Sex and dose-dependent responses of urinary and faecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations following an ACTH challenge in eastern rock sengis (Elephantulus myurus).
Adrenocortical activity
Macroscelidea
Non-invasive hormone monitoring
Sexual dimorphism
Steroid metabolites
Journal
Comparative biochemistry and physiology. Part A, Molecular & integrative physiology
ISSN: 1531-4332
Titre abrégé: Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 9806096
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
07 2020
07 2020
Historique:
received:
17
01
2020
revised:
23
03
2020
accepted:
25
03
2020
pubmed:
9
4
2020
medline:
21
5
2021
entrez:
9
4
2020
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Non-invasive methods for measuring glucocorticoids and their metabolites are frequently used in ecological, behavioural and physiological studies of mammals. Using faeces, urine and other matrices for such a measurement has considerable advantages in comparison to more traditional methods, but also requires thorough validation of the methods used. Eastern rock sengis (Elephantulus myurus) are fascinating African mammals and the non-invasive monitoring of the adrenocortical activity opens up new opportunities to study their biology. We were able to validate two assays for measuring urinary (uGCM) and faecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM) concentrations in this species using a dose-dependent challenge with adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). A higher concentration of ACTH elicited higher uGCM and fGCM concentrations in both males and females. Interestingly, uGCM and fGCM concentrations and the responses to ACTH were higher in females than in males and small changes in faecal glucocorticoid metabolites could not be reliably detected in males. In contrast to ACTH, a saline injection did not result in an increase in uGCM or fGCM concentrations. The study also provided insight into when responses to a stressor are likely to be detected in the urine and faeces of sengis and opens up new opportunities to study the stress physiology of this and other sengi species. It further emphasises the importance of thoroughly validating non-invasive methods for measuring hormones in both sexes of a species and for incorporating dose-dependent approaches.
Identifiants
pubmed: 32268194
pii: S1095-6433(20)30048-9
doi: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2020.110696
pii:
doi:
Substances chimiques
Glucocorticoids
0
Adrenocorticotropic Hormone
9002-60-2
Types de publication
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
110696Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts
Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.