Intraperitoneal delivery of exogenous corticosterone via osmotic pump in a passerine bird.
Gen Comp Endocrinol
; 152(1): 8-13, 2007 May 15.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-17428484
ABSTRACT
Selecting the most reliable method to deliver exogenous steroids remains a problem for researchers, particularly when designing experiments on small birds. We used intraperitoneal (IP) osmotic pumps to deliver exogenous corticosterone (CORT) and RU486 in captive White-throated Sparrows. Males received implants containing either a low (LD) or moderate dose (MD) of CORT, RU486 (RU), or polyethylene glycol vehicle only (V). This method provided sustained elevations in baseline CORT in both LD and MD males compared to V males, with higher CORT levels induced in MD males. Slight increases in post-implant CORT resulted in V males, but not in RU males. We observed no significant change in the condition of V males in terms of body mass, furcular fat score or food intake rates, although locomotor activity declined slightly after implantation. Taken together, our results suggest that IP pumps had little impact on the overall health of the birds. CORT levels were maintained within natural ranges for this species, suggesting that our results are biologically relevant and useful for future endocrine studies with small birds.
Buscar no Google
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Corticosterona
/
Bombas de Infusão Implantáveis
/
Pardais
Limite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Gen Comp Endocrinol
Ano de publicação:
2007
Tipo de documento:
Article