1. Cortisol claws concentrations in dogs from birth to 60 days of ageJasmine Fusi, Tanja Peric, Barbara Bolis, Alessandro Rota, Antonella Comin, Maria Cristina Veronesi, 2017, published scientific conference contribution abstract Abstract: During the last fetal stage of development and in the neonatal period, the hypothalamic- pituitary- adrenal (HPA) axis secretes cortisol (C), responsible for several physiologic processes. The claws were recently proved to be a useful, non- invasive matrix for long time- frame retrospective C levels analysis also in puppies (Veronesi et al. 2015, Theriogenology 84:791–796). Because of the scarce knowledge on canine perinatology, this study was aimed to assess the C concentrations in claws of newborn puppies collected at birth, 30 and 60 days of age, and to evaluate the possible influence of age, gender and type
of birth on C claws accumulation. The study was performed on 58
large purebred, normal, healthy puppies, born by spontaneous or cesarean parturition. The mean C claws concentrations significantly decrease from birth (26 ± 16.39 pg/mg) to 30 (10 ± 4.53 pg/mg) and 60 (6 ± 3.12 pg/mg) days of age (p < 0.0001); a decrease was also seen from 30 to 60 days of age (p < 0.05). No influence of newborn gender and type of birth was found. This trend of decrease is in agreement with data reported by (Veronesi et al. 2015, Theriogenology 84:791–796) in dead puppies, and suggests the important role of C around the time of birth. However the exact source of the C accumulated in claws of puppies at birth must be clarified, while the source of C accumulated at 30, and even more at 60 days, can be supposed to be addressed to the newborn itself. Keywords: Cortisol, claws, dog Published in RUNG: 01.09.2017; Views: 5482; Downloads: 0 This document has many files! More... |
2. DEHYDROEPIANDROSTERONE SULFATE CLAWS CONCENTRATIONS IN DOGS FROM BIRTH TO 30 DAYS OF AGE: PRELIMINARY RESULTS.Jasmine Fusi, Marta Montillo, Barbara Bolis, Alessandro Rota, Tanja Peric, Maria Cristina Veronesi, 2017, published scientific conference contribution abstract Abstract: Similarly to all other species, also in the dog improvements in the knowledge on perinatology are mandatory for a better management of newborns, mainly aimed to reduce the impact of perinatal mortality. However, until recently, the study of canine perinatology was limited mainly because of the invasiveness of many investigation procedures, such as repeated blood sampling. In recent times, the claws/nails were proved to be a useful, non invasive, matrix for long time-frame retrospective hormone concentrations analysis also in babies and puppies [1,2], providing a suitable matrix for perinatal long-term hormonal changes studies. The last intrauterine foetal stage of development and the neonatal period represent the most challenging phases for the mammals offspring. It was demonstrated that the activation of the fetal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis leads to dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and DHEA sulfate (DHEA-S) secretion, the major fetal steroids. Thus, DHEA-S measured at birth in newborns could be considered as a marker of offspring HPA axis activity, under the maternal influence. This study was aimed to assess the DHEA-S concentrations in newborn puppies claws, collected at birth and at 30 days of age, and to evaluate the possible influence of age, gender and type of birth on DHEA-S claws accumulation. The study was performed on 58 large purebred, normal, healthy, viable (Apgar≥7) puppies, 31 males and 27 females, born by vaginal spontaneous (N=22) or caesarean (N=36) parturition. DHEA-S was analysed by RIA. The mean ± SD DHEA-S claws concentration significantly (p<0.01) decreased from birth (210±152.00 pg/mg) to 30 days (91±72.63 pg/mg), evidencing the higher fetal DHEA-S secretion in the last fetal stage of pregnancy in comparison to the first postnatal month of age. According to the type of parturition, higher (p<0.001) DHEA-S claws concentrations were found at birth in puppies born by spontaneous than caesarean parturition (300±167.05 vs 154±112.23 pg/mg, respectively); this finding deserves further investigations. No influence of newborn gender was found. Claws DHEA-S values at birth were a bit higher, but with a lower SD, in comparison to data reported for babies 1-3 weeks old [1]. The trend of decrease is in agreement with data reported for cortisol [2] in dead puppies, and suggests, beside the role of cortisol, the important effects of DHEA-S around the time of birth, also in puppies, as reported for babies [1].
[1] Tegethoff et al. Dehydroepindrosterone in nails of infants: a potential biomarker of intrauterine responses to maternal stress. Biological psychology, 87: 414-420, 2011. [2] Veronesi et al. Coat and claws as new matrices for noninvasive long-term cortisol assessment in dogs from birth up to 30 days of age. Theriogenology, 84: 791-796, 2015. Keywords: DHEA-S, claw, dog Published in RUNG: 22.08.2017; Views: 4973; Downloads: 0 This document has many files! More... |
3. Cortisol fetal fluids and newborn outcome in term pregnancy small-sized purebred dogs.Barbara Bolis, Tanja Peric, Alessandro Rota, Massimo Faustini, Maria Cristina Veronesi, 2016, published scientific conference contribution abstract Abstract: In order to provide further information about canine perinatology, and because of the scarce
knowledge about fetal fluids composition in dogs, the present study was aimed to assess the cortisol
concentrations in fetal fluids collected from small-sized purebred newborn puppies born by elective
cesarean section, at term of pregnancy (Meloni et al, 2014). Furthermore we
assessed possible correlations of amniotic and allantoic cortisol concentrations and newborn outcome
at 24 hours of age and with the newborn gender. Fetal fluids cortisol concentrations were also
evaluated for correlation with maternal parity, litter-size, neonatal gender, birth weight and Apgar score
(Veronesi et al, 2009). The study, performed on 50 born alive, normal weighed puppies, without gross
physical malformation, showed that cortisol concentration was higher in allantoic than in amniotic fluid
(p<0.01), even if a strong positive correlation between the two fluids cortisol concentration was found
(p<0.0001; R=0.83). Interestingly, higher amniotic (p<0.05) cortisol concentrations were associated to
puppies not surviving at 24 hours after birth. Therefore it could be suggested that this parameter may
be useful for the recognition, at birth, of puppies needing special surveillance in the first day of age. In
relation to the other evaluated parameters, no correlations with amniotic or allantoic cortisol
concentrations were found. In conclusion, the present results showed that in small-sized purebred
puppies, born at term by elective caesarean section, the evaluation of amniotic cortisol concentration
seems useful for the detection of puppies that need special surveillance during the first 24 hours of age,
and should be coupled to the newborn evaluation by Apgar score. Keywords: cortisol, fetal fluids, pregnancy, dog Published in RUNG: 12.05.2017; Views: 5021; Downloads: 250 Full text (711,48 KB) |