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Validating a Non-Invasive Method for Assessing Cortisol Concentrations in Scraped Epidermal Skin from Common Bottlenose Dolphins and Belugas.
Agustí, Clara; Manteca, Xavier; García-Párraga, Daniel; Tallo-Parra, Oriol.
Afiliação
  • Agustí C; Animal Welfare Education Centre (AWEC), School of Veterinary Science, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain.
  • Manteca X; Animal Welfare Education Centre (AWEC), School of Veterinary Science, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain.
  • García-Párraga D; Fundación Oceanogràfic de la Comunitat Valenciana, Research Department, Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias, 46013 Valencia, Spain.
  • Tallo-Parra O; Animal Welfare Education Centre (AWEC), School of Veterinary Science, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain.
Animals (Basel) ; 14(9)2024 May 03.
Article em En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38731382
ABSTRACT
Society is showing a growing concern about the welfare of cetaceans in captivity as well as cetaceans in the wild threatened by anthropogenic disturbances. The study of the physiological stress response is increasingly being used to address cetacean conservation and welfare issues. Within it, a newly described technique of extracting cortisol from epidermal desquamation may serve as a non-invasive, more integrated measure of a cetacean's stress response and welfare. However, confounding factors are common when measuring glucocorticoid hormones. In this study, we validated a steroid hormone extraction protocol and the use of a commercial enzyme immunoassay (EIA) test to measure cortisol concentrations in common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) epidermal samples. Moreover, we examined the effect of sample mass and body location on cortisol concentrations. Validation tests (i.e., assay specificity, accuracy, precision, and sensitivity) suggested that the method was suitable for the quantification of cortisol concentrations. Cortisol was extracted from small samples (0.01 g), but the amount of cortisol detected and the variability between duplicate extractions increased as the sample mass decreased. In common bottlenose dolphins, epidermal skin cortisol concentrations did not vary significantly across body locations while there was a significant effect of the individual. Overall, we present a contribution towards advancing and standardizing epidermis hormone assessments in cetaceans.
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Texto completo: 1 Base de dados: MEDLINE Idioma: En Ano de publicação: 2024 Tipo de documento: Article

Texto completo: 1 Base de dados: MEDLINE Idioma: En Ano de publicação: 2024 Tipo de documento: Article