1,721,066 research outputs found
A first survey on hair cortisol of an Alpine ibex (Capra ibex ibex) population.
No full textBiometric measurements of horn, body and physiological variables of 35 Alpine ibex, Capra ibex ibex, (14 females and 21 males, age range: 2-15 years) were analysed in relation to gender and area of origin. Moreover, for the first time hair cortisol concentration was evaluated in this species. The ibexes were live-captured in spring in the Maritime Alps Natural Park. All the horn and body morphometric measurements were significantly different between genders and a statistical difference was found between horn and body data considering the area of origin of ibexes, with the exception of horn circumference and height as well of body and hock length. Among the physiological variables, female ibex showed higher heart rate and glycemia, but tended to have lower respiratory rate than male. The mean hair cortisol concentration was 22.40±1.44 pg/mg (±SE). A different distribution was described for the male hair cortisol concentrations compared to that in females. Obtained data indicate that the geographical area where Alpine ibex lives could affect the endurance of an ibex population but further investigations are needed to understand if intra- and inter-specific competition and different environment could be the basis of the HPA axis activation. Hair cortisol evaluation together with biometric values could be an interesting way to obtain information on the adaptation that the animal attempts to reach in relation to environmental factors and pursuing organism homeostasis. This feature could be important in attempting to preserve wildlife biodiversity that also depends from the state of animal welfare
Is Smart Working Beneficial for Workers' Wellbeing? A Longitudinal Investigation of Smart Working, Workload, and Hair Cortisol/Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Full text linkBuilding on the job demands-resources (JD-R) and allostatic load (AL) models, in the present study we examined the role of smart working (SW) in the longitudinal association between workload/job autonomy (JA) and a possible biomarker of work-related stress (WRS) in the hair-namely, the cortisol-dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA(S)) ratio-during the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, 124 workers completed a self-report questionnaire (i.e., psychological data) at Time 1 (T1) and provided a strand of hair (i.e., biological data) three months later (Time 2, T2). Results from moderated multiple regression analysis showed that SW at T1 was negatively associated with the hair cortisol/DHEA(S) ratio at T2. Additionally, the interaction between workload and SW was significant, with workload at T1 being positively associated with the hair cortisol/DHEA(S) ratio at T2 among smart workers. Overall, this study indicates that SW is a double-edged sword, with both positive and negative consequences on employee wellbeing. Furthermore, our findings suggest that the hair cortisol/DHEA(S) ratio is a promising biomarker of WRS. Practical implications that organizations and practitioners can adopt to prevent WRS and promote organizational wellbeing are discussed
Reducing treatments in cattle superovulation protocols by combining a pituitary extract with a 5% hyaluronan solution: Is it able to diminish activation of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis compared to the traditional protocol?
No full textTraditional superovulation protocols that include multiple gonadotropin treatments are time-consuming and labor intensive. These protocols require multiple handling and restraining of embryo donors. This will likely increase the risks of injuries in both animals and humans and induce stress that may lead to a reduced superovulatory response. These are more evident when working with cattle that are rarely handled or raised on extensive grazing. The objectives of this experiment were to compare the efficacy of a split-injection protocol of porcine pituitary-derived porcine FSH (pFSH) preparation (slow release [SR] group) to the traditional 4-day treatment with pFSH administered twice daily (C group) and to determine the concentrations of cortisol in the hair as a marker of activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis during the two superovulatory treatments. Thirty-two heifers were stimulated twice in a 2 × 2 crossover design and compared for ovarian response and numbers and characteristics of recovered ova-embryo among treatments. No differences between SR and C groups were found in terms of percentage of responsive animals (100% vs. 93.8%) and ovulation rate (83.7 ± 1.1 vs. 79.5 ± 1.0%). A positive correlation was found between the number of follicles responsive to pFSH (2-8 mm) at the beginning of treatments and the superovulatory response, and no differences were found in these follicular populations between the two treatment groups. The numbers of CLs, ova-embryos, fertilized ova, transferable and freezable embryos recovered per cow were found to be significantly higher in SR compared with C group (14.0 ± 1.6 vs. 10.6 ± 1.0, 12.1 ± 1.6 vs. 7.6 ± 1.0, 11.1 ± 1.1 vs. 7.3 ± 1.0, 9.6 ± 1.4 vs. 6.6 ± 1.0, and 9.4 ± 1.4 vs. 6.0 ± 1.0 for SR and C group, respectively). The SR group produced also a significantly greater number of excellent- and/or good-quality embryos compared with the C group. The concentrations of cortisol in the hair at Days 14 and 21 were significantly greater in the C compared with the SR group (P < 0.05). In conclusion, these results indicate that the dilution of gonadotropin in a 5% hyaluronan solution, reducing the administration frequency, improves the quantitative and qualitative superovulatory response of Marchigiana heifers. Further studies using other breeds of cattle are needed to verify the results herein obtained and to confirm the lower activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis caused in the donor by the split-injection protocol. © 2016 Elsevier Inc.
Relocation and Hair Cortisol Concentrations in New Zealand White Rabbits
No full textTo investigate how long relocation modified hair cortisol concentrations in New Zealand white rabbits, 19 rabbits were subjected to a change in their breeding facility at the beginning of the trial and then were kept under stable environmental conditions. Hair samples were collected at the time of arrival to the nonhuman animal facility and at 40-day intervals from the same skin area for up to 440 days after the animals' arrival to the facility. A period effect on the hair cortisol concentration was found (p <.01). The transfer of the rabbits to the new facility might have induced an increase in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity (p <.01). A second increase in hair cortisol concentration (p <.01) occurred at 320 days, after a change of personnel at the facility that occurred at 280 days, which was the only environmental change. The relocation of rabbits to the facility resulted in a stress response leading to elevated cortisol levels. The effect of relocation on mean cortisol concentrations was exhausted within 120 days when all environmental factors were kept stable. © 2016 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
Do environmental factors influence hair cortisol in foaling season?
No full textPlasma cortisol (C) in adult horse is influenced by several
environmental factors, such as temperature and lighting conditions but to date it is not
clear if also hair cortisol is subjected to the same factors. The aim of this study was to
investigate the influence of these environmental factors on foal hair cortisol levels at 30
days of age during the breeding season. Hair samples were collected from 69 foals at 30
days of age from March to July and analyzed for C by RIA. For each sample were
considered the averages of environmental factors (lighting conditions and temperature)
during the 30 days preceding the sampling. Hair cortisol levels were 37.32±8.87 pg/mg
(mean value ±SD). None of the climate variables was related to cortisol hair
concentrations. In conclusion these data suggest that hair cortisol in 30 days old foals is
not affected by the influence of temperature and lighting conditions and cortisol
variations are due to an individual HPA axis activation and not to environmental
factors
Effect of diet on hair cortisol and DHEA concentrations in mouse
No full textObesity and MetS (Metabolic Syndrome) are both linked to persistent long-term hormonal
and metabolic changes. In most of the studies, cortisol (C) and dehydroepiandrosterone
(DHEA) concentrations have been measured in obese and normal-weight subjects,
obtaining heterogeneous results. Plasma, saliva and urine, matrices that represent timepoint
or short-term steroids exposure, were used for these studies. The aim was to study
C, DHEA and C/DHEA ratio of mice pups in the hair, matrix capable of providing
cumulative hormonal exposure. Sixty C57Bl/6 mice pups (30 males and 30 females)
were housed in a temperature-controlled environment (22±2°C) and on a 12h light/dark
schedule, under ad-libitum access to food and water for 16 weeks (welfare: Italian Law
Decree 116-92 and EC Directive 86-609-EEC). Control and experimental diets were
offered immediately after weaning (3 weeks old pups), for 16 weeks. Four experimental
checkpoints were established (T1: 4 weeks, T2: 8 weeks, T3: 12 weeks and T4: 16 weeks
of diet). T3 and T4 showed the hormonal concentrations of pubertal animals. Twentyseven
pups (13 females and 14 males) were randomly group-housed in cages (6 for T1, 5
for T2, 6 for T3, 10 for T4) and assigned to control diet (CTRL: D12328, Research Diets,
New Brunswick, NJ). 33 pups (17 females and 16 males) were randomly group-housed in
cages (5 for T1, 6 for T2 and T3, 16 for T4) and assigned to the HFHC diet (HFHC: D12331, Research Diets, New Brunswick, NJ - plus 42g/L fructose/sucrose in drinking
water). At each experimental checkpoint, all the animals of one cage for each
experimental group were suppressed. Hair strands were carefully cut with scissors as
close as possible to the skin from the back of the mice, paying attention to not to wound
the animals. Hair was stored in an envelope at RT in a dry room until use. C and DHEA
hair concentrations was measured by a solid-phase microtiter RIA assay (Peric et al., 2016 adapted in the mouse). Only at 8 weeks the HFHC group showed significantly
higher C concentrations than the CTRL group (1.56±0.06 vs 1.92±0.130 pg/mgP<0.05).
DHEA concentrations were significantly reduced in the HFHC group than the CTRL
group at 4 (114.64±13.93 vs 69.08±5.33 pg/mgP<0.05), 8 (71.67±7.08 vs 50.38±4.74
pg/mgP<0.05), 12 (73.27±8.29 vs 41.59±1.60 pg/mgP<0.01) and 16 weeks
(65.26±3.35 vs 55.05±1.84 pg/mgP<0.05). The C/DHEA ratio was significantly
increased in the HFHC than the CTRL group, at 8 (0.023±0.002 vs 0.040±0.005P<0.01),
12 (0.024±0.003 vs 0.036±0.004P<0.05) and 16 weeks (0.019±0.001 vs 0.025±0.002P<0.01). The gender effect was not significant. Taking into account the lag time required
for the hair emersion from the skin (about 1 week), the significant stimulation of the C at
8 weeks in the HFHC group refers to its chronic elevation from 5 to 7 weeks of treatment
when the animals were not pubertal. Conversely, DHEA shows a chronic reduction in
obese mice leading to consider an independent adrenal regulation of C and DHEA, both
stimulated by ACTH.
Research was supported by the Project CBM (MIUR DM60643).
Peric et al. 2016 J Appl Anim Welf Sci 18:1-8
Hair cortisol: an indicator of HPA activity in relation to environmental perception in New Zealand White rabbit
No full textAfter rodents, lagomorphs constitute the vast majority of subjects used in mammalian experimentation and rabbits are often used as animal models in surgery. Animal welfare in laboratory animals is governed by national and European laws; teams composed by different professionals with adequate knowledge and training must ensure it. The pursuit of animal welfare can also be facilitated by the introduction of an assurance system as good laboratory practice (GLP). The rabbit being a very sensitive species, the methods described above may not be adequate because the perception of environmental stressors may be evaluated anthropomorphically. To date, cortisol assessment in hair samples has been reported as a validated method to evaluate hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity in different species. The objective of this study was to evaluate HPA axis activity in rabbits before, during and after surgery (dorsal arthrodesis) by measuring hair cortisol. Six prepubertal female NZW rabbits were subjected to dorsal arthrodesis performed after a period of acclimatization that lasted 45 days from their arrival at the enclosure. Hair samples were shaved from the thigh region immediately before surgery. After surgery, at intervals of 40 days, new hair growth was collected from the same area for a period up to 405 days since the rabbits arrived to the enclosure. After methanolic extraction hair cortisol concentrations were determined by RIA. Mean hair cortisol concentration in rabbits at first sampling (before surgery, after acclimatization) was 1.45 ± 0.07 pg/mg (mean ± SE) but at the second sampling (40 days after surgery) it rose (P<0.05) to 4.35 ± 1.16 pg/mg. After 80 days from surgery the mean concentration decreased to 1.47 ± 0.50 pg/mg (P<0.05) and remained stable (P>0.05) for a period lasting until 240 days since the surgery. At day 280 hair cortisol concentrations rose (P<0.05) to 3.34 ± 0.61 pg/mg. Similar (P<0.05) high levels were recorded at day 320 from the surgery that than decreased (P<0.05) to 1.25 ± 0.17 pg/mg at the last sampling. Concentrations at the first sampling were considered basal levels because of the long period of acclimatization undergone by the rabbits. At the second sampling hair cortisol concentrations were significantly higher than those recorded before and this could have been due to the surgical stress suffered by the rabbits previously. This was followed by a return to basal hair cortisol levels, which remained stable for several months. It seems that during that period the rabbits’ HPA axis was not stimulated until the new rise caused by a change of the enclosure operator. This modification activated the HPA axis as recorded by hair cortisol. At the last sampling hair cortisol concentration had dropped again to basal levels. These results indicate that hair cortisol reflected similar levels of activation of the HPA axis in response to two types of apparently different stressor, suggesting that environmental stressors may have been evaluated anthropomorphically. Hair cortisol, not affected by acute stress or by circadian rhythms, could be an additional important tool in animal welfare evaluation
Corrigendum to Reducing treatments in cattle superovulation protocols by combining a pituitary extract with a 5% hyaluronan solution: Is it able to diminish activation of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis compared to the traditional protocol? (Theriogenology (2016) 85(5) (914-921) (S0093691X15006068) (10.1016/j.theriogenology.2015.10.041))
No full textGoing Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
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