation and fragmentation. Non-invasive fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM) analysis is a powerful tool for assessing stress associated with environmental disturbances in wildlife. However, interspecific differences in glucocorticoid metabolism require careful selection of the antibody used in their quantification. The goals of this study were to: 1) validate an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) to determine fecal GC metabolite (fGCM) concentrations in the golden langur and 2) compare fGCM concentrations between golden langurs living under different environmental conditions. We compared five enzyme immunoassays for determining stress related physiological responses in golden langurs by performing an adrenocorticotropic stimulation test in both sexes. Our validations identified an 11-oxoaetiocholanolone EIA detecting 11, 17 dioxoandrostanes as the most suitable assay for monitoring adrenocortical activity in the species. FGCM concentrations from semi-captive temple langurs were significantly higher than respective stress steroid concentrations in free-ranging or pet/zoo langurs. This study presents a validated practical method for non-invasive monitoring of adrenocortical function in this rare and declining species.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 58%

Non‐invasive assessment of adrenocortical function as a measure of stress in the endangered golden langur

Sarmah

Hazarika²,

Berkeley

et al. 2017

Zoo Biology

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“…The fluctuations found may be caused by the modification of metabolites by gastrointestinal bacteria Palme et al 2005). However, the increases and decreases recorded during the 24-h storage period are remarkable and different to shifts described in previous studies which are more or less continuous in a single direction Lexen et al 2008;Ganswindt et al 2012).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 54%

“…Changes of FCM levels within faeces stored at ambient temperature are reported for some species and might have far-reaching consequences on data interpretation. Levels in African buffalo and sheep analysed with the EIA used in our study continuously increased over time (Lexen et al 2008;Ganswindt et al 2012), while a decrease was detected in sheep and wild baboons, even at storage temperatures of À20°C when using a different assay (Lynch et al 2003). After collection, our faecal samples were frozen at À20°C as soon as possible (minimum of 1 h after collection).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 83%

“…Stress assessment in free-ranging animals by means of FCM is difficult in so far as basal levels in these animals are rarely known and may be individually different and sexbiased (Goymann 2012). Furthermore, reactions and responsiveness to stressors among animals may differ (Ganswindt et al 2012;Dickens & Romero 2013) and, therefore, lead to varying increases in FCM. In addition, methodological issues may bias final results; for example, GC metabolites may not be evenly distributed within faecal pellets (Millspaugh & Washburn 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Faecal cortisol metabolites to assess stress in wildlife: evaluation of a field method in free‐ranging chamois

et al. 2015

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1. Non-invasive faecal cortisol metabolite (FCM) analysis is a well-established tool to quantify stress in captive and free-ranging species. While the method has great potential, its suitability in field studies might be limited when faecal samples from unknown individuals are used. Possible factors affecting final results and thus jeopardizing correct data interpretation are individual and sex-specific variation, storage conditions and uneven distribution of metabolites in the faeces. 2. We tested these factors on a population of free-ranging Alpine chamois Rupicapra rupicapra rupicapra in the Austrian Alps. Faecal samples (n = 183) were analysed with an established enzyme immunoassay (EIA). To further validate the assay for FCM in chamois, a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was performed. Sex-specific differences in metabolite excretion were evaluated. Effects of storage length and temperature on FCM were tested with two experiments. The distribution of metabolites in the faeces was determined by the analysis of subsamples of single faecal samples. Potential individual effects on FCM levels and individually variable reactions to stressful events were evaluated with a simulation experiment. 3. Patterns of immunoreactive peaks after HPLC separation were similar for different faecal samples, except in one sample of a male. In the stability tests, storage time at ambient temperature prior to freezing and the individual were the most important variables in modulating FCM. Concentrations within single samples varied significantly between pellets. Analysis of faecal samples collected from June to October showed a highly significant seasonal trend (P < 0Á001) and a considerable variance of FCM levels within the population. Simulations confirmed that individual reactions to stressors in terms of varying gradients and FCM levels can explain the observed FCM patterns. 4. Using FCM to assess adrenocortical function requires measuring extensively metabolized products of glucocorticoids, whose excretion and detection in faeces depend on several environmental, endogenous and methodological factors. In free-ranging wildlife, these factors and the intrinsic individual differences in FCM excretion generate systemic noise and substantially distort final results. Therefore, sampling of unknown individuals inevitably jeopardizes meaningful interpretation of data, if the above named factors are not taken into consideration.

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“…The four buffaloes in the second pen, in contact with two cattle, served as controls. EDTA-treated blood was collected pretreatment and at 45 min posttreatment to determine cortisol levels (Coat-A-Count Cortisol radioimmunoassay; Siemens Medical Solutions Diagnostics) (28).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Differential Persistence of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus in African Buffalo Is Related to Virus Virulence

Maree

Klerk-Lorist²,

Gubbins

et al. 2016

J Virol

103

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d ABSTRACTFoot-and-mouth disease (FMD) virus (FMDV) circulates as multiple serotypes and strains in many regions of endemicity. In particular, the three Southern African Territories (SAT) serotypes are maintained effectively in their wildlife reservoir, the African buffalo, and individuals may harbor multiple SAT serotypes for extended periods in the pharyngeal region. However, the exact site and mechanism for persistence remain unclear. FMD in buffaloes offers a unique opportunity to study FMDV persistence, as transmission from carrier ruminants has convincingly been demonstrated for only this species. Following coinfection of naive African buffaloes with isolates of three SAT serotypes from field buffaloes, palatine tonsil swabs were the sample of choice for recovering infectious FMDV up to 400 days postinfection (dpi). Postmortem examination identified infectious virus for up to 185 dpi and viral genomes for up to 400 dpi in lymphoid tissues of the head and neck, focused mainly in germinal centers. Interestingly, viral persistence in vivo was not homogenous, and the SAT-1 isolate persisted longer than the SAT-2 and SAT-3 isolates. Coinfection and passage of these SAT isolates in goat and buffalo cell lines demonstrated a direct correlation between persistence and cell-killing capacity. These data suggest that FMDV persistence occurs in the germinal centers of lymphoid tissue but that the duration of persistence is related to virus replication and cell-killing capacity. IMPORTANCEFoot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) causes a highly contagious acute vesicular disease in domestic livestock and wildlife species. African buffaloes (Syncerus caffer) are the primary carrier hosts of FMDV in African savannah ecosystems, where the disease is endemic. We have shown that the virus persists for up to 400 days in buffaloes and that there is competition between viruses during mixed infections. There was similar competition in cell culture: viruses that killed cells quickly persisted more efficiently in passaged cell cultures. These results may provide a mechanism for the dominance of particular viruses in an ecosystem.

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Determining Adrenocortical Activity as a Measure of Stress in African Buffalo (Syncerus caffer) Based on Faecal Analysis

Cited by 34 publications

References 34 publications

Non‐invasive assessment of adrenocortical function as a measure of stress in the endangered golden langur

Non‐invasive assessment of adrenocortical function as a measure of stress in the endangered golden langur

Faecal cortisol metabolites to assess stress in wildlife: evaluation of a field method in free‐ranging chamois

Differential Persistence of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus in African Buffalo Is Related to Virus Virulence

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