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11.
Use of hair cortisol analysis for comparing population status in wild red deer (Cervus elaphus) living in areas with different characteristics
Chiara Caslini, Antonella Comin, Tanja Peric, Alberto Prandi, Luca Pedrotti, Silvana Mattiello, 2016, original scientific article

Abstract: We tested a method to measure Hair Cortisol Concentration (HCC) in 174 red deer (Cervus elaphus) culled in the hunting season 2011/12 in four areas of Central Italian Alps, with different population densities (SPN, 11.8 deer/km2; HD-AV, 3.6 deer/km2; HD-SO, 2.1 deer/km2; HD-MO, 2.0 deer/km2) and environmental conditions. Our hypothesis was that higher population densities, associated with more difficult environmental conditions, may result in higher allostatic load for these wild ungulates. No significant differences in HCC were detected between sexes (males, 4.77 ± 0.69 pg/mg; females, 5.75 ± 0.63 pg/mg) nor among age classes (calves, 6.17 ± 0.66 pg/mg; yearlings, 4.47 ± 0.83 pg/mg; adults, 5.15 ± 0.74 pg/mg; least square mean ± SE), but HCC difference between calves and yearlings was close to statistical significance (P = 0.059). HCC showed high individual variation, but on average it was higher in areas with higher deer density (SNP, 7.45 ± 1.01 pg/mg; HD-AV, 6.07 ± 0.89 pg/mg; HD-SO, 4.67 ± 1.14 pg/mg; HD-MO, 2.87 ± 1.56 pg/mg), with significant differences between HD-AV and HD-MO (P = 0.01). Carcass weight was significantly lower in SNP (46.74 ± 1.49 kg) than in HD-MO (62.71 ± 4.01 kg), HD-SO (61.73 ± 2.9 kg) and HD-AV (62.07 ± 2.04 kg) (P < 0.001). These results seem to confirm our hypothesis that allostatic load is higher in areas with higher density and harder environmental conditions. We suggest that the methodology used in this study to measure HCC provides good information on long-term HPA axis activity and allostatic load and constitutes a highly promising, reliable and non-invasive method in wildlife management for assessing HPA axis activity over extended time periods.
Keywords: Red deer, Cervus elaphus, Hair, Cortisol, Allostatic load
Published in RUNG: 29.09.2016; Views: 4308; Downloads: 0
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12.
EFFECT OF DIET ON HAIR CORTISOL AND DHEA CONCENTRATIONS IN MOUSE
Antonella Comin, Marta Montillo, Tanja Peric, Silvia Gazzin, Mirco Corazzin, Alberto Prandi, published scientific conference contribution abstract

Abstract: Obesity and MetS (Metabolic Syndrome) are both linked to persistent long-term hormonal and metabolic changes. In most of the studies, cortisol (C) and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) concentrations have been measured in obese and normal-weight subjects, obtaining heterogeneous results. Plasma, saliva and urine, matrices that represent timepoint or short-term steroids exposure, were used for these studies. The aim was to study C, DHEA and C/DHEA ratio of mice pups in the hair, matrix capable of providing cumulative hormonal exposure. Sixty C57Bl/6 mice pups (30 males and 30 females) were housed in a temperature-controlled environment (22±2°C) and on a 12h light/dark schedule, under ad-libitum access to food and water for 16 weeks (welfare: Italian Law Decree 116-92 and EC Directive 86-609-EEC). Control and experimental diets were offered immediately after weaning (3 weeks old pups), for 16 weeks. Four experimental checkpoints were established (T1: 4 weeks, T2: 8 weeks, T3: 12 weeks and T4: 16 weeks of diet). T3 and T4 showed the hormonal concentrations of pubertal animals. Twentyseven pups (13 females and 14 males) were randomly group-housed in cages (6 for T1, 5 for T2, 6 for T3, 10 for T4) and assigned to control diet (CTRL: D12328, Research Diets, New Brunswick, NJ). 33 pups (17 females and 16 males) were randomly group-housed in cages (5 for T1, 6 for T2 and T3, 16 for T4) and assigned to the HFHC diet (HFHC: D12331, Research Diets, New Brunswick, NJ - plus 42g/L fructose/sucrose in drinking water). At each experimental checkpoint, all the animals of one cage for each experimental group were suppressed. Hair strands were carefully cut with scissors as close as possible to the skin from the back of the mice, paying attention to not to wound the animals. Hair was stored in an envelope at RT in a dry room until use. C and DHEA hair concentrations was measured by a solid-phase microtiter RIA assay (Peric et al., 2016 adapted in the mouse). Only at 8 weeks the HFHC group showed significantly higher C concentrations than the CTRL group (1.56±0.06 vs 1.92±0.130 pg/mg; P<0.05). DHEA concentrations were significantly reduced in the HFHC group than the CTRL group at 4 (114.64±13.93 vs 69.08±5.33 pg/mg; P<0.05), 8 (71.67±7.08 vs 50.38±4.74 pg/mg; P<0.05), 12 (73.27±8.29 vs 41.59±1.60 pg/mg; P<0.01) and 16 weeks (65.26±3.35 vs 55.05±1.84 pg/mg; P<0.05). The C/DHEA ratio was significantly increased in the HFHC than the CTRL group, at 8 (0.023±0.002 vs 0.040±0.005; P<0.01), 12 (0.024±0.003 vs 0.036±0.004; P<0.05) and 16 weeks (0.019±0.001 vs 0.025±0.002; P<0.01). The gender effect was not significant. Taking into account the lag time required for the hair emersion from the skin (about 1 week), the significant stimulation of the C at 8 weeks in the HFHC group refers to its chronic elevation from 5 to 7 weeks of treatment when the animals were not pubertal. Conversely, DHEA shows a chronic reduction in obese mice leading to consider an independent adrenal regulation of C and DHEA, both stimulated by ACTH. Research was supported by the Project CBM (MIUR DM60643). Peric et al. 2016 J Appl Anim Welf Sci 18:1-8.
Keywords: DIET, HAIR, CORTISOL, DHEA, MOUSE
Published in RUNG: 21.07.2016; Views: 4876; Downloads: 0
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13.
Relocation and Hair Cortisol Concentrations in New Zealand White Rabbits.
Tanja Peric, Antonella Comin, Mirco Corazzin, Marta Montillo, Federico Canavese, Marco Stebel, Alberto Prandi, 2016, original scientific article

Abstract: To investigate how long relocation modified hair cortisol concentrations in New Zealand white rabbits, 19 rabbits were subjected to a change in their breeding facility at the beginning of the trial and then were kept under stable environmental conditions. Hair samples were collected at the time of arrival to the nonhuman animal facility and at 40-day intervals from the same skin area for up to 440 days after the animals' arrival to the facility. A period effect on the hair cortisol concentration was found (p < .01). The transfer of the rabbits to the new facility might have induced an increase in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity (p < .01). A second increase in hair cortisol concentration (p < .01) occurred at 320 days, after a change of personnel at the facility that occurred at 280 days, which was the only environmental change. The relocation of rabbits to the facility resulted in a stress response leading to elevated cortisol levels. The effect of relocation on mean cortisol concentrations was exhausted within 120 days when all environmental factors were kept stable.
Keywords: Cortisol, HPA axis, hair, rabbit, relocation
Published in RUNG: 21.07.2016; Views: 4499; Downloads: 0

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