Enzyme immunoassays as a method for quantifying hair reproductive hormones in two felid species

Terwissen, C. V.; Mastromonaco, Gabriela F.; Murray, Dennis L.

doi:10.1093/conphys/cou044

Cited by 18 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…Wildlife GC research increasingly employs alternative (non-plasma) sample types such as feces and hair for such studies (e.g., Lafferty et al, 2015;Putman et al, 2015;Terwissen et al, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multi-year longitudinal profiles of cortisol and corticosterone recovered from baleen of North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis)

Hunt

Lysiak

Moore

et al. 2017

General and Comparative Endocrinology

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Research into stress physiology of mysticete whales has been hampered by difficulty in obtaining repeated physiological samples from individuals over time. We investigated whether multi-year longitudinal records of glucocorticoids can be reconstructed from serial sampling along full-length baleen plates (representing ~10 years of baleen growth), using baleen recovered from two female North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) of known reproductive history. Cortisol and corticosterone were quantified with immunoassay of subsamples taken every 4 cm (representing ~60 d time intervals) along a full-length baleen plate from each female.In both whales, corticosterone was significantly elevated during known pregnancies (inferred from calf sightings and necropsy data) as compared to intercalving intervals; cortisol was significantly elevated during pregnancies in one female but not the other. Within intercalving intervals, corticosterone was significantly elevated during the first year (lactation year) and/or the second year (post-lactation year) as compared to later years of the intercalving interval, while cortisol showed more variable patterns. Cortisol occasionally showed brief high elevations ("spikes") not paralleled by corticosterone, suggesting that the two glucocorticoids might be differentially responsive to certain stressors. Generally, immunoreactive corticosterone was present in higher concentration in baleen than immunoreactive cortisol; corticosterone:cortisol ratio was usually >4 and was highly variable in both individuals. Further investigation of baleen cortisol and corticosterone profiles could prove fruitful for elucidating long-term, multi-year patterns in stress physiology of large whales, determined retrospectively from stranded or archived specimens. Hunt et al. -Baleen Hormones 3 HIGHLIGHTS• Immunoreactive cortisol and corticosterone are detectable in whale baleen• Single baleen plates contain multi-year longitudinal time series of glucocorticoids• Glucocorticoids tend to be elevated in baleen growth coincident with pregnancy• Corticosterone was present in baleen at much greater concentration than cortisol

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multi-year longitudinal profiles of cortisol and corticosterone recovered from baleen of North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis)

Hunt

Lysiak

Moore

et al. 2017

General and Comparative Endocrinology

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“…Further, as found in this study of free-ranging bears, the hair testosterone levels of captive adult females may exceed the levels measured in adult males. High concentrations of hair testosterone in females, relative to levels in males, have also been recorded for wolves ( Canis lupus ; Bryan et al , 2014), Canada lynx ( Lynx canadensis ; Terwissen et al , 2014), and ring-tailed lemurs ( Lemur catta ; Tennenhouse et al , 2016). Although the significance of ‘high testosterone levels’ in female brown bears has not been explored, attention has been directed to the potential adaptive consequences of maternal testosterone levels on offspring behaviour (Dloniak et al , 2006) and sex ratios (Grant and Chamley, 2010; Edwards et al , 2016) in other mammals.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 81%

Can concentrations of steroid hormones in brown bear hair reveal age class?

Cattet

Stenhouse

Boulanger³

et al. 2018

Conservation Physiology

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“…Hair cortisol was elevated following relocation to new enclosures or altered social conditions in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) (Davenport et al, 2006;Dettmer et al, 2012), domestic rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) (Peric et al, 2017), domestic pigs (Sus scrofa domesticus) (Casal, Manteca, Peña, Bassols, & Fàbrega, 2017), chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) (Yamanashi et al, 2016), and Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus) (Malcolm et al, 2013 lynx Terwissen, Mastromonaco, & Murray, 2014). As an alternative to testosterone, progesterone or the progesterone-oestrogen ratio may be more useful in distinguishing between sexes Terwissen et al, 2014). Between reproductive classes, testosterone, progesterone, and estradiol were found to reflect key reproductive events (breeding season, parturition) in grizzly bears .…”

Section: Biological Validations and Applicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards the validation of endogenous steroid testing in wildlife hair

Koren

Bryan

Matas

et al. 2018

Journal of Applied Ecology

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1. Hair analysis is emerging as a popular tool to examine stress and reproduction hormone levels in wild mammals. The reliability of this approach, however, depends on an understanding of steroid hormone incorporation into hair as well as appropriate validations.2. We reviewed studies that have examined steroid hormones in wildlife hair with the goal of summarizing the analytical, physiological, and biological evidence that this approach is meaningful. Accordingly, we differentiated among validations aimed at evaluating the reliability of the analytical method versus those designed to assess whether hormone levels in hair reflect physiologically meaningful processes in the target species.3. Our literature survey revealed that endogenous steroids have been examined in hair from 40 species of nonhuman animals across seven mammalian classes.Although the majority (85%) of 72 studies reported analytical validations of the method, physiological validations have only been reported for five species.Moreover, results of physiological validations were inconsistent among studies.This highlights the need for further research, carefully designed to differentiate between the multiple purported models of steroid incorporation into hair in species with different types of hair and different hair growth patterns. 4. To complement our review of published studies, we present new data supporting a positive relationship between levels of the steroid, cortisol, in hair and blood across eight mammalian species. In addition, we present novel results from a laboratory-based study showing variable hair growth in genetically identical laboratory mice that were kept under controlled conditions. 5. Synthesis and applications. Collectively, this Review reveals substantial progress towards the validation of stress hormone assays in hair from a variety of wildlife species. Further validations of reproductive steroids, combined with appropriate physiological validations, would expand the potential applications of hair analyses 548 | Journal of Applied Ecology KOREN Et al.

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Enzyme immunoassays as a method for quantifying hair reproductive hormones in two felid species

Cited by 18 publications

References 48 publications

Multi-year longitudinal profiles of cortisol and corticosterone recovered from baleen of North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis)

Multi-year longitudinal profiles of cortisol and corticosterone recovered from baleen of North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis)

Can concentrations of steroid hormones in brown bear hair reveal age class?

Towards the validation of endogenous steroid testing in wildlife hair

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