Sex hormone concentrations in blood serum from the North Atlantic fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus)

Kjeld, J. M.; Sigurjónsson, Jóhann; Árnason, Arnar

doi:10.1677/joe.0.1340405

Cited by 32 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…However, serum T and P concentrations were mostly undectable in immature males as well as mature males and immature females, respectively. This is contrary to our own findings for two other species of the same genus, the northern fin whale (Kjeld and Árnason 1990;Kjeld et al 1992) and the sei whale (Kjeld et al 2003), both of which showed significant increases of serum T concentrations during the hunting season.…”

Section: Introductioncontrasting

confidence: 96%

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Changes in blood testosterone and progesterone concentrations of the North Atlantic minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) during the feeding season

Kjeld¹,

Alfredsson²,

Ólafsson³

et al. 2004

Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci.

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An opportunity to study seasonal changes of sex hormones in the North Atlantic minke whale (common minke whale, Balaenoptera acutorostrata) arose when we obtained access to fresh postmortem blood samples from 104 females and 83 males. The whales were caught in the North Atlantic during May-September 1992-1995. Serum progesterone (P) and testosterone (T) concentrations were measured and compared with anatomical data. The frequency distribution of female serum P values showed two clusters, one consisting mainly of immature animals and the second of pregnant ones, with mean serum values of about 0.49 ± 0.04 (SE) and 44.2 ± 2.84 nmol·L -1 , respectively. The frequency distribution of male serum T did not show any group-specific distribution during the hunting season. The mean serum T value for the males was 0.63 ± 0.13 nmol·L -1 . Contrary to earlier reports on the Antarctic minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis), serum T values rose during the hunting season in mature males (p < 0.0001). Serum P values in immature females increased during the season (p = 0.015). This increase agrees with the predominantly annual reproduction cycle of minke whales. Blood sex hormone measurements seem to be useful for detecting cyclic changes and pregnancy of minke whales.Résumé : L'accès à des échantillons de sang frais prélevés après la mort chez 104 femelles et 83 mâles du petit rorqual commun (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) nous a fourni l'occasion d'étudier les changements saisonniers des hormones sexuelles chez les petits rorquals de l'Atlantique-Nord. Les rorquals ont été capturés dans l'Atlantique-Nord de mai à septembre, en 1992-1995. Nous avons mesuré les concentrations de progestérone (P) et de testostérone (T) sériques et noté les caractéristiques anatomiques correspondantes. La distribution de fréquence des concentrations de P sérique chez les femelles indique deux regroupements, l'un correspondant surtout à des animaux immatures et le second à des femelles enceintes, avec des valeurs moyennes respectives d'environ 0,49 (± 0,04, erreur standard (SE)) nmol·L -1 et 44,2 (± 2,84) nmol·L -1 . La distribution des fréquences des concentrations de T sérique chez les mâles n'indique pas de répartition particulière pour un groupe ou un autre pendant la saison de la chasse : la valeur moyenne est de 0,63 ± 0,13) nmol·L -1 . Contrairement à ce qu'on a signalé antérieurement chez des petits rorquals de l'Antarctique (Balaenoptera bonaerensis), les concentrations de T sérique augmentent durant la saison de la chasse chez les mâles matures (p < 0,0001). Les concentrations de P sérique augmentent chez les femelles immatures (p = 0,015) durant la saison. Cet accroissement correspond au cycle de reproduction surtout annuel des petits rorquals. La détermination des hormones sexuelles du sang semble donc être utile pour détecter les changements cycliques et la grossesse chez les petits rorquals.[Traduit par la Rédaction] Kjeld et al. 237

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Section: Introductioncontrasting

confidence: 96%

“…This comparison applies to the North Atlantic fin whale (Kjeld et al 1992) and sei whale (Kjeld et al 2003) in both of which serum P concentrations have been measured.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in blood testosterone and progesterone concentrations of the North Atlantic minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) during the feeding season

Kjeld¹,

Alfredsson²,

Ólafsson³

et al. 2004

Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci.

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“…For the females, as expected, pregnant animals had much higher levels of progesterone than non-pregnant individuals. Mean progesterone levels (0.054 ng ml −1 ) in immature animals were in line with those reported in other baleen whales: minke whales Balaenoptera acutorostrata, < 0.02 to 1.50 ng ml −1 (Su zu ki et al 2001, Kjeld et al 2004, Birukawa et al 2005; sei whales Balaenoptera borealis, < 0.04 ng ml −1 (Kjeld et al 2003); and fin whales Balaenoptera physalus, < 0.04 ng ml −1 (Kjeld et al 1992, Kjeld 2001. However, the mean value for the serum in the pregnant bowhead whales (31.6 ng ml −1 ) in the present study was substantially higher than mean values seen in other pregnant baleen whales: minke whales, 6.71 to 13.8 ng ml −1 (Suzuki et al 2001, Kjeld et al 2004, Birukawa et al 2005; and sei whales, 3.24 to 6.60 ng ml −1 (Kjeld et al 2003, Birukawa et al 2005.…”

Section: Serum Progesteronesupporting

confidence: 84%

“…However, the bulk of mammalian endocrine literature reports steroid hormone levels from blood (Temte 1991, Kjeld et al 1992, Atkinson et al 1999 and to a lesser degree urine (Robeck et al 1993), feces (Rolland et al 2005(Rolland et al , 2006, and saliva (Atkinson et al 1999, Hogg et al 2005). Other sample materials from which these hormones have been extracted and measured include milk (West et al 2000), muscle (Yoshioka et al 1994), cetacean exhalant or blow (Hogg et al 2005), bone, and ocular secretions (Atkinson et al 1999).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variation of bowhead whale progesterone concentrations across demographic groups and sample matrices

Kellar

Keliher²,

Trego³

et al. 2013

Endang. Species. Res.

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Bowhead whale Balaena mysticetus progesterone concentrations were measured in different sample matrices (serum, blubber, and urine) to investigate (1) concordance among sample type and (2) variation among life-history class. Samples were collected from subsistencehunted whales (n = 86) taken from 1999 to 2009. In general, irrespective of sample matrix, pregnant females had the highest concentrations by orders of magnitude, followed by mature animals of both sexes, and subadults had the lowest concentrations. Subadult males and females had similar progesterone concentrations in all sample matrices measured. When pregnant animals were included in our analyses, permuted regression models indicated a strong positive relationship between serum and blubber progesterone levels (r 2 = 0.894, p = 0.0002). When pregnant animals were not included, we found no significant relationship between serum and blubber levels (r 2 = 0.025, p = 0.224). These results suggest that progesterone concentrations are mirrored in these sample types over longer periods (i.e. on the order of weeks to months, time frame of reproductive changes) but not shorter periods (i.e. on the order of hours to days, time frame of daily fluctuations). This conclusion is consistent even for progesterone concentrations measured in females that had recently changed pregnancy states (either new mothers or newly pregnant animals), for which blubber progesterone levels seem to lag those in the serum. Finally, urine progesterone had statistically significant positive relationships with serum (r 2 = 0.136, p = 0.0460) and blubber progesterone (r 2 = 0.150, p = 0.0421). Our results suggest that progesterone concentrations first peak in the serum, then in the urine, and finally in the blubber.

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“…Lifetime profiles offer significant improvements over costly ship time and conventional intermittent sampling techniques that use blood (39), feces (40), blubber (41)(42)(43), morphometric measurements, and/or exhalations (4) as well as conservation advantages in the reduction in the samples (blood, blubber, etc.) required to address a specific research question (3,41).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Blue whale earplug reveals lifetime contaminant exposure and hormone profiles

Trumble

Robinson

Berman‐Kowalewski

et al. 2013

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Lifetime contaminant and hormonal profiles have been reconstructed for an individual male blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus, Linnaeus 1758) using the earplug as a natural aging matrix that is also capable of archiving and preserving lipophilic compounds. These unprecedented lifetime profiles (i.e., birth to death) were reconstructed with a 6-mo resolution for a wide range of analytes including cortisol (stress hormone), testosterone (developmental hormone), organic contaminants (e.g., pesticides and flame retardants), and mercury. Cortisol lifetime profiles revealed a doubling of cortisol levels over baseline. Testosterone profiles suggest this male blue whale reached sexual maturity at approximately 10 y of age, which corresponds well with and improves on previous estimates. Early periods of the reconstructed contaminant profiles for pesticides (such as dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes and chlordanes), polychlorinated biphenyls, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers demonstrate significant maternal transfer occurred at 0-12 mo. The total lifetime organic contaminant burden measured between the earplug (sum of contaminants in laminae layers) and blubber samples from the same organism were similar. Total mercury profiles revealed reduced maternal transfer and two distinct pulse events compared with organic contaminants. The use of a whale earplug to reconstruct lifetime chemical profiles will allow for a more comprehensive examination of stress, development, and contaminant exposure, as well as improve the assessment of contaminant use/emission, environmental noise, ship traffic, and climate change on these important marine sentinels.cetaceans | cerumen | persistent organic pollutants

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Sex hormone concentrations in blood serum from the North Atlantic fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus)

Cited by 32 publications

References 8 publications

Changes in blood testosterone and progesterone concentrations of the North Atlantic minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) during the feeding season

Changes in blood testosterone and progesterone concentrations of the North Atlantic minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) during the feeding season

Variation of bowhead whale progesterone concentrations across demographic groups and sample matrices

Blue whale earplug reveals lifetime contaminant exposure and hormone profiles

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