The influence of age on fecal steroid hormone levels in male Budongo Forest chimpanzees (<i>Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii</i>)

Seraphin, Sally B.; Whitten, Patricia L.; Reynolds, Vernon

doi:10.1002/ajp.20541

Cited by 44 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…An increase of GC concentrations with age is also known from humans (e.g. [10,31]) and chimpanzees [58]. Among the many possible mechanisms explaining GC elevation in older humans is reduced Fig.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Species-specific patterns in fecal glucocorticoid and androgen levels in zoo-living orangutans (Pongo spp.)

Weingrill¹,

Willems²,

Zimmermann³

et al. 2011

General and Comparative Endocrinology

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In contrast to most primate species, including the other great apes, orangutans maintain a fission-fusion social system in the wild without being part of a stable community. In zoos, however, they are kept in permanent groups, usually consisting of one adult male and several females. In zoo orangutans, we predict higher levels of glucocorticoids and androgens in the Bornean species compared to its congener from Sumatra, due to the much more solitary lifestyle of Bornean orangutans and the apparent higher frequency of male aggression directed towards females in this species in the wild. To compare hormone levels of the two orangutan species, we validated a fecal glucocorticoid and a fecal androgen assay. Subsequently, fecal samples from a total of 73 female and 38 male orangutans housed in 29 European zoos were analyzed to investigate the effect of species, social group size, age and (for female glucocorticoid levels) reproductive state and the presence of adult males on fecal hormone metabolite concentrations. The results of linear mixed effect models indicate that both male and female Bornean orangutans show a steeper increase in glucocorticoid levels with increasing group size than Sumatran orangutans. We therefore conclude that Sumatran zoo orangutans are better able to adjust to social housing conditions than their Bornean congeners. In addition, our analyses reveal higher glucocorticoid levels in lactating females of both species compared to non-lactating and juvenile females. Concerning androgen levels in males, our analyses revealed significantly higher concentrations in Bornean than Sumatran orangutans. These differences in both glucocorticoid and androgen output between the two species of orangutan are presumably linked to ecological and behavioral differences and could possibly be attributed to phenotypic plasticity. However, given that we found interspecific differences in hormone excretion in captivity, where both species live under very similar conditions, we conclude that this variation has a genetic basis. a b s t r a c tIn contrast to most primate species, including the other great apes, orangutans maintain a fission-fusion social system in the wild without being part of a stable community. In zoos, however, they are kept in permanent groups, usually consisting of one adult male and several females. In zoo orangutans, we predict higher levels of glucocorticoids and androgens in the Bornean species compared to its congener from Sumatra, due to the much more solitary lifestyle of Bornean orangutans and the apparent higher frequency of male aggression directed towards females in this species in the wild. To compare hormone levels of the two orangutan species, we validated a fecal glucocorticoid and a fecal androgen assay. Subsequently, fecal samples from a total of 73 female and 38 male orangutans housed in 29 European zoos were analyzed to investigate the effect of species, social group size, age and (for female glucocorticoid levels) reproductive state and the presence of adult males on f...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Species-specific patterns in fecal glucocorticoid and androgen levels in zoo-living orangutans (Pongo spp.)

Weingrill¹,

Willems²,

Zimmermann³

et al. 2011

General and Comparative Endocrinology

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“…Tanner & Gupta 1968, Kelnar & Brook 1983, Remer et al 1994. One study on DHEA-S levels in chimpanzee feces did not detect the age-related changes that were found in serum samples (Seraphin et al 2008), but it should be noted that individuals of age categories that are most likely to show the sudden upward shift in DHEA-S were under-represented. There are other preliminary reports on DHEA-S levels in chimpanzees that have used fecal or urine samples (Fontenote et al 2001, Anestis et al 2009), but between-species comparisons are still difficult.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Adrenarche in bonobos (Pan paniscus): evidence from ontogenetic changes in urinary dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate levels

Behringer¹,

Hohmann²,

Stevens³

et al. 2012

Journal of Endocrinology

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Adrenarche is characterized by the onset of adrenal secretions of increasing amounts of dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-S). While the function of adrenarche remains a matter of speculation, evidence suggests that the morphological and physiological changes related to it are restricted to humans and closely related primates. Within the primate order, adrenarche has been described only in humans and chimpanzees, but bonobos, the sister species of chimpanzees, have not yet been studied regarding the early ontogenetic changes such as adrenarche. While bonobos and chimpanzees share many morphological and behavioral characteristics, they differ in a number of behavioral traits, and there is a growing interest in terms of the physiological differences that can be linked to species-specific patterns of social behavior. In this study, we measured urinary DHEA-S levels to determine whether bonobos experience physiological changes that are indicative of adrenarche. We measured DHEA-S in urine using ELISA and analyzed its levels in the samples from 53 bonobos aged 1-18 years. Our results show that bonobos experience an increase in DHEA-S levels after 5 years of age, which is comparable with the patterns observed in humans and chimpanzees. This indicates that bonobos do undergo adrenarche and that the timing of onset is similar to that of the two Pan species. The extraction procedures described in this report demonstrate the use of urine for monitoring ontogenetic changes in DHEA-S excretion. If applicable to other species, the technique would facilitate more research on the evolutionary origin of adrenarche and other developmental processes.

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“…However, studies reporting individual hormone levels (rather than age-specific groups) found no discernible increase in DHEA or DHEAS during the peripubertal period (Nadler et al 1987, Bernstein et al 2012. Furthermore, fecal concentrations of DHEAS were actually higher in juveniles (5-9 years of age) than in either subadults (10-15 years) or adults (16C years) (Seraphin et al 2008). The earliest studies on circulating adrenal androgen concentrations in gorillas had a limited number of subjects, none of which were prepubertal age (Cutler et al 1978).…”

Section: Endocrinological Adrenarchementioning

confidence: 93%

Adrenarche in nonhuman primates: the evidence for it and the need to redefine it

Conley¹,

Bernstein²,

Nguyen³

2012

Journal of Endocrinology

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Adrenarche is most commonly defined as a prepubertal increase in circulating adrenal androgens, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulfo-conjugate (DHEAS). This event is thought to have evolved in humans and some great apes but not in Old World monkeys, perhaps to promote brain development. Whether adrenarche represents a shared, derived developmental event in humans and our closest relatives, adrenal androgen secretion (and its regulation) is of considerable clinical interest. Specifically, adrenal androgens play a significant role in the pathophysiology of polycystic ovarian disease and breast and prostate cancers. Understanding the development of androgen secretion by the human adrenal cortex and identifying a suitable model for its study are therefore of central importance for clinical and evolutionary concerns. This review will examine the evidence for adrenarche in nonhuman primates (NHP) and suggest that a broader definition of this developmental event is needed, including morphological, biochemical, and endocrine criteria. Using such a definition, evidence from recent studies suggests that adrenarche evolved in Old World primates but spans a relatively brief period early in development compared with humans and some great apes. This emphasizes the need for frequent longitudinal sampling in evaluating developmental changes in adrenal androgen secretion as well as the tenuous nature of existing evidence of adrenarche in some species among the great apes. Central to an understanding of the regulation of adrenal androgen production in humans is the recognition of the complex nature of adrenarche and the need for more carefully conducted comparative studies and a broader definition in order to promote investigation among NHP in particular.

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The influence of age on fecal steroid hormone levels in male Budongo Forest chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii)

Cited by 44 publications

References 47 publications

Species-specific patterns in fecal glucocorticoid and androgen levels in zoo-living orangutans (Pongo spp.)

Species-specific patterns in fecal glucocorticoid and androgen levels in zoo-living orangutans (Pongo spp.)

Adrenarche in bonobos (Pan paniscus): evidence from ontogenetic changes in urinary dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate levels

Adrenarche in nonhuman primates: the evidence for it and the need to redefine it

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