Excretion of corticosteroid metabolites in urine and faeces of rats

Sleep and Pain: A Role for the Anterior Cingulate Cortex, Nucleus Accumbens, and Dopamine in the Increased Pain Sensitivity Following Sleep Restriction

Persistent pain conditions and sleep disorders are public health problems worldwide. It is widely accepted that sleep disruption increases pain sensitivity; however, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. In this study, we used a protocol of 6 hours a day of total sleep deprivation for 3 days in rats to advance the understanding of these mechanisms. We focused on gender differences and the dopaminergic mesocorticolimbic system. The findings demonstrated that sleep restriction (SR) increased pain sensitivity in a similar way in males and females, without inducing a significant stress response. This pronociceptive effect depends on a nucleus accumbens (NAc) neuronal ensemble recruited during SR and on the integrity of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Data on indirect dopaminergic parameters, dopamine transporter glycosylation, and dopamine and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-regulated phosphoprotein-32 phosphorylation, as well as dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine levels, suggest that dopaminergic function decreases in the NAc and ACC after SR. Complementarily, pharmacological activation of dopamine D2, but not D1 receptors either in the ACC or in the NAc prevents SR from increasing pain sensitivity. The ACC and NAc are the main targets of dopaminergic mesocorticolimbic projections with a key role in pain modulation. This study showed their integrative role in the pronociceptive effect of SR, pointing to dopamine D2 receptors as a potential target for pain management in patients with sleep disorders. These findings narrow the focus of future studies on the mechanisms by which sleep impairment increases pain sensitivity. PERSPECTIVE: This study demonstrates that the pronociceptive effect of SR affects similarly males and females and depends on a NAc neuronal ensemble recruited during SR and on the integrity of the ACC. Findings on dopaminergic function support dopamine D2 receptors as targets for pain management in sleep disorders patients.

Grape Polyphenols May Prevent High-Fat Diet-Induced Dampening of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis in Male Mice

Context 

Chronic high-fat diet (HFD) consumption causes obesity associated with retention of bile acids (BAs) that suppress important regulatory axes, such as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA). HFD impairs nutrient sensing and energy balance due to a dampening of the HPAA and reduced production and peripheral metabolism of corticosterone (CORT).

Objective

We assessed whether proanthocyanidin-rich grape polyphenol (GP) extract can prevent HFD-induced energy imbalance and HPAA dysregulation.

Methods

Male C57BL6/J mice were fed HFD or HFD supplemented with 0.5% w/w GPs (HFD-GP) for 17 weeks.

Results

GP supplementation reduced body weight gain and liver fat while increasing circadian rhythms of energy expenditure and HPAA-regulating hormones, CORT, leptin, and PYY. GP-induced improvements were accompanied by reduced mRNA levels of Il6, Il1b, and Tnfa in ileal or hepatic tissues and lower cecal abundance of Firmicutes, including known BA metabolizers. GP-supplemented mice had lower concentrations of circulating BAs, including hydrophobic and HPAA-inhibiting BAs, but higher cecal levels of taurine-conjugated BAs antagonistic to farnesoid X receptor (FXR). Compared with HFD-fed mice, GP-supplemented mice had increased mRNA levels of hepatic Cyp7a1 and Cyp27a1, suggesting reduced FXR activation and more BA synthesis. GP-supplemented mice also had reduced hepatic Abcc3 and ileal Ibabp and Ostβ, indicative of less BA transfer into enterocytes and circulation. Relative to HFD-fed mice, CORT and BA metabolizing enzymes (Akr1d1 and Srd5a1) were increased, and Hsd11b1 was decreased in GP supplemented mice.

Conclusion

GPs may attenuate HFD-induced weight gain by improving hormonal control of the HPAA and inducing a BA profile with less cytotoxicity and HPAA inhibition, but greater FXR antagonism.

Anxiety-like Behavior in Female Sprague Dawley Rats Associated with Cecal Clostridiales

The relationship between the microbiota profile and exposure to stress is not well understood. Therefore, we used a rat model of unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) to investigate this relationship. Depressive-like behaviors were measured in Female Sprague Dawley rats using the sucrose preference test and the Porsolt swim test. Anxiety-like behaviors were measured with the light-dark box test. Fecal corticosterone, cecal microbiota (composition and organic acids), plasma gut permeability (lipopolysaccharide-binding protein, LBP) and plasma inflammation (12 cytokines) markers were measured. Atypical behaviors were observed in female rats following UCMS, but no depressive-like behaviors were observed. Circulating concentrations of cytokines granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant 1 were higher in UCMS-exposed female rats; plasma LBP and cecal organic acid levels remained unchanged. Our results reflect a resilient and adaptive phenotype for female SD rats. The relative abundance of taxa from the Clostridiales order and Desulfovibrionaceae family did, however, correlate both positively and negatively with anxiety-like behaviors and plasma cytokine concentrations, regardless of UCMS exposure, supporting the brain-to-gut influence of mild anxiety with a microbiota profile that may involve inflammatory pathways.

Review of Rat (Rattus norvegicus), Mouse (Mus musculus), Guinea pig (Cavia porcellus), and Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) Indicators for Welfare Assessment

The monitoring and assessment of animals is important for their health and welfare. The appropriate selection of multiple, validated, and feasible welfare assessment indicators is required to effectively identify compromises or improvements to animal welfare. Animal welfare indicators can be animal or resource based. Indicators can be collated to form assessment tools (e.g., grimace scales) or animal welfare assessment models (e.g., 5 Domains) and frameworks (e.g., 5 Freedoms). The literature contains a wide variety of indicators, with both types needed for effective animal welfare assessment; however, there is yet to be an ideal constellation of indicators for animal-based welfare assessment in small mammals such as guinea pigs (Cavia Porcellus), mice (Mus musculus), rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), and rats (Rattus norvegicus). A systematic review of grey and peer-reviewed literature was performed to determine the types of animal-based welfare indicators available to identify and assess animal health and welfare in these small mammals maintained across a wide variety of conditions. The available indicators were categorised and scored against a selection of criteria, including potential ease of use and costs. This review and analysis aim to provide the basis for further research into animal welfare indicators for these species. Future applications of this work may include improvements to animal welfare assessments or schemes, guiding better management, and implementing future strategies to enable better animal welfare.

Ferroptosis is partially responsible for dexamethasone-induced T cell ablation, but not osteoporosis in larval zebrafish

Glucocorticoids (GCs) have been widely detected in the aquatic system. However, the hazardous effects of GCs on aquatic organisms were underestimated, and the mechanisms of GCs-induced toxic effects in fish were largely unknown. The zebrafish larvae at 3 dpf were exposed to dexamethasone (DEX) for 48 h, and the toxic effects and the underlying mechanisms were investigated in the current study. The T cells were ablated in zebrafish larvae after being treated with 1, 3, 10, 30 and 100 μM of DEX for 48 h. In addition, osteoporosis was induced and the regeneration of the caudal fin was inhibited, by 48 h-exposure to 10, 30 and 100 μM of DEX. The transcriptomic analysis, biochemical parameters and gene expression profiles revealed that ferroptosis possibly contributed to the DEX-induced toxic effects in zebrafish larvae. Finally, Fer-1 treatment partially attenuated the DEX-induced T cell ablation, but not osteoporosis in zebrafish larvae. Taken together, the current study proved the toxic effects of DEX on zebrafish larvae, and elucidated that ferroptosis was involved in DEX-induced toxicity, providing strong evidence for the toxic effects of GCs on aquatic organisms.

Fecal adrenal hormone patterns during ovulatory and non-ovulatory reproductive cycles in female veiled chameleons (Chamaeleo calyptratus)

The relationship between the reproductive (hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal; HPG) and adrenal (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal; HPA) hormone axes is complex and can vary depending on the species and environmental factors affecting an individual. In an effort to understand this relationship in female veiled chameleons (Chamaeleo calyptratus), the patterns of fecal metabolites of corticosterone (C), estradiol (E), testosterone (T), and progesterone (P) were analyzed by enzyme immunoassay (EIA) during ovulatory (OC; eggs laid) and non-ovulatory cycles (NOC; no eggs laid). Glucocorticoid (GC) metabolites in the fecal extracts were characterized by HPLC and corticosterone EIA performance was assessed by parallelism, accuracy and precision tests. The results indicated that the assay chosen reliably measured the hormone metabolites present in the fecal extracts. Regular, cyclical hormone metabolite patterns consisting of an E peak followed by peaks of T, P and C in close succession were observed during both ovulatory and non-ovulatory cycles; relative levels of P and C, however, were higher during ovulatory cycles. Corticosterone metabolite levels, in particular, increased throughout vitellogenesis and peaked in late vitellogenesis (in non-ovulatory cycles) or around the time of ovulation, and remained elevated throughout the gravid period, falling just prior to oviposition. The results provide evidence of variation in glucocorticoid production throughout different stages of the reproductive cycle, including a role in the ovulatory process; the physiology, however, remains unclear.

Bridging environment, physiology and life history: Stress hormones in a small hibernator

Our knowledge of the perception of stress and its implications for animals in the wild is limited, especially in regard to mammals. The aim of this study was therefore to identify sex specific effects of reproductive activity, body mass, food availability and hibernation on stress hormone levels in the edible dormouse (Glis glis), a small mammalian hibernator. Results of our study reveal that reproductive activity and pre-hibernation fattening were associated with high cortisol levels in both sexes. During the mating season, in particular individuals with low body masses had higher stress levels. Elevated levels of cortisol during pre-hibernation fattening were even higher in females that had formerly invested into reproduction compared to non-reproductive females. Previously observed impairments on health parameters and reduced survival rates associated with reproduction emphasize the functional relevance of high stress hormone levels for fitness. Prolonged food limitation, however, did not affect stress levels demonstrating the ability of dormice to predict and cope with food restriction.

In vivo acute toxicity and mutagenic analysis of crude saponins from Chenopodium quinoa Willd husks

Background: As a functional food factor, quinoa saponins are valuable as additives and in medical care, pharmaceutical development, cosmetics and other fields. However, few studies have investigated the toxicity of saponins. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the toxicity of crude saponins extracted from quinoa husks. Thus, acute toxicity and excretion experiments were carried out in rats. The Ames test, micronucleus test and mouse sperm aberration test were carried out in mice. Results: In the acute toxicity study, the obtained LD₅₀ was more than 10 g per kg per bw for both sexes, the food intake of all rats decreased over a period of time, and some rats developed diarrhea. In the case of large-dose gavage, the saponin excretion time in rats was approximately four days. When the dosage was 10 mg kg⁻¹, quinoa saponins were hydrolyzed into aglycone within 24 hours and excreted out of the body. The results of the mutagenicity experiment showed that saponins had no mutagenicity in mice. Conclusion: This work has demonstrated that quinoa saponins have limited acute toxicity effects, which provides a theoretical basis for their rational utilization.

As a functional food factor, quinoa saponins are valuable as additives and in medical care, pharmaceutical development, cosmetics and other fields.

Urinary Excretion of Iohexol as a Permeability Marker in a Mouse Model of Intestinal Inflammation: Time Course, Performance and Welfare Considerations

Simple Summary

In mammals, different diseases are associated with intestinal changes that may cause an increase in gut permeability. Intestinal permeability tests allow the evaluation of intestinal damage in humans, veterinary patients and laboratory animal models. When used in mouse models, these tests require that animals are singly housed in metabolic cages with a wire-grid floor to collect urine samples. This raises welfare concerns. Iohexol meets several criteria for an ideal intestinal permeability marker and has recently been used in several species. Here, we examined the performance of an intestinal permeability test using iohexol administered by mouth and following excretion over 24 h in urine. As a model, we chose immunodeficient mice with intestinal inflammation induced by adoptive transfer of effector/memory T cells. We collected urine samples at seven time points to profile the urinary excretion of iohexol, in addition to intestinal tissue samples for histological assessment. We conclude that a 6 h cumulative urine sample may be sufficient to evaluate small intestinal permeability in this mouse model and increased urinary excretion of iohexol is correlated with increased severity of duodenitis. The welfare of mice housed in metabolic cages could be improved by reducing the cage periods from 24 to 6 h.

Abstract

Intestinal permeability (IP) tests are used to assess intestinal damage in patients and research models. The probe iohexol has shown advantages compared to ⁵¹Cr-EDTA or absorbable/nonabsorbable sugars. During IP tests, animals are housed in metabolic cages (MCs) to collect urine. We examined the performance of an iohexol IP test in mice. Rag1-/- (C57BL/6) mice of both sexes were divided into controls or treatment groups, the latter receiving injections of effector/memory T cells to induce intestinal inflammation. After two, four and five weeks (W), a single dose of iohexol was orally administered. Urine was collected seven times over 24 h in MCs. Iohexol concentration was measured by ELISA. Intestinal histological damage was scored in duodenal sections. In control and treated mice of both sexes, urinary excretion of iohexol peaked at 4 h. From W2 to W4/W5, urinary iohexol excretion increased in treated mice of both sexes, consistent with development of duodenitis in this model. Positive correlations were observed between the urinary excretion of iohexol in W4/W5 and the histological severity of duodenitis in treated male mice. We conclude that a 6 h cumulative urine sample appears sufficient to evaluate small IP to iohexol in this mouse model, improving animal welfare by reducing cage periods.

The influence of rat strain on the development of neuropathic pain and comorbid anxio-depressive behaviour after nerve injury

Back-translating the clinical manifestations of human disease burden into animal models is increasingly recognized as an important facet of preclinical drug discovery. We hypothesized that inbred rat strains possessing stress hyper-reactive-, depressive- or anxiety-like phenotypes may possess more translational value than common outbred strains for modeling neuropathic pain. Rats (inbred: LEW, WKY, F344/ICO and F344/DU, outbred: Crl:SD) were exposed to Spared Nerve Injury (SNI) and evaluated routinely for 6 months on behaviours related to pain (von Frey stimulation and CatWalk-gait analysis), anxiety (elevated plus maze, EPM) and depression (sucrose preference test, SPT). Markers of stress reactivity together with spinal/brain opioid receptor expression were also measured. All strains variously developed mechanical allodynia after SNI with the exception of stress-hyporesponsive LEW rats, despite all strains displaying similar functional gait-deficits after injury. However, affective changes reflective of anxiety- and depressive-like behaviour were only observed for F344/DU in the EPM, and for Crl:SD in SPT. Although differences in stress reactivity and opioid receptor expression occurred, overall they were relatively unaffected by SNI. Thus, anxio-depressive behaviours did not develop in all strains after nerve injury, and correlated only modestly with degree of pain sensitivity or with genetic predisposition to stress and/or affective disturbances.

The impact of handling technique and handling frequency on laboratory mouse welfare is sex-specific

Handling is a well-known source of stress to laboratory animals and can affect variability of results and even compromise animal welfare. The conventional tail handling in mice has been shown to induce aversion and anxiety-like behaviour. Recent findings demonstrate that the use of alternative handling techniques, e.g. tunnel handling, can mitigate negative handling-induced effects. Here, we show that technique and frequency of handling influence affective behaviour and stress hormone release of subjects in a sex-dependent manner. While frequent tail handling led to a reduction of wellbeing-associated burrowing and increased despair-like behaviour in male mice, females seemed unaffected. Instead, they displayed a stress response to a low handling frequency, which was not detectable in males. This could suggest that in terms of refinement, the impact in handling could differ between the sexes. Independently from this observation, both sexes preferred to interact with the tunnel. Mice generally explored the tunnel more often than the tail-handling hands of the experimenter and showed more positively rated approaches, e.g. touching or climbing, and at the same time, less defensive burrowing, indicating a strong preference for the tunnel.

Analytic and Interpretational Pitfalls to Measuring Fecal Corticosterone Metabolites in Laboratory Rats and Mice

Minimization and alleviation of stress are generally viewed as desirable aspects of laboratory animal management and use. However, achieving that goal requires an unambiguous and valid measure of stress. Glucocorticoid concentrations are commonly used as a physiologic index of stress. Measurement of glucocorticoids in blood, serum or plasma clearly reflects many types of both acute and chronic stress. However, the rapid rise in concentrations of circulating glucocorticoids that occurs even with relatively simple manipulations such as handling has led to the increased use of fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FCM) assays, which provide a temporally integrated measure that may allow a more accurate interpretation of chronic stressors. In this review, we consider 3 aspects of glucocorticoids as a measure of stress. First, we discuss the analytic and interpretational pitfalls of using FCM concentrations as an index of stress in mice and rats. Second, we consider evidence that some degree of stress may benefit animals by priming physiologic and behavioral adaptations that render the animals more resilient in the face of stress. Finally, we use 2 situations-social housing and food restriction-to illustrate the concept of hormesis-a biologic phenomenon in which a low dose or intensity of a challenge has a beneficial effect, whereas exposure to high doses or intensities is detrimental.

Social experience during adolescence in female rats increases 50 kHz ultrasonic vocalizations in adulthood, without affecting anxiety-like behavior

Adolescents are highly motivated to engage in social interactions, and researchers have hypothesized that positive social relationships during adolescence can have long term, beneficial effects on stress reactivity and mental well-being. Studies of laboratory rodents provide the opportunity to investigate the relationship between early social experiences and later behavioral and physiological responses to stressors. In this study, female Lister-hooded rats (N = 12 per group) were either (a) provided with short, daily encounters (10 min/day) with a novel partner during mid-adolescence (postnatal day 34-45; "social experience," SE, subjects) or (b) underwent the same protocol with a familiar cagemate during mid-adolescence ("control experience," CE, subjects), or (c) were left undisturbed in the home cage (non-handled "control," C, subjects). When tested in adulthood, the groups did not differ in behavioral responses to novel environments (elevated plus maze, open field, and light-dark box) or in behavioral and physiological (urinary corticosterone) responses to novel social partners. However, SE females emitted significantly more 50 kHz ultrasonic vocalizations than control subjects both before and after social separation from a familiar social partner, which is consistent with previous findings in male rats. Thus, enhanced adolescent social experience appears to have long-term effects on vocal communication and could potentially modulate adult social relationships.

Support vector machines for explaining physiological stress response in Wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus)

Physiological stress response is a crucial adaptive mechanism for prey species survival. This paper aims to identify the main environmental and/or individual factors better explaining the stress response in Wood mice, Apodemus sylvaticus. We analyzed alterations in fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FCM) concentration - extensively used as an accurate measure of the physiological stress response - of wild mice fecal samples seasonally collected during three years. Then, support vector machines were built to predict said concentration according to different stressors. These statistical tools appear to be particularly suitable for small datasets with substantial number of dimensions, corroborating that the stress response is an extremely complex process in which multiple factors can simultaneously partake in a context-dependent manner, i.e., the role of each potential stressor varies in time depending on other stressors. However, air-humidity, temperature and body-weight allowed us to explain the FCM fluctuation in 98% of our samples. The relevance of air-humidity and temperature altering FCM level could be linked to the presence of an abundant vegetation cover and, therefore, to food availability and predation risk perception. Body-weight might be related to the stress produced by reproduction and other intraspecific relationships such as social dominance or territorial behavior.

Faecal corticosterone metabolite assessment in socially housed male and female Wistar rats

Knowledge of animals' hormonal status is important for conservation studies in wild or semi-free-ranging conditions as well as for behavioural and clinical experiments conducted in laboratory research, mostly performed on rats and mice. Faecal sampling is a useful non-invasive method to obtain steroid hormone assessments. Nevertheless, in laboratory studies, unlike other contexts, faecal sampling is less utilised. One of the issues raised is the necessity to collect samples belonging to different animals, separately. Usually, researchers using faecal sampling solve this problem through the isolation of animals or taking the cage rather than single animal as unit of study. These solutions though, could lead to unreliable measurements, and cannot be applied in many studies. Our aim was to show the biological reliability of individual faecal corticosterone metabolite (FCM) assessments in socially housed male and female Wistar rats. We analytically validated the enzyme immunoassay kit used for FCM assessments. Then, we exposed the animals to two different stress stimuli that are known to activate the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis and the following release of corticosterone to biologically validate the EIA kit: environmental enrichment and predator odour. Individual faecal sampling from social animals was collected through short-time handling. The results demonstrated that both the stimuli increased FCM levels in male and female rats showing the reliability of EIA kit assessment and the applicability of our sampling method. We also found a diurnal rhythm in FCM levels. These results could help to increase the use of faecal hormone metabolite determinations in studies conducted on rats.

Few long-term consequences after prolonged maternal separation in female Wistar rats

Environmental factors during the early-life period are known to have long-term consequences for the adult phenotype. An intimate interplay between genes and environment shape the individual and may affect vulnerability for psychopathology in a sex-dependent manner. A rodent maternal separation model was here used to study the long-term effects of different early-life rearing conditions on adult behavior, HPA axis activity and long-term voluntary alcohol intake in female rats. Litters were subjected to 15 min (MS15) or 360 min (MS360) of daily maternal separation during postnatal day 1–21. In adulthood, the behavioral profiles were investigated using the multivariate concentric square field™ (MCSF) test or examined for HPA axis reactivity by cat-odor exposure with subsequent characterization of voluntary alcohol intake and associated changes in HPA axis activity. Adult female MS360 offspring showed mostly no, or only minor, effects on behavior, HPA axis reactivity and long-term alcohol intake relative to MS15. Instead, more pronounced effects were found dependent on changes in the natural hormonal cycle or by the choice of animal supplier. However, changes were revealed in corticosterone load after long-term alcohol access, as females subjected to MS360 had higher concentrations of fecal corticosterone. The present findings are in line with and expand on previous studies on the long-term effects of maternal separation in female rats with regard to behavior, HPA axis activity and voluntary alcohol intake. It can also be a window into further studies detailing how early-life experiences interact with other risk and protective factors to impact the adult phenotype and how possible sex differences play a role.

A users guide to HPA axis research

Glucocorticoid hormones (cortisol and corticosterone - CORT) are the effector hormones of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis neuroendocrine system. CORT is a systemic intercellular signal whose level predictably varies with time of day and dynamically increases with environmental and psychological stressors. This hormonal signal is utilized by virtually every cell and physiological system of the body to optimize performance according to circadian, environmental and physiological demands. Disturbances in normal HPA axis activity profiles are associated with a wide variety of physiological and mental health disorders. Despite numerous studies to date that have identified molecular, cellular and systems-level glucocorticoid actions, new glucocorticoid actions and clinical status associations continue to be revealed at a brisk pace in the scientific literature. However, the breadth of investigators working in this area poses distinct challenges in ensuring common practices across investigators, and a full appreciation for the complexity of a system that is often reduced to a single dependent measure. This Users Guide is intended to provide a fundamental overview of conceptual, technical and practical knowledge that will assist individuals who engage in and evaluate HPA axis research. We begin with examination of the anatomical and hormonal components of the HPA axis and their physiological range of operation. We then examine strategies and best practices for systematic manipulation and accurate measurement of HPA axis activity. We feature use of experimental methods that will assist with better understanding of CORT's physiological actions, especially as those actions impact subsequent brain function. This research approach is instrumental for determining the mechanisms by which alterations of HPA axis function may contribute to pathophysiology.

Mothers Do Not Show Increased Offspring Avoidance and Elevated Corticosterone Levels during Weaning Conflict in Rats

Parent-offspring conflict is predicted to occur because offspring will demand more parental investment than is optimal for the parent, and is said to be strongest during weaning when parents reduce nursing while offspring continue to demand parental care. While weaning conflict has been shown to be stressful in offspring, little is known about the effects of weaning conflict on mothers. We hypothesized that during weaning mothers have higher levels of stress hormone (corticosterone) compared to early lactation because of increased offspring demand. Further, we predicted that if mothers are given the option to avoid offspring solicitation they would do so and show lower corticosterone levels. We tested our hypotheses in an experimental population of rats in which one group of females was given the opportunity to avoid offspring solicitation. We measured faecal corticosterone metabolite levels using a non-invasive approach, and maternal and offspring behaviours during weaning. In contrast to our predictions, we detected lower levels of corticosterone metabolites during weaning than before, irrespective of cage type. Further, during weaning mothers did not show increased offspring avoidance behaviour although offspring solicitation increased significantly. Our results therefore cast doubt on the generally accepted notion of weaning conflict as a stressful period for mothers characterized by overt offspring solicitation.

The effects of group and single housing and automated animal monitoring on urinary corticosterone levels in male C57BL/6 mice

Mice are used extensively in physiological research. Automated home-cage systems have been developed to study single-housed animals. Increased stress by different housing conditions might affect greatly the results when investigating metabolic responses. Urinary corticosteroid concentration is considered as a stress marker. The aim of the study was to compare the effects of different housing conditions and an automated home-cage system with indirect calorimetry located in an environmental chamber on corticosterone levels in mice. Male mice were housed in different conditions and in automated home-cage system to evaluate the effects of housing and measuring conditions on urine corticosterone levels. Corticosterone levels in single-housed mice in the laboratory animal center were consistently lower compared with the group-housed mice. Single-housed mice in a separate, small animal unit showed a rise in their corticosterone levels a day after they were separated to their individual cages, which decreased during the following 2 days. The corticosterone levels of group-housed mice in the same unit were increased during the first 7 days and then decreased. On day 7, the corticosterone concentrations of group-housed mice were significantly higher compared with that of single-housed mice, including the metabolic measurement protocol. In conclusion, single housing caused less stress when compared with group-housed mice. In addition, the urine corticosterone levels were decreased in single-housed mice before the metabolic measurement started. Thus, stress does not affect the results when utilizing the automated system for measuring metabolic parameters like food and water intake and calorimetry.

Impact of Opioid and Nonopioid Drugs on Postsurgical Pain Management in the Rat

Aim. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or opioids are commonly used to control surgical pain following veterinary and clinical procedures. This study evaluated the efficacy of postoperative ketorolac or buprenorphine following abdominal surgery. Main Methods. Mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate, animal activity, corticosterone levels, and a nociceptive sensitivity assay were used to evaluate 18 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats which underwent aortic artery occlusion for implantation of a radiotelemetry device. The animals were treated postoperatively with intraperitoneal injections of vehicle, ketorolac (10 mg/kg), or buprenorphine (0.06 mg/kg) every 8 hours for 3 days. Key Findings. There were no consistent significant changes in any of the telemetry parameters after treatment with ketorolac compared with no saline treatment with the exception of increased MAP in the buprenorphine group during the first 48 hours when compared with other treatment groups. There was a sustained increase in fecal corticosterone levels from baseline on days 2–7 with buprenorphine compared with vehicle- or ketorolac-treated animals. All treatment conditions displayed reduced paw withdrawal thresholds (PWTs) from day 1 to day 21 following surgery. Compared with the vehicle treatment group, buprenorphine-treated animals exhibited significantly lower PWT levels from day 4 to 14 days. Significance. Given the prolonged increase in fecal corticosterone levels and pronounced changes in tactile hyperalgesia behavior in rodents subjected to buprenorphine treatment, these data suggest that ketorolac may be superior to buprenorphine for the treatment of postprocedure pain behavior in rodents.

Non-invasive cortisol measurements as indicators of physiological stress responses in guinea pigs

Non-invasive measurements of glucocorticoid (GC) concentrations, including cortisol and corticosterone, serve as reliable indicators of adrenocortical activities and physiological stress loads in a variety of species. As an alternative to invasive analyses based on plasma, GC concentrations in saliva still represent single-point-of-time measurements, suitable for studying short-term or acute stress responses, whereas fecal GC metabolites (FGMs) reflect overall stress loads and stress responses after a species-specific time frame in the long-term. In our study species, the domestic guinea pig, GC measurements are commonly used to indicate stress responses to different environmental conditions, but the biological relevance of non-invasive measurements is widely unknown. We therefore established an experimental protocol based on the animals' natural stress responses to different environmental conditions and compared GC levels in plasma, saliva, and fecal samples during non-stressful social isolations and stressful two-hour social confrontations with unfamiliar individuals. Plasma and saliva cortisol concentrations were significantly increased directly after the social confrontations, and plasma and saliva cortisol levels were strongly correlated. This demonstrates a high biological relevance of GC measurements in saliva. FGM levels measured 20 h afterwards, representing the reported mean gut passage time based on physiological validations, revealed that the overall stress load was not affected by the confrontations, but also no relations to plasma cortisol levels were detected. We therefore measured FGMs in two-hour intervals for 24 h after another social confrontation and detected significantly increased levels after four to twelve hours, reaching peak concentrations already after six hours. Our findings confirm that non-invasive GC measurements in guinea pigs are highly biologically relevant in indicating physiological stress responses compared to circulating levels in plasma in the short- and long-term. Our approach also underlines the importance of detailed investigations on how to use and interpret non-invasive measurements, including the determination of appropriate time points for sample collections.

Corticosterone mediates the synaptic and behavioral effects of chronic stress at rat hippocampal temporoammonic synapses

Chronic stress is thought to impart risk for depression via alterations in brain structure and function, but contributions of specific mediators in generating these changes remain unclear. We test the hypothesis that stress-induced increases in corticosterone (CORT), the primary rodent glucocorticoid, are the key mediator of stress-induced depressive-like behavioral changes and synaptic dysfunction in the rat hippocampus. In rats, we correlated changes in cognitive and affective behavioral tasks (spatial memory consolidation, anhedonia, and neohypophagia) with impaired excitatory strength at temporoammonic-CA1 (TA-CA1) synapses, an archetypical stress-sensitive excitatory synapse. We tested whether elevated CORT was sufficient and necessary to generate a depressive-like behavioral phenotype and decreased excitatory signaling observed at TA-CA1 after chronic unpredictable stress (CUS). Chronic CORT administration induced an anhedonia-like behavioral state and neohypophagic behavior. Like CUS, chronic, but not acute, CORT generated an impaired synaptic phenotype characterized by reduced α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA)-preferring glutamate receptor-mediated excitation at TA-CA1 synapses, decreased AMPA-type glutamate receptor subunit 1 protein expression, and altered serotonin-1B receptor-mediated potentiation. Repeatedly blunting stress-induced increases of CORT during CUS with the CORT synthesis inhibitor metyrapone (MET) prevented these stress-induced neurobehavioral changes. MET also prevented the CUS-induced impairment of spatial memory consolidation. We conclude that corticosterone is sufficient and necessary to mediate glutamatergic dysfunction underlying stress-induced synaptic and behavioral phenotypes. Our results indicate that chronic excessive glucocorticoids cause specific synaptic deficits in the hippocampus, a major center for cognitive and emotional processing, that accompany stress-induced behavioral dysfunction. Maintaining excitatory strength at stress-sensitive synapses at key loci throughout corticomesolimbic reward circuitry appears critical for maintaining normal cognitive and emotional behavior.

Effects of visible implanted elastomer marking on physiological traits of frogs

Amphibians possess innate immune defences, including antimicrobial peptides and symbiotic bacterial communities, that can protect them from infectious diseases, including chytridiomycosis. On-going research is attempting to use amphibian symbiotic bacteria to develop probiotic treatments that can protect hosts from the causative agent of chytridiomycosis, the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. Events that cause disruption of symbiotic bacterial communities or deplete peptide stores could increase the susceptibility of individuals to disease and may have implications for amphibians involved in probiotic trials or time course studies that investigate symbiotic bacterial communities. It has previously been shown that passive integrated transponder tagging of frogs causes a rapid (within 24 h) and major proliferation of micro-organisms on the skin. Here, we show that marking of red-eyed tree frogs (Agalychnis callidryas) with visible elastomer has no effect on adrenal response (represented by faecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations) or peptide production, although there was evidence of a slightly greater microbial abundance associated with the skin of marked frogs 2 weeks after tagging. The results indicate that visible elastomer may be a preferable marking technique to passive integrated transponder tagging, particularly in the context of probiotic trials or time course studies that investigate symbiotic bacterial communities. More work is required to determine the effects of different marking techniques on physiological responses of amphibians, whether these physiological responses are consistent across host species and whether such 'non-invasive' marking methods affect the susceptibility of amphibians to infectious pathogens, such as B. dendrobatidis.

Corticosterone metabolites in laying hen droppings-Effects of fiber enrichment, genotype, and daily variations

There is growing interest and concern for animal welfare in commercial poultry production. To evaluate stress and welfare in an objective and noninvasive way, fecal corticosterone metabolites (FCM) in droppings can be analyzed. However, the influence of diet, genotype, and daily variations in FCM and production of droppings in laying hens has been poorly investigated. This study examined the effect of insoluble fiber by adding 3% ground straw pellets to the feed to Lohmann Selected Leghorn (LSL) and Lohmann Brown (LB) hens housed in furnished cages between 20 and 40 wk of age. In total, 960 hens were included in the study. Droppings were collected 4 times per day for 3 consecutive days and analyzed by corticosterone immunoassay. Biological validation confirmed the ability of the assay to detect changes in FCM levels. Inclusion of straw pellets in the feed increased FCM concentration in both hen genotypes and increased excretion rate of FCM in LB hens. The LB hens also produced greater amounts of droppings than LSL hens. Both FCM levels and production of droppings varied during the day, although no distinct diurnal rhythm was found. These findings demonstrate that when using FCM to evaluate stress and welfare in laying hens, many factors (e.g., diet, genotype used, and so on) need to be taken into account to allow accurate interpretation of the results. In addition, under certain conditions, excretion rate of FCM might be more appropriate to use compared with FCM concentration.

Short-term thyroid hormone excess affects the heart but does not affect adrenal activity in rats

Background

Hyperthyroidism (Hy) exerts a broad range of influences on a variety of physiological parameters. Its disruptive effect on cardiovascular system is one of its most remarkable impacts. Moreover, Hy has been clinically associated with stress - induced hyperactivation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.

Objective

Evaluate the impact of short-term Hy on cardiac performance and adrenal activity of rats.

Methods

Induction of Hy in Wistar rats through injections of T3 (150 µg/kg) for 10 days (hyperthyroid group - HG) or vehicle (control group). The cardiovascular performance was evaluated by: echocardiography (ECHO); heart weight/body weight (mg/gr) ratio; contractility of isolated papillary muscles (IPM) and direct measurement of blood pressures. Adrenal activity was evaluated by adrenal weight/body weight (mg/gr) ratio and 24-hour fecal corticosterone (FC) levels on the, 5^th and 10^th days of T3 treatment.

Results

In HG, the ECHO showed reduction of the End Systolic and End Diastolic Volumes, Ejection, Total Diastolic and Isovolumic Relaxation Times, Diastolic and Systolic Areas and E/A ratio. Heart Rate, Ejection Fraction and Cardiac Output increased. The heart weight/body weight ratio was higher. Similarly, in IPM, the maximum rate of force decay during relaxation was higher in all extracellular calcium concentrations. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) levels were higher. (p ≤ 0.05). On the other hand, there was no difference in the adrenal weight/body weight ratio or in the 24-hour FC levels.

Conclusions

Hy induces positive inotropic, chronotropic and lusitropic effects on the heart by direct effects of T3 and increases SBP. Those alterations are not correlated with changes in the adrenal activity.

Stress hormone concentration in Rocky Mountain populations of the American pika (Ochotona princeps)

The American pika (Ochotona princeps) is considered a sentinel species for detecting ecological effects of climate change. Pikas are declining within a large portion of their range, but previous studies have focused only on local pika extinction as a metric of change. We designed a procedure which can provide an earlier warning signal, based on non-invasive sampling and analysis of physiological stress in living pikas. Pikas were sampled at several locations in the Rocky Mountains for the measurement of glucocorticoid metabolites (GCMs) in faeces. Using a time series of faecal pellets from 12 individuals, we detected a significant increase in faecal GCM level in response to capture, thus biologically validating the use of a corticosterone enzyme immunoassay. We also established baseline, peak, and post-peak GCM concentrations for pikas in the Rocky Mountains, which varied according to gender and individual. This is the first study to measure stress hormone metabolites in any species of pika. The methods developed and validated in this study can be used to add non-invasive measurements of physiological stress to pika monitoring programmes and other research designed to assess pika vulnerability to predicted changes in climate. Pika monitoring programmes currently in place use a protocol that relates current site use by pikas with data on local habitat characteristics, such as elevation, to infer potential effects of climate change. Data generated by these monitoring studies can be used to identify the trends in site use by pikas in relationship to habitat covariates. However, this approach does not take into account the role of behavioural thermoregulation and the pika's use of microhabitats to ameliorate variations in climate. Incorporating a stress metric, such as GCM concentration, will provide relatively direct evidence for or against the hypothesis that pikas can be stressed by climate regardless of behavioural adaptations.

Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function in the California mouse (Peromyscus californicus): Changes in baseline activity, reactivity, and fecal excretion of glucocorticoids across the diurnal cycle

The California mouse, Peromyscus californicus, is an increasingly popular animal model in behavioral, neural, and endocrine studies, but little is known about its baseline hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity or HPA responses to stressors. We characterized plasma corticosterone (CORT) concentrations in P. californicus under baseline conditions across the diurnal cycle, in response to pharmacological manipulation of the HPA axis, and in response to a variety of stressors at different times of day. In addition, we explored the use of fecal samples to monitor adrenocortical activity non-invasively. California mice have very high baseline levels of circulating CORT that change markedly over 24h, but that do not differ between the sexes. This species may be somewhat glucocorticoid-resistant in comparison to other rodents as a relatively high dose of dexamethasone (5mg/kg, s.c.) was required to suppress plasma CORT for 8h post-injection. CORT responses to stressors and ACTH injection differed with time of day, as CORT concentrations were elevated more readily during the morning (inactive period) than in the evening (active period) when compared to time-matched control. Data from (3)H-CORT injection studies show that the time course for excretion of fecal CORT, or glucocorticoid metabolites, differs with time of injection. Mice injected in the evening excreted the majority of fecal radioactivity 2-4h post-injection whereas mice injected during the morning did so at 14-16h post-injection. Unfortunately, the antibody we used does not adequately bind the most prevalent fecal glucocorticoid metabolites and therefore we could not validate its use for fecal assays.

Physiological and behavioural stress responses in cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis) to noise associated with construction work

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the behavioural and physiological responses to environmental disturbances (live and recorded dynamite explosions) in laboratory non-human primates in preparation for a future tunnel construction underneath our animal facility. In a pilot study (A) on 20 female Macaca fascicularis, a day of test blasts resulted in an increase in faecal cortisol and immunoreactive cortisol metabolites (CICM), and the animals reacted behaviourally with vertical flight and vocalizations. In a follow-up study (B), we assessed the impact of 10 days of exposure to recorded detonations on the behaviour and CICM in 16 M. fascicularis. In the latter study we introduced a predictive signal, serving as a conditional stimulus, to half of the animals. We found no significant effects of the noise in the Signal group; while the Control groups’ CICM values were affected. The behaviour was largely unaffected in the two groups. It was decided not to introduce a research moratorium on biomedical research planned to be conducted during the future tunnel construction, and that a conditional stimulus (‘warning signal’) will be used.

Distribution and time course of corticosterone excretion in faeces and urine of female mice with varying systemic concentrations

Quantification of corticosterone metabolites excreted in faeces and urine is increasingly being used for assessment of preceding corticosterone concentrations in the circulation. This is a promising approach to non-invasive stress assessment in laboratory rodents. It is however unknown whether the proportions of corticosterone metabolites excreted in faeces and urine may differ, depending on the concentration of corticosterone in blood. This uncertainty undermines the applicability of urinary and faecal corticosterone metabolite measurements as biomarkers for stress. Therefore, the terminal distribution and time course of corticosterone excretion, after intravenous injection of varying corticosterone concentrations, was investigated in female mice. Female BALB/c mice excreted 60% of all corticosterone in the urine with an approximate delay of 5h from tail vein administration. The remaining 40% were excreted in faeces, with an approximate delay of 9h from administration. The faecal/urinary excretion ratio, as well as time course of excretion, remained unaltered by administration of various doses of corticosterone covering the entire physiological range of serum corticosterone. Although currently untested for other strains of mice and species of animals, these findings add credence to the utility of faecal and urinary corticosterone as non-invasive biomarkers for physiological stress.

Faecal glucocorticoid metabolites: How to express yourself – comparison of absolute amounts versus concentrations in samples from a study in laboratory rats

During the last two decades, measurement of faecal Cortisol or corticosterone metabolites (FCM) has become one of the most important tools to non-invasively monitor stress in animals. However, to reliably assess an animal's adrenocortical activity, a careful validation of this technique for each species and sex investigated is obligatory. Usually results in these validation studies and in subsequent applications are expressed as concentration (FCMconc). Nevertheless, some authors express their results as absolute amounts (FCMabs) and claim this to be more accurate. A physiological validation to prove this assumption, however, is still missing as well as information about the influence of the intervals set for faecal sampling, although the chosen intervals might play an important role. Since FCMconc and FCMabs may differ and therefore lead to different conclusions, our study aimed to gain fundamental and scientifically valid information about these parameters by re-analysing a set of data obtained in a study on laboratory rats. The data basis used was derived from four validation experiments performed in male and female rats: an adrenocorticotrophic hormone challenge test, a dexamethasone (Dex) suppression test, an investigation of the diurnal variation (DV) of glucocorticoids and the stress response in reaction to the injection procedure itself (for details see Lepschy et al. Non-invasive measurement of adrenocortical activity in male and female rats. Lab Anim 2007;41:372–87). Faecal samples were collected in short time intervals and the exact amount of faeces voided during each sampling interval was documented. Throughout all performed tests strong positive correlations between FCMconc and FCMabs were found (median of rs > 0.72). In males, for all calculated sampling intervals (4, 8 and 12 h) pharmacological stimulation, suppression and the DV of adrenocortical activity were reflected accurately using both FCMconc and FCMabs. In females, suppression of FCM by Dex was also clearly reflected in both systems. However, pharmacological stimulation was only reflected accurately by means of FCMconc, which clearly limits the usability of FCMabs. Thus, using the data of physiological validation experiments, we clearly demonstrate for the first time advantages and disadvantages of presenting results as FCMconc or FCMabs. Based on our findings in laboratory animals such as rats, giving results as FCMconc seems to be more appropriate and FCMabs - if at all - might only be used as an addition.

Corticosterone urinalysis and nicotinic receptor modulation in rats

A routine method of measuring circulating corticosterone (CORT) levels in rats involves sampling of plasma from cannulated animals. However, being somewhat invasive, this method can potentially be confounded by its inherently stressful nature. This study investigated the feasibility of measuring corticosterone using a non-invasive sampling method from voided urine of male rats. Reliability was assessed pharmacologically with nicotinic compounds previously demonstrated to modulate plasma glucocorticoid levels. Nicotine (0.1-1mg/kg sc) dose-dependently increased corticosterone levels in rat urine at 30-70 min following administration. The short-lived nature of this elevation was confirmed as CORT levels measured 6 and 24h later were shown to have returned to basal levels. Both basal and nicotine-induced (0.5mg/kg sc) elevations in urinary CORT were consistent between groups of animals with weights ranging from 200 to 400 g. The magnitude of urinary CORT elevation induced by nicotine (0.5mg/kg sc) was found to be similar to that induced by a forced swim stressor in male Lister ) antagonist mecamylamine (0.05-0.5mg/kg sc) dose-dependently reversed the effects of nicotine (0.5mg/kg sc) on urinary CORT. Finally, the alpha(4)beta(2)-subunit preferring agonist TC-2559 induced a dose-dependent increase in CORT, whereas alpha(7)- and beta(4)-subunit preferring ligands had no effect, suggestive of the potential for differential involvement of nicotinic receptor subtypes in the mediation of this response. In conclusion, urinary corticosterone sampling in rats represents a robust assay sensitive to experimental manipulations of both pharmacological and behavioural relevances.

Impact of aspen furniture and restricted feeding on activity, blood pressure, heart rate and faecal corticosterone and immunoglobulin A excretion in rats (Rattus norvegicus) housed in individually ventilated cages

This study aims to evaluate the impact of adding different items in individually ventilated rat cages on the animal's activity, cardiovascular parameters and faecal stress indicators. The following three cage items made of aspen were compared: a cross made of two intersecting boards, a similar cross where drilled holes were loaded with food pellets (restricted feeding) and a rectangular tube. Male rats of the strains BN and F344 (n = 12) were housed in groups of three; one rat in each group was implanted with a telemetric transponder to measure mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR). In a crossover design, each group spent 14 days with each type of cage furniture, thereafter faecal pellets were collected for faecal analyses. The means of activity and means and coefficient of variation for MAP and HR were calculated for days 2, 6, 10 and 14. As a way of determining which of the statistically significant MAP and HR mean changes were biologically meaningful, the night-day differences of the controls on day 14 were used. Both board types lowered MAP of F344 rats; hence dividing walls seem beneficial for F344 welfare. None of the MAP or HR differences in BN rats were biologically significant. No statistically significant differences in faecal corticosterone or IgA excretion were detected. In conclusion, provision of general recommendations with respect to cage furniture for rat cages is complicated because there is a clear genetic component involved in how animals respond to these structures.

Postnatal stress produces hyperglycemia in adult rats exposed to hypoxia-ischemia

Fetal or early postnatal stressors may predispose infants to develop diabetes, metabolic syndrome, or stroke. We hypothesized that postnatal stress will predispose animals to develop metabolic syndrome and impair the physiologic response to hypoxic-ischemic brain injury. We characterized the short- and long-term physiologic responses to postnatal stress by examining corticosterone (CS), glucose metabolism, and brain injury in neonatal and adult rats exposed to hypoxia-ischemia (H-I). Rat pups were divided into three levels of postnatal stress from postnatal day (P) 3 to P7. All rats underwent unilateral brain injury on either P7 or P134. We measured brain injury, growth, blood pressure, urine/plasma CS, plasma leptin, insulin, and glucose before and after H-I. Postnatal stress increased neonatal CS production, exacerbated neonatal white matter injury, and was associated with adult hyperglycemia after H-I despite increased insulin production. There were no group differences in adult weight, blood pressure, or leptin. Postnatal stress exacerbated brain injury and produced adult hyperglycemia, triggered after hypoxia exposure, consistent with the hypotheses that neonates exposed to early stress are more vulnerable to hypoxia and may be predisposed to develop metabolic syndrome in adulthood. Prolonged maternal separation produced more hyperglycemia than did brief daily handling.

Individual housing of mice--impact on behaviour and stress responses

The replicability of results derived from studies in rodents might be influenced by stress caused by inappropriate housing conditions. Here we compared the experimental behaviour and stress response (circulating corticosterone level and adrenal tyrosine hydroxylase activity) of individually-housed male and female inbred mice with that of animals housed in social groups. All mice were behaviourally tested in the modified hole board test (mHB). Male C57BL/6, BALB/c and A mice housed in groups of 3 were compared with individually-housed mice. In a subsequent experiment female C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice were housed under similar conditions. To exclude the possible effects of within-cage order of testing, only one individual per group was behaviourally tested. Neither male nor female mice housed individually showed stronger signs of stress than their socially-housed counterparts. However, we observed a within-cage order effect on the hormonal stress response (corticosterone) in socially-housed female C57BL/6 mice. No effects of individual housing on behaviour in the mHB were found.

A non-invasive technique for analyzing fecal cortisol metabolites in snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus)

To develop non-invasive techniques for monitoring steroid stress hormones in the feces of free-living animals, extensive knowledge of their metabolism and excretion is essential. Here, we conducted four studies to validate the use of an enzyme immunoassay for monitoring fecal cortisol metabolites in snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus). First, we injected 11 hares with radioactive cortisol and collected all voided urine and feces for 4 days. Radioactive metabolites were recovered predominantly in the urine (59%), with only 8% recovered in the feces. Peak radioactivity was detected an average of 3.5 and 5.7 h after injection in the urine and feces, respectively. Second, we investigated diurnal rhythms in fecal cortisol metabolites by measuring recovered radioactivity 2 days after the radioactive cortisol injection. The total amount of radioactivity recovered showed a strong diurnal rhythm, but the amount of radioactivity excreted per gram of feces did not, remaining constant. Third, we injected hares with dexamethasone to suppress fecal cortisol metabolites and 2 days later with adrenocorticotropic hormone to increase fecal cortisol metabolites. Dexamethasone decreased fecal cortisol metabolites concentrations by 61% and adrenocorticotropic hormone increased them by 1,000%, 8-12 h after injection. Fourth, we exposed hares to a simulated predator (dog). This increased the fecal cortisol metabolites concentrations by 175% compared with baseline concentrations 8-12 h after exposure. Thus, this enzyme immunoassay provides a robust foundation for non-invasive field studies of stress in hares.

Fecal glucocorticoid metabolites of experimentally stressed captive and free-living starlings: implications for conservation research

Fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGM) analysis has received considerable attention in conservation biology because it has potential to be used as a noninvasive measure of stress in animals. There has been a recent and extensive literature describing the importance of technical, physiological, and biological validations of this technique, yet surprisingly little is known about how FGM concentrations change during chronic stress. Therefore, we experimentally induced chronic stress in both captive and free-living European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris). Chronic stress was elicited using a rotation of four different 30 min acute stressors for 16 days in the laboratory and 8 days in the field. Exogenous ACTH, the primary glucocorticoid secretagog, significantly increased FGM concentrations in approximately 2 h, and our assay detected endogenous diel glucocorticoid rhythms similar to those of other birds. Thus, our assay was both physiologically and biologically validated. However, experimentally induced chronic stress did not alter daytime or nighttime FGM concentrations in captive starlings. In contrast, chronically stressed adult female starlings had higher FGM concentrations than unstressed female starlings in the field. Our field data support the general assumption that higher FGM concentrations indicate chronic stress, but our captive data do not. Overall, our results suggest that more research is need before FGM analysis can be used as a reliable measure of stress in animals, especially those kept in captivity.

Forced and voluntary exercise differentially affect brain and behavior

The potential of physical exercise to decrease body weight, alleviate depression, combat aging and enhance cognition has been well-supported by research studies. However, exercise regimens vary widely across experiments, raising the question of whether there is an optimal form, intensity and duration of exertion that would produce maximal benefits. In particular, a comparison of forced and voluntary exercise is needed, since the results of several prior studies suggest that they may differentially affect brain and behavior. In the present study, we employed a novel 8-week exercise paradigm that standardized the distance, pattern, equipment and housing condition of forced and voluntary exercisers. Exercising rats were then compared with sedentary controls on measures previously shown to be influenced by physical activity. Our results indicate that although the distance covered by both exercise groups was the same, voluntary exercisers ran at higher speed and for less total time than forced exercisers. When compared with sedentary controls, forced but not voluntary exercise was found to increase anxiety-like behaviors in the open field. Both forms of exercise increased the number of surviving bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU)+ cells in the dentate gyrus after 8 weeks of exercise, although forced exercisers had significantly more than voluntary exercisers. Phenotypic analysis of BrdU+ cells showed no difference between groups in the percentage of newborn cells that became neurons, however, because forced exercise maximally increased the number of BrdU+ cells, it ultimately produced more neurons than voluntary exercise. Our results indicate that forced and voluntary exercise are inherently different: voluntary wheel running is characterized by rapid pace and short duration, whereas forced exercise involves a slower, more consistent pace for longer periods of time. This basic difference between the two forms of exercise is likely responsible for their differential effects on brain and behavior.

Marked for life? Effects of early cage-cleaning frequency, delivery batch, and identification tail-marking on rat anxiety profiles

Daily handling of preweanling rats reduces their adult anxiety. Even routine cage-cleaning, involving handling, reduces adult anxiety compared with controls. Cage-cleaning regimes differ between animal breeders, potentially affecting rodent anxiety and experimental results. Here, 92 adult male rats given different cage-cleaning rates as pups, were compared on plus-maze, hyponeophagia, corticosterone, and handling tests. They were pair-housed and half were tail-marked for identification. Anxiety/stress profiles were unaffected by cage-cleaning frequency, suggesting that commercial-typical differences in husbandry contribute little variance to adult rat behavior. However, delivery batch affected some elevated plus-maze measures. Also, tail-marked rats spent three times longer on the plus-maze open arms than their unmarked cagemates, suggesting reduced anxiety, yet paradoxically they showed greater chromodacryorrhoea responses to handling, implying increased aversion to human contact. A follow-up study showed that rats avoided the odor released from the marker pen used. Thus, apparently trivial aspects of procedure can greatly affect experimental results.

A non-invasive method for detecting the metabolic stress response in rodents: characterization and disruption of the circadian corticosterone rhythm

Plasma corticosterone (CORT) measures are a common procedure to detect stress responses in rodents. However, the procedure is invasive and can influence CORT levels, making it less than ideal for monitoring CORT circadian rhythms. In the current paper, we examined the applicability of a non-invasive fecal CORT metabolite measure to assess the circadian rhythm. We compared fecal CORT metabolite levels to circulating CORT levels, and analyzed change in the fecal circadian rhythm following an acute stressor (i.e. blood sampling by tail veil catheter). Fecal and blood samples were collected from male adolescent rats and analyzed for CORT metabolites and circulating CORT respectively. Fecal samples were collected hourly for 24 h before and after blood draw. On average, peak fecal CORT metabolite values occurred 7-9 h after the plasma CORT peak and time-matched fecal CORT values were well correlated with plasma CORT. As a result of the rapid blood draw, fecal production and CORT levels were altered the next day. These results indicate fecal CORT metabolite measures can be used to assess conditions that disrupt the circadian CORT rhythm, and provide a method to measure long-term changes in CORT production. This can benefit research that requires long-term glucocorticoid assessment (e.g. stress mechanisms underlying health).

Removing individual rats affects indicators of welfare in the remaining group members

The removal of individuals from social groups, e.g. in order to maintain appropriate stocking densities in groups of rapidly growing young laboratory rats, is often necessary. However, such removals may be stressful and few studies have investigated their effects on the behaviour, physiology and welfare of the remaining group members. In this study we investigated this issue for rats housed at different stocking densities by observing behaviour and recording faecal corticosterone metabolite levels both before and after removal. We found that, irrespective of stocking density, the rats remaining in the home cage significantly increased agonistic behaviour, audible vocalization, aggressive grooming, bar-chewing and climbing behaviour following removal of their cage-mates, and that these behavioural changes were associated with a highly significant post-removal increase in their faecal corticosterone metabolite levels. Taking the behavioural and physiological results together, it appears that the removal of individuals from groups of young laboratory rats resulted in social stress, and thus an apparent impairment of welfare.