The oil spill resulting from the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform initiated immediate concern for marine wildlife, including common bottlenose dolphins in sensitive coastal habitats. To evaluate potential sublethal effects on dolphins, health assessments were conducted in Barataria Bay, Louisiana, an area that received heavy and prolonged oiling, and in a reference site, Sarasota Bay, Florida, where oil was not observed. Dolphins were temporarily captured, received a veterinary examination, and were then released. Dolphins sampled in Barataria Bay showed evidence of hypoadrenocorticism, consistent with adrenal toxicity as previously reported for laboratory mammals exposed to oil. Barataria Bay dolphins were 5 times more likely to have moderate-severe lung disease, generally characterized by significant alveolar interstitial syndrome, lung masses, and pulmonary consolidation. Of 29 dolphins evaluated from Barataria Bay, 48% were given a guarded or worse prognosis, and 17% were considered poor or grave, indicating that they were not expected to survive. Disease conditions in Barataria Bay dolphins were significantly greater in prevalence and severity than those in Sarasota Bay dolphins, as well as those previously reported in other wild dolphin populations. Many disease conditions observed in Barataria Bay dolphins are uncommon but consistent with petroleum hydrocarbon exposure and toxicity.

Abstract. Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), or Müllerian inhibitory substance, is a hormone that is best known for its production by fetal testes in mammals and as the inhibitor of Müllerian (paramesonephric) duct development in males. However, following the development of the Müllerian ducts into the oviduct, uterus, and upper vagina in female mammals, the ovaries produce AMH, which can be found in measureable amounts within the peripheral circulation, especially in adults. The ovaries appear to be the sole source of AMH in the circulation; therefore, it may be a useful marker in clinically relevant situations when an assessment of the presence or absence of ovaries or ovarian remnants in dogs and cats is important. To that end, a commercially available, human-based assay was evaluated for the measurement of AMH in dogs and cats. A preliminary assessment involved a single test on a set of serum samples from dogs that were submitted to a diagnostic endocrinology laboratory for other tests. Favorable preliminary results led to a more formal assessment of the assay using serum samples from dogs and cats with the presence or absence of the ovaries known by surgical confirmation. Overall, a single measurement of serum AMH concentration was highly effective at distinguishing ovariohysterectomized from intact adult animals. In addition, the assay also accurately identified several cases of ovarian remnant syndrome.