A Generalized Fecal Glucocorticoid Assay for Use in a Diverse Array of Nondomestic Mammalian and Avian Species

Wasser, Samuel K.; Hunt, Kathleen E.; Brown, Janine L.; Cooper, Kathy; Crockett, Carolyn M.; Bechert, Ursula; Millspaugh, Joshua J.; Larson, Shawn; Monfort, Steven L.

doi:10.1006/gcen.2000.7557

Cited by 612 publications

(602 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…The samples were then assayed for glucocorticoids (fGC) by radioimmunoassay (Khan et al, 2002;Lynch et al, 2003; full laboratory protocols available at www.princeton.edu/~baboon). The primary antibody in the Corticosterone kit for rats and mice (ICN Diagnostics, Costa Mesa, CA) cross-reacts with major cortisol metabolites present in baboon feces (Wasser et al, 2000). Inter-assay coefficients of variation were 13.6% and 10.7% (n=49), respectively for a low and high control.…”

Section: Hormone Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

Coping with a challenging environment: Effects of seasonal variability and reproductive status on glucocorticoid concentrations of female baboons (Papio cynocephalus)

Gesquiere

Khan

Shek

et al. 2008

Hormones and Behavior

107

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Environmental stressors impact physiology and behavior in many species of animals. These effects are partly mediated through changing concentrations of glucocorticoids, which also vary with reproductive state and social conditions. Prior research has focused largely on seasonal breeders, but the close temporal linkage between season and reproductive state in these species hinders ability to disentangle environmental effects from those of the animal's reproductive status. Here we assessed the effects of environmental challenges on the fecal glucocorticoid (fGC) levels of non-seasonal breeders, female baboons (Papio cynocephalus) of Amboseli, Kenya. Amboseli is characterized by a long dry season, during which food and water become scarce, and by extreme temperatures above 40°C in the shade during some months of the year. We found that after accounting for female reproductive status and individual variability, females exhibited higher fGC levels during the dry season than during the wet season. Further, during the wet season, fGC levels were higher in months of high average daily maximum temperatures. During the dry season, fGC levels were elevated both in hotter months and in months during which the baboons spent a relatively high proportion of time feeding. In spite of these stressors, female baboons reproduce during all months of the year in Amboseli, unlike most other mammals in this environment. This may be attributable to their extreme adaptability, specifically their diversified diet, and their ability to modify their behavior, including their activity profiles.

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Section: Hormone Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

Coping with a challenging environment: Effects of seasonal variability and reproductive status on glucocorticoid concentrations of female baboons (Papio cynocephalus)

Gesquiere

Khan

Shek

et al. 2008

Hormones and Behavior

107

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“…Natural variation in adrenal activity can be assessed directly by sampling plasma cortisol levels (Romero and Reed, 2005) or indirectly by measuring GCs excreted in feces (Wasser et al, 2000;Whitten et al, 1998). Plasma samples yield a single "point in time" measure informative of an individual"s immediate endocrine status, with however the potentially confounding effects of handling, capture and anesthesia (Sheriff et al, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mean fecal glucocorticoid metabolites are associated with vigilance, whereas immediate cortisol levels better reflect acute anti-predator responses in meerkats

Voellmy

Gonçalves

Barrette

et al. 2014

Hormones and Behavior

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Adrenal hormones likely affect anti-predator behavior in animals. With experimental field studies, we first investigated associations between mean fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGC) excretion and vigilance and with behavioral responses to alarm call playbacks in free-ranging meerkats (Suricata suricatta). We then tested how vigilance and behavioral responses to alarm call playbacks were affected in individuals administered exogenous cortisol. We found a positive association between mean fGC concentrations and vigilance behavior, but no relationship with 2 the intensity of behavioral responses to alarm calls. However, in response to alarm call playbacks, individuals administered cortisol took slightly longer to resume foraging than control individuals treated with saline solution. Vigilance behavior, which occurs in the presence and absence of dangerous stimuli, serves to detect and avoid potential dangers, whereas responses to alarm calls serve to avoid immediate predation. Our data show that mean fGC excretion in meerkats was associated with vigilance, as a re-occurring anti-predator behavior over long time periods, and experimentally induced elevations of plasma cortisol affected the response to immediate threats. Together, our results indicate an association between the two types of anti-predator behavior and glucocorticoids, but that the underlying mechanisms may differ. Our study emphasizes the need to consider appropriate measures of adrenal activity specific to different contexts when assessing links between stress physiology and different anti-predator behaviors.

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“…Thus, determining whether stress responses are related to lungworm loads might help us understand the relationship between lungworms and bighorn population dynamics. Stress responses are generally characterized by measuring glucocorticoids (i.e., cortisol) in blood and saliva (Bubenik and Brown, 1989;Millspaugh et al, 2002) or glucocorticoid metabolites in urine and feces (Wasser et al, 2000;Millspaugh et al, 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relationships Among Fecal Lungworm Loads, Fecal Glucocorticoid Metabolites, and Lamb Recruitment in Free-Ranging Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep

Millspaugh

Washburn

Brundige

et al. 2005

Journal of Wildlife Diseases

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Most wild Rocky Mountain big-horn sheep (Ovis canadensis canadensis) in northern latitudes are infected with lungworms. Indirect effects of lungworms on bighorn sheep are unknown, but high pulmonary burdens might increase stress (i.e., elevated glucocorticoid levels), and chronic stress could in turn decrease fitness. We hypothesized that high lungworm burdens in Rocky Mountain bighorn ewes increase stress, thereby increasing lamb mortality. To test our hypothesis, one subherd of bighorn sheep in Custer State Park, South Dakota was provided a free-choice loose mineral mix containing the anthelmintic fenbendazole every six weeks from March 1999 to August 2000 to eliminate lungworms; another subherd served as the control. Daily, individually marked ewes were located telemetrically from the ground and uniquely marked animals were observed until they defecated. After the herd moved from the area, fecal samples were collected and stored at Ϫ23 C. A consistent number of samples per season per herd (xϭ16.56Ϯ3.99 samples) were collected. Fecal larval lungworm levels (LPG) in the treatment subherd were lower than levels in the control subherd; however, there was no difference in fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGM) levels between the two subherds. Fecal glucocorticoid metabolite levels varied by season in both subherds, with levels in winter lower than during the other three seasons. Lamb:ewe ratios were not different between the control and treatment subherds at the end of summer 1999. In contrast, the treatment group had a lower lamb:ewe ratio at the end of summer 2000 despite having lower LPG. However, this result was attributed to lower ewe production, not lower lamb survival. The LPG levels were not correlated with FGM concentrations; instead, FGM levels might reflect normal seasonal patterns. Other factors, including contagious ecthyma, were more important for determining lamb mortality than LPG and FGM levels during our study. We suggest further experimental work over a longer duration to address these relationships.

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A Generalized Fecal Glucocorticoid Assay for Use in a Diverse Array of Nondomestic Mammalian and Avian Species

Cited by 612 publications

References 29 publications

Coping with a challenging environment: Effects of seasonal variability and reproductive status on glucocorticoid concentrations of female baboons (Papio cynocephalus)

Coping with a challenging environment: Effects of seasonal variability and reproductive status on glucocorticoid concentrations of female baboons (Papio cynocephalus)

Mean fecal glucocorticoid metabolites are associated with vigilance, whereas immediate cortisol levels better reflect acute anti-predator responses in meerkats

Relationships Among Fecal Lungworm Loads, Fecal Glucocorticoid Metabolites, and Lamb Recruitment in Free-Ranging Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep

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