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Peric T, Veronesi MC, Prandi A, Fusi J, Faustini M, Probo M. Postpartum hair cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate and their ratio in beef cows: Exploring association with parity and conception outcome. Theriogenology 2024; 214:352-359. [PMID: 37979326 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2023.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023]
Abstract
Hair steroid measurement has received increasing attention for monitoring hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function, as it offers the advantages of being noninvasive, fast, and able to indicate steroid concentrations over long periods. The objects of the study were to evaluate cortisol (C) and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) hair concentrations and their ratio (C/DHEA-S) in beef cows from calving to 100 days (d) postpartum (pp) and to assess possible differences related to parity (primiparous vs multiparous) and conception outcome (pregnant vs not pregnant). Hair samples were collected from 6 primiparous and 5 multiparous pregnant beef cows by clipping the coat at calving (T0) and every 20 d for 5 times (T1-T5), collecting only the regrown hair. Starting from the 6th-week pp, cows were submitted to artificial insemination at spontaneous estrus; by 100 d pp, 7 cows were pregnant and 4 were not pregnant. Statistical analysis showed higher hair C concentrations in the 11 cows at calving (T0) compared to all the subsequent samplings except for T1, and higher C concentrations at T1 compared to T3, T4, and T5. These results indicate that hair C concentrations in beef cows are affected by sampling time, with a decrease from calving, as reported in other matrices. When exploring changes within parity groups, no differences were found in the multiparous among sampling times, while hair C concentrations at T0 and T1 tended to be higher than at T2 (0.01 ≤ p < 0.05) and were higher (p < 0.01) than in all the subsequent samplings (T3, T4 and T5) within the primiparous group. Higher hair C concentrations were found at T0 and T1 in the primiparous compared to multiparous (p < 0.01), suggesting that primiparous cows undergo a greater stress level before and around parturition compared to multiparous, probably due to the novelty of the calving experience. No differences were detected in C hair concentrations according to conception outcome (pregnant versus not pregnant) in each sampling time. Hair DHEA-S concentrations were neither affected by time nor by parity or conception outcome. Differences in the C/DHEA-S ratio were found at T1, with higher C/DHEA-S in the multiparous compared to primiparous cows (p < 0.001), and a tendency for higher ratio in the not pregnant compared to the pregnant (0.01 ≤ p < 0.05). These results support the choice of hair as a valuable biological matrix when investigating long-time periods such as postpartum in cows and suggest an enhanced immunoprotective effect of DHEA-S in the postpartum of primiparous cows, and in cows that get pregnant within 100 d postpartum.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Peric
- Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Animal Sciences, University of Udine, Via Sondrio, 2/a, 33100, Udine, Italy
| | - M C Veronesi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via dell'Università 6, 26900, Lodi, Italy
| | - A Prandi
- Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Animal Sciences, University of Udine, Via Sondrio, 2/a, 33100, Udine, Italy
| | - J Fusi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via dell'Università 6, 26900, Lodi, Italy.
| | - M Faustini
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via dell'Università 6, 26900, Lodi, Italy
| | - M Probo
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via dell'Università 6, 26900, Lodi, Italy
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Amato KR, Pradhan P, Mallott EK, Shirola W, Lu A. Host-gut microbiota interactions during pregnancy. Evol Med Public Health 2024; 12:7-23. [PMID: 38288320 PMCID: PMC10824165 DOI: 10.1093/emph/eoae001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Mammalian pregnancy is characterized by a well-known suite of physiological changes that support fetal growth and development, thereby positively affecting both maternal and offspring fitness. However, mothers also experience trade-offs between current and future maternal reproductive success, and maternal responses to these trade-offs can result in mother-offspring fitness conflicts. Knowledge of the mechanisms through which these trade-offs operate, as well as the contexts in which they operate, is critical for understanding the evolution of reproduction. Historically, hormonal changes during pregnancy have been thought to play a pivotal role in these conflicts since they directly and indirectly influence maternal metabolism, immunity, fetal growth and other aspects of offspring development. However, recent research suggests that gut microbiota may also play an important role. Here, we create a foundation for exploring this role by constructing a mechanistic model linking changes in maternal hormones, immunity and metabolism during pregnancy to changes in the gut microbiota. We posit that marked changes in hormones alter maternal gut microbiome composition and function both directly and indirectly via impacts on the immune system. The gut microbiota then feeds back to influence maternal immunity and metabolism. We posit that these dynamics are likely to be involved in mediating maternal and offspring fitness as well as trade-offs in different aspects of maternal and offspring health and fitness during pregnancy. We also predict that the interactions we describe are likely to vary across populations in response to maternal environments. Moving forward, empirical studies that combine microbial functional data and maternal physiological data with health and fitness outcomes for both mothers and infants will allow us to test the evolutionary and fitness implications of the gestational microbiota, enriching our understanding of the ecology and evolution of reproductive physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine R Amato
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Priyanka Pradhan
- Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Elizabeth K Mallott
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Wesley Shirola
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Amy Lu
- Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
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3
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Otridge J, Meyer JS, Dettmer AM. Amniotic fluid cortisol predicts neonatal and infant development in non-stressed rhesus monkeys: Implications for prenatal stress. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2023; 100:107308. [PMID: 37890675 PMCID: PMC10872548 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2023.107308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
Prenatal stress adversely affects offspring development, with fetal cortisol (CORT) exposure being a primary hypothesized mechanism for stress-induced developmental deficits. Fetal CORT exposure can be assessed via measurements in amniotic fluid. However, in humans, amniocentesis is typically only performed for clinical reasons such as karyotyping; thus, amniotic fluid CORT cannot be obtained from a random sample. To test the hypothesis that fetal CORT exposure predicts neonatal and infant development in healthy primates, we measured amniotic fluid CORT in N = 18 healthy rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) dams (50:50 female:male infants) between 80 and 124 days gestation (mean ± SEM = 98.3 ± 2.9 days out of 165 days gestational length; i.e., second trimester). Maternal hair cortisol concentrations (HCCs) were assessed throughout pregnancy and lactation. Offspring were assessed for physical growth, neurological development, cognitive development, and HCCs across postnatal days 30-180. Controlling for gestational age at amniocentesis, higher amniotic fluid CORT significantly predicted slower infant growth rate (g/day) in the first 30 days (β = -0.19; R2 = 0.71, p = .008), poorer sensorimotor scores on the day 30 neonatal assessment (β = -0.28; R2 = 0.76, p = .015), and longer time to complete training (β = 0.48; R2 = 0.54, p = .026), but better performance (β = 0.91; R2 = 0.60, p = .011) on a discrimination cognitive task at 120-180 days. Amniotic fluid CORT was not associated with maternal or infant HCCs. Although these results are correlative, they raise the intriguing possibility that fetal CORT exposure in non-stress-exposed primates, as measured by amniotic fluid CORT, programs multiple aspects of neonatal and infant development. On the other hand, amniotic fluid CORT may not relate to chronic CORT levels in either mothers or infants when assessed by hair sampling.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jerrold S Meyer
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Amanda M Dettmer
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
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Pittet F, Hinde K. Meager Milk: Lasting Consequences for Adult Daughters of Primiparous Mothers Among Rhesus Macaques (Macaca mulatta). Integr Comp Biol 2023; 63:569-584. [PMID: 37170073 PMCID: PMC10503474 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icad022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Among mammals, primipara who initiate reproduction before full maturity can be constrained in their maternal investment, both due to fewer somatic resources and tradeoffs between their own continued development and reproductive effort. Primipara are particularly limited in their capacity to synthesize milk during lactation, the costliest aspect of reproduction for most mammals, especially primates due to long periods of postnatal development. Due to reduced milk transfer, Firstborns may be at elevated risk for long-term consequences of deficits in early life endowment from their primiparous mothers. Here we investigated mass, growth, stature, and lactation performance among N = 273 adult daughters across N = 335 reproductions, who were their own mother's Firstborn or Laterborn progeny, among rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) at the California National Primate Research Center. We further explored mass during infancy of the offspring of Firstborn and Laterborn mothers. Firstborns had accelerated growth during infancy, but had slowed growth during juvenility, compared to Laterborns. Although both Firstborns and Laterborns were the same age at reproductive debut, Firstborns had lower body mass, an effect that persisted throughout the reproductive career. Available milk energy, the product of milk energetic density and milk yield, was on average 16% lower for Firstborns compared to Laterborns, a difference that was only partially mediated by their lower mass. Despite differences in their mothers' energy provision through milk, the mass of infants of Firstborn and Laterborn mothers did not differ at peak lactation, suggesting that infants of Firstborns devote a higher proportion of milk energy to growth than infants of Laterborns. To date few studies have explored how early life conditions shape capacities to synthesize milk and milk composition. Our findings contribute new information among primates on how early life maternal endowments are associated with persistent effects long after the period of maternal dependence well into reproductive maturity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florent Pittet
- Neuroscience and Behavior Unit, California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Katie Hinde
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
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Dettmer AM, Novak MA, Meyer JS. Are hair cortisol levels dependent on hair growth rate? A pilot study in rhesus macaques. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2023; 340:114308. [PMID: 37244411 PMCID: PMC10330586 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2023.114308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Research incorporating the analysis of glucocorticoids, specifically cortisol, in hair samples has exploded over the past 10-15 years, yet factors contributing to the accumulation of cortisol in hair are not yet fully characterized. In particular, it is not clear whether cortisol accumulation in hair is dependent on hair growth rate, a possibility raised by prior rodent studies reporting glucocorticoid-mediated inhibition of hair growth. Using rhesus macaque monkeys (Macaca mulatta), an extensively studied nonhuman primate species, the present pilot study evaluated the hypothesis that hair cortisol accumulation is inversely related to hair growth rate (i.e., slower hair growth leading to elevated cortisol levels). Hair samples were collected from 19 adult female macaques and 17 infants (9 males) 3 months apart using a shave-reshave procedure from the same site below the posterior vertex of the scalp. The second hair samples were measured to the nearest millimeter (mm) for growth rate over the previous 3 months and assayed for hair cortisol concentrations (HCCs) using enzyme immunoassay. Because of the possibility of age-related differences in hair growth rate, correlational analyses were performed separately for adults and infants to determine whether HCC values were associated with growth rate in each age group. These analyses revealed that neither group displayed a significant correlation of HCCs with hair growth. The results additionally showed that overall, adults had a faster hair growth rate than infants and, as expected from previous studies, had lower HCCs than infants. Our results suggest that higher HCCs within the non-stress range do not result from cortisol-mediated inhibition of hair growth. Moreover, similarities between humans and macaque monkeys in both HPA axis regulation and hair growth rates argue that these findings are relevant for human hair cortisol studies. Extrapolation to other species in which the features of hair growth and the relevant regulatory mechanisms are less well understood should be done with caution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda M Dettmer
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, 230 S. Frontage Road, New Haven, CT 06519, USA.
| | - Melinda A Novak
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, 135 Hicks Way, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
| | - Jerrold S Meyer
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, 135 Hicks Way, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
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Medill SA, Janz DM, McLoughlin PD. Hair Cortisol Concentrations in Feral Horses and the Influence of Physiological and Social Factors. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2133. [PMID: 37443930 DOI: 10.3390/ani13132133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2023] [Revised: 06/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Cortisol is a glucocorticoid hormone produced during activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) in response to psychological or physiological demands. High amounts of circulating cortisol can be found in individuals experiencing energetically demanding physiological events, such as pregnancy, lactation, injury, or starvation, but, also, in individuals who may have less obvious HPA activation from social situations. The feral horse population on Sable Island (Nova Scotia, Canada) provides an opportunity to look at hair cortisol concentration (HCC) as a proxy for circulating cortisol concentration to better understand physiological correlates. The horse's complex social structure also allows us to look at how the population and group structure may influence HPA activation. Hair samples (n = 282) were analyzed from 113 females and 135 males. Females with dependent offspring (foals) had higher HCC than those females without dependent offspring (p = 0.005). Horses in poor body condition were also more likely to have higher HCC (females: p < 0.001, males: p = 0.028); females had greater variation in the body condition index (BCI), which also correlated with foal production. In general, the top-ranked models describing female cortisol levels included age, BCI, presence of a foal, as well as social measures such as harem size and the number of bachelors in the vicinity. The top model describing male cortisol levels included age, BCI, and year of collection only, and the number of bachelors in the home range appeared in subsequent, though still high-ranked, models. Among the variables not of direct interest, we found some significant results relating to hair color and hair texture. Differences in HCC patterns between feral and domestically kept horses (e.g., age and sex) are likely linked to periods of resource limitations, particularly for individuals experiencing energetically demanding processes such as reproduction, illness/parasitism, or related to experiencing the full range of social and reproductive behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah A Medill
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5C8, Canada
| | - David M Janz
- Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4, Canada
| | - Philip D McLoughlin
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5C8, Canada
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Nurmi NO, Sonnweber R, Schülke O, Moscovice LR, Deschner T, Hohmann G. Bonobo mothers have elevated urinary cortisol levels during early but not mid or late lactation. Primates 2023; 64:215-225. [PMID: 36565402 PMCID: PMC10006042 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-022-01044-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
In mammals, the costs of reproduction are biased towards females. Lactation is particularly energetically expensive, and behavioral and physiological data indicate that maternal effort during lactation induces energetic stress. Another source of stress in females is male aggression directed towards them when they are cycling. Evaluating the costs of reproduction in wild and mobile animals can be a challenging task, and requires detailed information on state-dependent parameters such as hormone levels. Glucocorticoid (GC) levels are indicative of nutritional and social stress, and are widely used to assess the costs of reproduction. We investigated variation in urinary levels of cortisol, the main GC in female bonobos (Pan paniscus), between and within reproductive stages. Female chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), the closest living relative of the bonobos, are often exposed to intense aggression from males, which causes a significant rise in their cortisol levels during the phase of their maximum fecundity. In bonobos, males compete for access to fertile females, but aggressive male mating strategies are absent in this species. Therefore, we expected that GC levels of cycling female bonobos would be lower than those of lactating females. Due to the long period of offspring care in bonobos, we expected that GC levels would remain elevated into the late stage of lactation, when immatures gain body weight but may still be nursed and carried by their mothers. We found elevated urinary GC levels only during the early stage of lactation. The GC levels of cycling females did not differ from those in the mid or late lactation stage. Behavioral strategies of female bonobos may allow them to compensate for the elevated energetic demands of lactation and prolonged maternal care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niina O Nurmi
- Department of Behavioral Ecology, JFB Institute for Zoology/Anthropology, University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Interim Group Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ruth Sonnweber
- Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Oliver Schülke
- Department of Behavioral Ecology, JFB Institute for Zoology/Anthropology, University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Research Group Social Evolution in Primates, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Liza R Moscovice
- Institute of Behavioral Physiology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology, Dummerstorf, Germany
| | - Tobias Deschner
- Interim Group Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Gottfried Hohmann
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
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8
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An Investigation of Ovarian and Adrenal Hormone Activity in Post-Ovulatory Cheetahs ( Acinonyx jubatus). Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12070809. [PMID: 35405799 PMCID: PMC8996957 DOI: 10.3390/ani12070809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Cheetahs have been the subject of reproductive study for over 35 years, yet steroid hormone activity remains poorly described after ovulation. Our objective was to examine and compare fecal progestagen (fPM), estrogen (fEM), and glucocorticoid (fGM) metabolite concentrations post-ovulation in pregnant and non-pregnant animals to better understand female physiology (1) during successful pregnancy, (2) surrounding frequent non-pregnant luteal phases, and (3) after artificial insemination (AI) to improve the low success rate. Secondarily, the authors also validated a urinary progestagen metabolite assay, allowing pregnancy detection with minimal sample collection. Fecal samples were collected from 12 females for ≥2 weeks prior to breeding/hormone injection (the PRE period) through 92 days post-breeding/injection. Samples were assessed for hormone concentrations using established enzyme immunoassays. Urine samples were collected for 13 weeks from 6 females after natural breeding or AI. There were no differences among groups in fGM, but in pregnant females, concentrations were higher (p < 0.01) in the last trimester than any other time. For pregnant females that gave birth to singletons, fGM was higher (p = 0.0205), but fEM tended to be lower (p = 0.0626) than those with multi-cub litters. Our results provide insight into the physiological events surrounding natural and artificially stimulated luteal activity in the cheetah.
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Wilson AE, Michaud SA, Jackson AM, Stenhouse G, McClelland CJR, Coops NC, Janz DM. Protein biomarkers in serum as a conservation tool to assess reproduction: a case study on brown bears ( Ursus arctos). CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 9:coab091. [PMID: 34888057 PMCID: PMC8651255 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coab091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Monitoring the reproductive characteristics of a species can complement existing conservation strategies by understanding the mechanisms underlying demography. However, methodology to determine important aspects of female reproductive biology is often absent in monitoring programs for large mammals. Protein biomarkers may be a useful tool to detect physiological changes that are indicative of reproductive state. This study aimed to identify protein biomarkers of reproductive status in serum collected from free-ranging female brown bears (Ursus arctos) in Alberta, Canada, from 2001 to 2018. We hypothesized that the expression of proteins related to reproduction in addition to energetics and stress can be used to answer specific management-focused questions: (i) identify when a female is pregnant, (ii) detect if a female is lactating, (iii) determine age of sexual maturity (i.e. primiparity) and (iv) assess female fertility (i.e. reproduction rate). Furthermore, we investigated if silver spoon effects (favourable early life conditions provide fitness benefits through adulthood) could be determined using protein expression. A target panel of 19 proteins with established relationships to physiological function was measured by peptide-based analysis using liquid chromatography and multiple reaction monitoring mass spectrometry and their differential expression was evaluated using a Wilcoxon signed-rank test. We found biomarkers of pregnancy (apolipoprotein B-100 and afamin), lactation (apolipoprotein B-100 and alpha-2-macroglobulin) and sexual maturity (corticosteroid-binding globulin), but there were no statistically significant relationships with protein expression and fertility. The expression of proteins related to reproduction (afamin) and energetics (vitamin-D binding protein) was associated with the nutritional quality of the individual's present habitat rather than their early life habitat. This study highlights potential biomarkers of reproductive status and provides additional methods for monitoring physiological function in wildlife to inform conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abbey E Wilson
- Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5B4, Canada
| | - Sarah A Michaud
- The University of Victoria Genome BC Proteomics Centre, 4464 Markham St #3101, Victoria, British Columbia V8Z 7X8, Canada
| | - Angela M Jackson
- The University of Victoria Genome BC Proteomics Centre, 4464 Markham St #3101, Victoria, British Columbia V8Z 7X8, Canada
| | - Gordon Stenhouse
- Grizzly Bear Program, fRI Research, 1176 Switzer Drive, Hinton, Alberta T7V 1V3, Canada
| | | | - Nicholas C Coops
- Department of Forest Resource Management, University of British Columbia, 2424 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - David M Janz
- Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5B4, Canada
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10
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Vlasova RM, Iosif AM, Ryan AM, Funk LH, Murai T, Chen S, Lesh TA, Rowland DJ, Bennett J, Hogrefe CE, Maddock RJ, Gandal MJ, Geschwind DH, Schumann CM, Van de Water J, McAllister AK, Carter CS, Styner MA, Amaral DG, Bauman MD. Maternal Immune Activation during Pregnancy Alters Postnatal Brain Growth and Cognitive Development in Nonhuman Primate Offspring. J Neurosci 2021; 41:9971-9987. [PMID: 34607967 PMCID: PMC8638691 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0378-21.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Human epidemiological studies implicate exposure to infection during gestation in the etiology of neurodevelopmental disorders. Animal models of maternal immune activation (MIA) have identified the maternal immune response as the critical link between maternal infection and aberrant offspring brain and behavior development. Here we evaluate neurodevelopment of male rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) born to MIA-treated dams (n = 14) injected with a modified form of the viral mimic polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid at the end of the first trimester. Control dams received saline injections at the same gestational time points (n = 10) or were untreated (n = 4). MIA-treated dams exhibited a strong immune response as indexed by transient increases in sickness behavior, temperature, and inflammatory cytokines. Although offspring born to control or MIA-treated dams did not differ on measures of physical growth and early developmental milestones, the MIA-treated animals exhibited subtle changes in cognitive development and deviated from species-typical brain growth trajectories. Longitudinal MRI revealed significant gray matter volume reductions in the prefrontal and frontal cortices of MIA-treated offspring at 6 months that persisted through the final time point at 45 months along with smaller frontal white matter volumes in MIA-treated animals at 36 and 45 months. These findings provide the first evidence of early postnatal changes in brain development in MIA-exposed nonhuman primates and establish a translationally relevant model system to explore the neurodevelopmental trajectory of risk associated with prenatal immune challenge from birth through late adolescence.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Women exposed to infection during pregnancy have an increased risk of giving birth to a child who will later be diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental disorder. Preclinical maternal immune activation (MIA) models have demonstrated that the effects of maternal infection on fetal brain development are mediated by maternal immune response. Since the majority of MIA models are conducted in rodents, the nonhuman primate provides a unique system to evaluate the MIA hypothesis in a species closely related to humans. Here we report the first longitudinal study conducted in a nonhuman primate MIA model. MIA-exposed offspring demonstrate subtle changes in cognitive development paired with marked reductions in frontal gray and white matter, further supporting the association between prenatal immune challenge and alterations in offspring neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roza M Vlasova
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27514
| | - Ana-Maria Iosif
- Division of Biostatistics, Department of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
| | - Amy M Ryan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
- The MIND Institute, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, California, 95616
| | - Lucy H Funk
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
| | - Takeshi Murai
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, California, 95616
| | - Shuai Chen
- Division of Biostatistics, Department of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
| | - Tyler A Lesh
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
| | - Douglas J Rowland
- Center for Genomic and Molecular Imaging, University of California, Davis, California, 95616
| | - Jeffrey Bennett
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
| | - Casey E Hogrefe
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, California, 95616
| | - Richard J Maddock
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
| | - Michael J Gandal
- Neurogenetics Program, Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, California, 90095
| | - Daniel H Geschwind
- Neurogenetics Program, Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, California, 90095
| | - Cynthia M Schumann
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
- The MIND Institute, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
| | - Judy Van de Water
- The MIND Institute, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
- Rheumatology/Allergy and Clinical Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
| | - A Kimberley McAllister
- The MIND Institute, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, California, 95618
| | - Cameron S Carter
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
| | - Martin A Styner
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27514
- Department of Computer Science, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599
| | - David G Amaral
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
- The MIND Institute, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, California, 95616
| | - Melissa D Bauman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
- The MIND Institute, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, California, 95616
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11
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Reproductive and Stress Response Hormones of the Critically Endangered Southern Muriqui (Brachyteles arachnoides: Atelidae) Under Captive Conditions. INT J PRIMATOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-021-00240-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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12
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Effects of early life adversity on maternal effort and glucocorticoids in wild olive baboons. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-03056-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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13
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Marceau K, Rolan E, Robertson O, Wang W, Shirtcliff EA. Within-person changes of cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone, testosterone, estradiol, and progesterone in hair across pregnancy, with comparison to a non-pregnant reference group. COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2021; 5. [PMID: 33778789 PMCID: PMC7990345 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2020.100024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The literature on hormone changes in pregnancy has focused largely on cortisol, and changes in sample average concentrations. Within-person changes and variability in hormone concentrations are less commonly reported, particularly for sex hormones, and especially measured in hair. Using a prospective sample of pregnant women and a non-pregnant comparison group, we examined changes in five steroid hormones in hair. Non-pregnant women were recruited from the same area with parallel procedures and assessment timeline. Participants include 68 women (34 pregnant, average age = 29.14, and 34 non-pregnant; average age = 27.18) who were predominately non-Hispanic White (83%), and above the 2020 poverty line (75%). Pregnant women provided 3 cm hair samples and completed questionnaires three times during pregnancy: 1) at 12 weeks, 2) at 26 weeks, and 3) at 38 weeks. Non-pregnant women provided 3 cm hair samples and completed questionnaires three times, at baseline, 14 weeks later, and 12 weeks after that to mirror the assessment schedule of the pregnant group. There was clear evidence that progesterone was higher initially and increased dramatically across pregnancy whereas non-pregnant patterns showed no systematic change. There was suggestive evidence that cortisol and estradiol increased over pregnancy and in non-pregnant women similarly across the same time course. There was suggestive evidence that DHEA decreased across pregnancy, particularly early in pregnancy, differently from patterns in non-pregnant women over the same time course. Most importantly, there was substantial variability of hormone concentrations and many different within-person patterns of changes in these hormones over time, with little evidence of systematic change or stability within-individuals. Moving beyond discussing sample averages to including within-person and non-linear changes in studies of hormones-behavior associations during pregnancy is an important future direction for further investigation. We describe within-person hormone changes in pregnant and non-pregnant women. There were many observed patterns of change over time within individuals. Average hair progesterone increased and DHEA decreased across early pregnancy. Average hair cortisol and estradiol weakly increased in both groups of women. There was far more variability over time than systematic change or stability.
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14
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Shortening sow restraint period during lactation improves production and decreases hair cortisol concentrations in sows and their piglets. Animal 2021; 15:100082. [PMID: 33509702 DOI: 10.1016/j.animal.2020.100082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Food animal welfare is an issue of great concern, as society has a responsibility for animals under human care. Pork is the most consumed meat worldwide, with more than a billion pigs being slaughtered globally every year. Still, in most countries, sows are restrained in farrowing crates throughout lactation. In these crates, sows are confined with bars to an area that is just slightly larger than their body. Thus, moving and turning around, grooming, or expressing other natural behaviors are typically impossible. In this study, we utilized a simple and practical modification of conventional farrowing crates to designed farrowing pens, by removable confinement bars, which provide the flexibility to change the housing system from one to another. Our objective was to examine the parameters of production and hair cortisol concentrations after different restraint periods during lactation. Analyses included data from 77 sows and their 997 piglets. Sows were housed in farrowing crates, but the confinement bars were removed after different periods, from 3 days post-farrowing to full restraint. For certain analyses, sows were grouped into Short or Long Restraint groups (3-10 days vs 13-24 days, respectively). Multiple linear regression revealed that for any additional day in restraint of the sows, piglets' weaning rate decreases by 0.4% (P < 0.05). Moreover, the total number of weaned piglets per litter was higher in the Short Restraint group as compared to the Long Restraint group (10.4 ± 0.3 vs 9.7 ± 0.3, respectively; P < 0.05). Accordingly, total litter weight on the weaning day tended to be higher in the Short Restraint group (68.8 ± 2.2 vs 64.9 ± 1.8 kg; P = 0.1210). The requirement for medical treatments during lactation (e.g., antibiotics, NSAID) tended to be less frequent in the Short Restraint group (Sows: 21.9% vs 40%; P = 0.1219. Piglets: 2.4% vs 17.1%; P = 0.0609). Hair cortisol as a marker for chronic stress during lactation decreased when the restraint period was shortened in both sows and piglets. Our analysis revealed that sows' hair cortisol is a significant mediator between the restraint of the sow and its piglets' hair cortisol (Sobel test; P < 0.05). For every day of sows' restraint, sows' hair cortisol increased by 0.5 pg/mg, and for any additional unit of sows' hair cortisol, piglets' hair cortisol increased by 0.36 pg/mg. In conclusion, sustainable swine farming management can be beneficial for both animals and farmers; limiting sow restraint during lactation is expected to reduce stress, enhance welfare and production, and potentially improve the economics of swine operations.
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15
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Carrera SC, Sen S, Heistermann M, Lu A, Beehner JC. Low rank and primiparity increase fecal glucocorticoid metabolites across gestation in wild geladas. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2020; 293:113494. [PMID: 32333913 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2020.113494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2019] [Revised: 03/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Integrative behavioral ecology requires accurate and non-invasive measures of hormone mediators for the study of wild animal populations. Biologically sensitive assay systems for the measurement of hormones and their metabolites need to be validated for the species and sample medium (e.g. urine, feces, saliva) of interest. Where more than one assay is available for hormone (metabolite) measurement, antibody selection is useful in identifying the assay that tracks changes in an individuaĺs endocrine activity best, i.e., the most biologically sensitive assay. This is particularly important when measuring how glucocorticoids (GCs) respond to the subtle, additive effects of acute stressors during a predictable metabolic challenge, such as gestation. Here, we validate a group-specific enzyme immunoassay, measuring immunoreactive 11β-hydroxyetiocholanolone, for use in a wild primate, geladas (Theropithecus gelada). This group-specific assay produced values correlated with those from a previously validated double-antibody, corticosterone 125I radioimmunoassay. However, the results with the group-specific assay showed a stronger response to an ACTH challenge and identified greater variation in gelada immunoreactive fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (iGCMs) compared with the corticosterone assay, indicating a higher biological sensitivity for assessing adrenocortical activity. We then used the group-specific assay to: (1) determine the normative pattern of iGCM levels across gelada gestation, and (2) identify the ecological, social, and individual factors that influence GC output for pregnant females. Using a general additive mixed model, we found that higher iGCM levels were associated with low rank (compared to high rank) and first time mothers (compared to multiparous mothers). This study highlights the importance of assay selection and the efficacy of group-specific assays for hormonal research in non-invasively collected samples. Additionally, in geladas, our results identify some of the factors that increase GC output over and above the already-elevated GC concentrations associated with gestation. In the burgeoning field of maternal stress, these factors can be examined to identify the effects that GC elevations may have on offspring development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia C Carrera
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
| | - Sharmi Sen
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Michael Heistermann
- Endocrinology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Amy Lu
- Department of Anthropology, SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Jacinta C Beehner
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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16
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Carlitz EHD, Runge JN, König B, Winkler L, Kirschbaum C, Gao W, Lindholm AK. Steroid hormones in hair reveal sexual maturity and competition in wild house mice (Mus musculus domesticus). Sci Rep 2019; 9:16925. [PMID: 31729421 PMCID: PMC6858357 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-53362-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 10/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Endocrine data from wild populations provide important insight into social systems. However, obtaining samples for traditional methods involves capture and restraint of animals, and/or pain, which can influence the animal’s stress level, and thereby undesirable release of hormones. Here, we measured corticosterone, testosterone and progesterone in the hair of 482 wild-derived house mice that experienced sexual competition while living under semi-natural conditions. We tested whether sex, age, weight and indicators of sexual maturity, reproduction and social conflicts predict hormone concentrations measured in hair (sampling at endpoint). We show that body weight, sex and age significantly predict cumulative testosterone and progesterone levels, allowing the differentiation between subadults and adults in both sexes. Corticosterone was only slightly elevated in older males compared to older females and increased with the level of visible injuries or scars. Testosterone in males positively correlated with body weight, age, testes size, and sperm number. Progesterone in females significantly increased with age, body weight, and the number of embryos implanted throughout life, but not with the number of litters when controlled for age and weight. Our results highlight the biological validity of hair steroid measurements and provide important insight into reproductive competition in wild house mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther H D Carlitz
- Department of Psychology, Biological Psychology, Technical University of Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
| | - Jan-Niklas Runge
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Barbara König
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Lennart Winkler
- Department of Applied Zoology, Technical University of Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Clemens Kirschbaum
- Department of Psychology, Biological Psychology, Technical University of Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Wei Gao
- Department of Psychology, Biological Psychology, Technical University of Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Anna K Lindholm
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
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17
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Developmental changes in the endocrine stress response in orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus). J Comp Physiol B 2019; 189:659-672. [DOI: 10.1007/s00360-019-01235-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2019] [Revised: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 09/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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18
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Lutz CK, Menard MT, Rosenberg K, Meyer JS, Novak MA. Alopecia in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta): Association with pregnancy and chronic stress. J Med Primatol 2019; 48:251-256. [PMID: 31124179 PMCID: PMC6610585 DOI: 10.1111/jmp.12419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 04/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alopecia in captive non-human primates is often presented as a welfare issue. However, it is a complex condition with a number of possible causes. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of pregnancy and hair cortisol concentrations on alopecia in rhesus macaques. METHODS Subjects were 113 socially housed adult female rhesus macaques (27 pregnant, 35 nursing infants, 51 controls). During routine physicals, photographs were taken for alopecia assessment and hair samples were collected for cortisol assay. RESULTS Alopecia was more prevalent in pregnant than in control females, but there was no association between alopecia and hair cortisol. However, there was a significant effect of pregnancy on hair cortisol. Nursing females had higher hair cortisol levels than pregnant females, which had higher levels than control females. CONCLUSIONS Although alopecia does not appear to be associated with hair cortisol, both alopecia and hair cortisol were associated with pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corrine K. Lutz
- Southwest National Primate Research Center, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA
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19
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Endo N, Kitamura T, Okubo M, Tanaka T. Hair cortisol concentration in pre- and postpartum dairy cows, and its association with body condition, hock health, and reproductive status. Anim Sci J 2019; 90:924-931. [PMID: 31237038 DOI: 10.1111/asj.13247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2019] [Revised: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 05/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The objective of this study was to investigate the profiles of hair cortisol concentrations as an index of chronic stress in dairy cows in association with their health, nutrition, and reproductive parameters. For 25 Holstein dairy cows, hair was collected from the tail switch -19.2 ± 11.4, 44.8 ± 11.9, 103.0 ± 9.9, and 168.0 ± 9.7 days postpartum (L0, L1, L2, and L3, respectively). Body condition scores were negatively correlated with hair cortisol concentrations (r = -0.255), and hock health scores were positively correlated with hair cortisol concentrations (r = 0.236, p < 0.05). Hair cortisol concentrations during the postpartum period showed different patterns according to the time of first artificial insemination (AI) and fertility. Cows that were submitted to first AI by 86 days postpartum showed a peak hair cortisol concentration at L1, whereas cows with delayed first AI had a peak at L2. The hair cortisol concentrations of subfertile (≥168 days) cows were significantly higher at L1 and L2 compared with L0, whereas hair cortisol concentrations of fertile cows (<168 days) were not different among the sampling times. These results indicate that cows with health problems appear to experience greater chronic stress, which may impair their reproductive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natsumi Endo
- Laboratory of Veterinary Reproduction, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tomoya Kitamura
- Tokyo Agricultural Mutual Aid Association, Koganei, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mitsuyuki Okubo
- Tokyo Agricultural Mutual Aid Association, Koganei, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tomomi Tanaka
- Laboratory of Veterinary Reproduction, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan
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20
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Measuring wool cortisol and progesterone levels in breeding maiden Australian merino sheep (Ovis aries). PLoS One 2019; 14:e0214734. [PMID: 30958853 PMCID: PMC6453452 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0214734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Accepted: 03/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Hormonal assessment tools are important for determining the reproductive success of production animals. This study used non-invasive wool assessment to quantify changes in progesterone and cortisol levels in reproducing female merino sheep. Wool samples were collected from a group of n = 46 maiden merino ewes (22-25 months old), naturally joined under natural light conditions in southern New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Three shearing opportunities were conducted as part of standard on-farm management practices. The wool samples were collected at three different dates during 2017, January (prior to rams being put out with the mob and to provide a baseline level since previous shearing in May 2016), September (during very late stages of gestation-approximately 2 weeks prior to parturition) and December (ewes had given birth and ~2-month-old lambs were at foot). Analysis of cortisol and progesterone was conducted concurrently from the same sample of wool. The hormones in wool samples quantified using commercially available cortisol and progesterone enzyme-immunoassay kits. Wool cortisol concentrations increased significantly (p = 3.04E-14) from pre-joining in January (1.33±0.12 ng/g) to late gestation in September (3.59±0.12 ng/g). Concentration of wool cortisol post-lambing in December (3.27±0.14 ng/g) did not decline significantly (p = 0.124) after gestation however remained significantly higher (p = 3.82E-10) than pre-joining levels. Wool progesterone (PG) concentrations increased significantly (p = 1.83E-33) from pre-joining (0.04±0.005 ng/g) in January to late gestation in September (5.53±0.13 ng/g) with a significant (p = 5.44E-59) decline observed in December (0.05±0.003 ng/g) to post- pregnancy concentrations. No significant difference was shown between pre-joining and post lambing PG concentrations (p = 0.057). Our results showed that non-invasive assessment of hormones in Merino sheep wool reflected significant increase in both cortisol and progesterone guided by pregnancy.
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21
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van der Voorn B, Hollanders JJ, Kieviet N, Dolman KM, de Rijke YB, van Rossum EF, Rotteveel J, Honig A, Finken MJ. Maternal Stress During Pregnancy Is Associated with Decreased Cortisol and Cortisone Levels in Neonatal Hair. Horm Res Paediatr 2019; 90:299-307. [PMID: 30541006 PMCID: PMC6492510 DOI: 10.1159/000495007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2018] [Accepted: 10/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hair glucocorticoids (GCs) offer a retrospective view on chronic GC exposure. We assessed whether maternal pre- and postnatal stress was associated with neonatal and maternal hair GCs postpartum (pp). METHODS On the first day pp 172 mother-infant pairs donated hair, of whom 67 had consulted a centre of expertise for psychiatric disorders during pregnancy. Maternal stress was scored on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale during the first/second (n = 46), third trimester (n = 57), and pp (n = 172). Hair cortisol and cortisone levels were determined by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, and associations with maternal hospital anxiety subscale (HAS) and hospital depression subscale (HDS) scores, and antidepressant use were analyzed with linear regression. RESULTS Neonatal hair GCs were negatively associated with elevated HAS-scores during the first/second trimester, log 10 (β [95% CI]) cortisol -0.19 (-0.39 to 0.02) p = 0.07, cortisone -0.10 (-0.25 to 0.05) p = 0.17; third trimester, cortisol -0.17 (-0.33 to 0.00) p = 0.05, cortisone -0.17 (-0.28 to -0.05) p = 0.01; and pp, cortisol -0.14 (-0.25 to -0.02) p = 0.02, cortisone -0.07 (-0.16 to 0.02) p = 0.10. A similar pattern was observed for elevated HDS-scores. Maternal hair GCs were positively associated with elevated HAS-scores pp (cortisol 0.17 [0.01 to 0.32] p = 0.04, cortisone 0.18 [0.06 to 0.31] p = 0.01), but not prenatally or with elevated HDS-scores. Antidepressant use was associated with elevated maternal hair GCs (p ≤ 0.05), but not with neonatal hair GCs. CONCLUSION Exposure to excessive pre- and perinatal maternal stress was associated with a decrease in neonatal hair GCs, while elevated stress-scores around birth were associated with increased maternal hair GCs and elevated stress-scores earlier in gestation were not associated with maternal hair GCs pp. Further studies are needed to test associations with infant neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bibian van der Voorn
- Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands,
| | - Jonneke J. Hollanders
- Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Noera Kieviet
- Department of Pediatrics, Psychiatry Obstetrics Pediatrics Expert Center, OLVG West, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Koert M. Dolman
- Department of Pediatrics, Psychiatry Obstetrics Pediatrics Expert Center, OLVG West, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Yolanda B. de Rijke
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Elisabeth F.C. van Rossum
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Joost Rotteveel
- Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Adriaan Honig
- Department of Pediatrics, Psychiatry Obstetrics Pediatrics Expert Center, OLVG West, Amsterdam, The Netherlands,Department of Psychiatry, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Martijn J.J. Finken
- Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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22
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Petrullo L, Lu A. Natural variation in fetal cortisol exposure is associated with neonatal body mass in captive vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops). Am J Primatol 2019; 81:e22943. [PMID: 30604879 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2018] [Revised: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 11/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Poor maternal condition during gestation is commonly associated with impaired fetal growth in humans and other animals. Although elevated maternal glucocorticoids (GCs) are often implicated as the mechanism of intrauterine growth stunting, the direct contribution of maternal GCs remains unclear because enzymatic conversion of GCs at the placenta may limit the ability of maternal hormones to reach the fetus. Further, because previous studies on gestational stress have often employed synthetic GCs, which cross the placenta unobstructed, it remains unknown whether naturalistic endogenous GC elevations will have similar effects. Here, we use an unmanipulated colony of captive vervet monkeys (N = 18 mother-offspring dyads) to examine how maternal condition predicts maternal gestational hormones, and how these in turn predict neonatal body mass, especially in comparison with total prenatal hormone exposure as measured from neonatal hair. We focused on GCs and dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEAS), an additional steroid suspected to influence growth. We found that measures of poor maternal condition (low body mass and low parity) were not associated with elevations in maternal GCs or DHEAS. Furthermore, only fetal GC exposure predicted neonatal body mass, while neither maternal GCs, nor maternal or fetal DHEAS, had any effect. Surprisingly, neonates exposed to higher gestational GCs were larger, rather than smaller at birth. Taken together, these results suggest that GC concentrations within a more naturalistic range may be positively rather than negatively associated with neonatal body mass. Further, the effect of maternal gestational GCs on neonatal mass may be modulated by placental control of GC exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Petrullo
- Interdepartmental Doctoral Program in Anthropological Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York
| | - Amy Lu
- Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York
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23
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Schell CJ, Young JK, Lonsdorf EV, Santymire RM, Mateo JM. Parental habituation to human disturbance over time reduces fear of humans in coyote offspring. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:12965-12980. [PMID: 30619597 PMCID: PMC6308887 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2018] [Revised: 10/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A fundamental tenet of maternal effects assumes that maternal variance over time should have discordant consequences for offspring traits across litters. Yet, seldom are parents observed across multiple reproductive bouts, with few studies considering anthropogenic disturbances as an ecological driver of maternal effects. We observed captive coyote (Canis latrans) pairs over two successive litters to determine whether among‐litter differences in behavior (i.e., risk‐taking) and hormones (i.e., cortisol and testosterone) corresponded with parental plasticity in habituation. Thus, we explicitly test the hypothesis that accumulating experiences of anthropogenic disturbance reduces parental fear across reproductive bouts, which should have disparate phenotypic consequences for first‐ and second‐litter offspring. To quantify risk‐taking behavior, we used foraging assays from 5–15 weeks of age with a human observer present as a proxy for human disturbance. At 5, 10, and 15 weeks of age, we collected shaved hair to quantify pup hormone levels. We then used a quantitative genetic approach to estimate heritability, repeatability, and between‐trait correlations. We found that parents were riskier (i.e., foraged more frequently) with their second versus first litters, supporting our prediction that parents become increasingly habituated over time. Second‐litter pups were also less risk‐averse than their first‐litter siblings. Heritability for all traits did not differ from zero (0.001–0.018); however, we found moderate support for repeatability in all observed traits (r = 0.085–0.421). Lastly, we found evidence of positive phenotypic and cohort correlations among pup traits, implying that cohort identity (i.e., common environment) contributes to the development of phenotypic syndromes in coyote pups. Our results suggest that parental habituation may be an ecological cue for offspring to reduce their fear response, thus emphasizing the role of parental plasticity in shaping their pups’ behavioral and hormonal responses toward humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Schell
- Committee on Evolutionary Biology University of Chicago Chicago Illinois.,School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences University of Washington Tacoma Tacoma Washington
| | - Julie K Young
- USDA-WS-NWRC Predator Research Facility, Department of Wildland Resources Utah State University Logan Utah
| | | | - Rachel M Santymire
- Committee on Evolutionary Biology University of Chicago Chicago Illinois.,Conservation and Science Department Lincoln Park Zoo Chicago Illinois
| | - Jill M Mateo
- Committee on Evolutionary Biology University of Chicago Chicago Illinois
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Romero-Gonzalez B, Caparros-Gonzalez RA, Gonzalez-Perez R, Delgado-Puertas P, Peralta-Ramirez MI. Newborn infants' hair cortisol levels reflect chronic maternal stress during pregnancy. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0200279. [PMID: 29979751 PMCID: PMC6034834 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0200279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2018] [Accepted: 06/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Cortisol obtained from hair samples represents a retrospective biomarker of chronic stress experienced by the subject in previous months. Although hair cortisol levels have been used to study the relationship between maternal and neonatal stress levels in primates, this has not yet been performed in humans using a longitudinal design and focusing specifically on this association. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine whether a relationship existed between maternal psychological stress and hair cortisol levels during pregnancy and postpartum, and neonatal hair cortisol levels. The sample consisted of 80 pregnant women and their 80 newborn infants. We conducted a longitudinal assessment of hair cortisol levels, psychological stress, anxiety, and depression in the three trimesters of pregnancy and postpartum. After childbirth, neonatal hair cortisol levels were also measured. We found that maternal hair cortisol levels in the first trimester negatively predicted neonatal hair cortisol levels. Perceived stress in the third trimester of pregnancy also predicted lower neonatal cortisol, whereas pregnancy-specific stress in the same trimester had a positive relation with neonatal cortisol. Cortisol is essential for embryonic and fetal development; consequently, if fetal synthesis of cortisol is affected by high maternal cortisol levels, such development could be impaired.
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Affiliation(s)
- Borja Romero-Gonzalez
- Brain, Mind and Behavior Research Center (CIMCYC), Faculty of Psychology, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
- Department of Personality, Assessment and Psychological Treatment, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Rafael A. Caparros-Gonzalez
- Brain, Mind and Behavior Research Center (CIMCYC), Faculty of Psychology, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
- Gynecology and Obstetrics Department, Hospital de Poniente, El Ejido, Spain
| | - Raquel Gonzalez-Perez
- Department of Pharmacology, CIBERehd, School of Pharmacy, Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADA, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Pilar Delgado-Puertas
- Brain, Mind and Behavior Research Center (CIMCYC), Faculty of Psychology, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Maria Isabel Peralta-Ramirez
- Brain, Mind and Behavior Research Center (CIMCYC), Faculty of Psychology, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
- Department of Personality, Assessment and Psychological Treatment, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
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25
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Thayer ZM, Agustin Bechayda S, Kuzawa CW. Circadian cortisol dynamics across reproductive stages and in relation to breastfeeding in the Philippines. Am J Hum Biol 2018; 30:e23115. [DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2017] [Revised: 01/29/2018] [Accepted: 02/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Zaneta M. Thayer
- Department of Anthropology; Dartmouth College; Hanover New Hampshire
| | - Sonny Agustin Bechayda
- USC-Office of Population Studies; University of San Carlos; Cebu City Philippines
- Department of Anthropology, Sociology and History; University of San Carlos; Cebu City Philippines
| | - Christopher W. Kuzawa
- Department of Anthropology; Northwestern University; Evanston Illinois
- Institute for Policy Research; Northwestern University; Evanston Illinois
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26
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Fardi S, Sauther ML, Cuozzo FP, Jacky IAY, Bernstein RM. The effect of extreme weather events on hair cortisol and body weight in a wild ring-tailed lemur population (Lemur catta) in southwestern Madagascar. Am J Primatol 2017; 80. [DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2017] [Revised: 11/08/2017] [Accepted: 11/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sara Fardi
- Department of Anthropology; University of Colorado; Boulder Colorado
| | | | - Frank P. Cuozzo
- Lajuma Research Centre; Louis Trichardt (Mahkado) South Africa
| | - Ibrahim A. Y. Jacky
- Laboratoire de Biologie Animale et Ecologie Terrestre; Faculté des Sciences; Université de Toliara; Toliara Madagascar
| | - Robin M. Bernstein
- Department of Anthropology; University of Colorado; Boulder Colorado
- Health and Society Program; Institute of Behavioral Science; University of Colorado; Boulder Colorado
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27
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Hunt KE, Lysiak NS, Moore M, Rolland RM. Multi-year longitudinal profiles of cortisol and corticosterone recovered from baleen of North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2017; 254:50-59. [PMID: 28919447 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2017.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2017] [Revised: 06/08/2017] [Accepted: 09/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Research into stress physiology of mysticete whales has been hampered by difficulty in obtaining repeated physiological samples from individuals over time. We investigated whether multi-year longitudinal records of glucocorticoids can be reconstructed from serial sampling along full-length baleen plates (representing ∼10years of baleen growth), using baleen recovered from two female North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) of known reproductive history. Cortisol and corticosterone were quantified with immunoassay of subsamples taken every 4cm (representing ∼60d time intervals) along a full-length baleen plate from each female. In both whales, corticosterone was significantly elevated during known pregnancies (inferred from calf sightings and necropsy data) as compared to intercalving intervals; cortisol was significantly elevated during pregnancies in one female but not the other. Within intercalving intervals, corticosterone was significantly elevated during the first year (lactation year) and/or the second year (post-lactation year) as compared to later years of the intercalving interval, while cortisol showed more variable patterns. Cortisol occasionally showed brief high elevations ("spikes") not paralleled by corticosterone, suggesting that the two glucocorticoids might be differentially responsive to certain stressors. Generally, immunoreactive corticosterone was present in higher concentration in baleen than immunoreactive cortisol; corticosterone:cortisol ratio was usually >4 and was highly variable in both individuals. Further investigation of baleen cortisol and corticosterone profiles could prove fruitful for elucidating long-term, multi-year patterns in stress physiology of large whales, determined retrospectively from stranded or archived specimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen E Hunt
- Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life, New England Aquarium, Central Wharf, New England, Boston, MA 02110, USA.
| | - Nadine S Lysiak
- Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life, New England Aquarium, Central Wharf, New England, Boston, MA 02110, USA; Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| | - Michael Moore
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| | - Rosalind M Rolland
- Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life, New England Aquarium, Central Wharf, New England, Boston, MA 02110, USA
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28
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Hollanders JJ, van der Voorn B, Kieviet N, Dolman KM, de Rijke YB, van den Akker ELT, Rotteveel J, Honig A, Finken MJJ. Interpretation of glucocorticoids in neonatal hair: a reflection of intrauterine glucocorticoid regulation? Endocr Connect 2017; 6:692-699. [PMID: 28954736 PMCID: PMC5655682 DOI: 10.1530/ec-17-0179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2017] [Accepted: 09/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Glucocorticoids (GCs) measured in neonatal hair might reflect intrauterine as well as postpartum GC regulation. We aimed to identify factors associated with neonatal hair GC levels in early life, and their correlation with maternal hair GCs. METHODS In a single-center observational study, mother-infant pairs (n = 107) admitted for >72 h at the maternity ward of a general hospital were included. At birth and an outpatient visit (OPV, n = 72, 44 ± 11 days postpartum), maternal and neonatal hair was analyzed for cortisol and cortisone levels by LC-MS/MS. Data were analyzed regarding: (1) neonatal GC levels postpartum and at the OPV, (2) associations of neonatal GC levels with maternal GC levels and (3) with other perinatal factors. RESULTS (1) Neonatal GC levels were >5 times higher than maternal levels, with a decrease in ±50% between birth and the OPV for cortisol. (2) Maternal and neonatal cortisol, but not cortisone, levels were correlated both at postpartum and at the OPV. (3) Gestational age was associated with neonatal GC postpartum (log-transformed β (95% CI): cortisol 0.07 (0.04-0.10); cortisone 0.04 (0.01-0.06)) and at the OPV (cortisol 0.08 (0.04-0.12); cortisone 0.00 (-0.04 to 0.04)), while weaker associations were found between neonatal GCs and other perinatal and maternal factors. CONCLUSIONS Neonatal hair GCs mainly reflect the third trimester increase in cortisol, which might be caused by the positive feedback loop, a placenta-driven phenomenon, represented by the positive association with GA. Between birth and 1.5 months postpartum, neonatal hair cortisol concentrations decrease sharply, but still appear to reflect both intra- and extrauterine periods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonneke J Hollanders
- Department of Pediatric EndocrinologyVU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Bibian van der Voorn
- Department of Pediatric EndocrinologyVU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Noera Kieviet
- Department of PediatricsPsychiatry Obstetrics Pediatrics Expert Center, OLVG West, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Koert M Dolman
- Department of PediatricsPsychiatry Obstetrics Pediatrics Expert Center, OLVG West, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Yolanda B de Rijke
- Department of Clinical ChemistryErasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Erica L T van den Akker
- Department of Pediatric EndocrinologyErasmus MC Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Joost Rotteveel
- Department of Pediatric EndocrinologyVU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Adriaan Honig
- Department of PediatricsPsychiatry Obstetrics Pediatrics Expert Center, OLVG West, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of PsychiatryVU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Martijn J J Finken
- Department of Pediatric EndocrinologyVU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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29
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Endo N, Kuroki R, Tanaka T. Comparison of productive and reproductive performance and hair cortisol levels between Brown Swiss cross-bred and Holstein cows housed in the same barn. Anim Sci J 2017; 88:1506-1512. [DOI: 10.1111/asj.12828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2016] [Accepted: 03/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Natsumi Endo
- Laboratory of Veterinary Reproduction; Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology; Fuchu-city Tokyo Japan
| | - Reimi Kuroki
- Laboratory of Veterinary Reproduction; Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology; Fuchu-city Tokyo Japan
| | - Tomomi Tanaka
- Laboratory of Veterinary Reproduction; Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology; Fuchu-city Tokyo Japan
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30
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Martínez-Mota R, Garber PA, Palme R, Gillespie TR. The relative effects of reproductive condition, stress, and seasonality on patterns of parasitism in wild female black howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra). Am J Primatol 2017; 79. [PMID: 28407272 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2016] [Revised: 02/25/2017] [Accepted: 03/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Parasitic infections in wildlife are shaped by host-related traits including individual reproductive condition. It has been argued that female primates are more susceptible to infectious diseases during pregnancy due to short-term changes in immune function that result in reduced ability to combat infections. Likewise, lactation, which is the most energetically expensive state, may affect immunity and infection risk due to tradeoffs between milk production and maintenance of immune function. Here, we examine the degree to which parasite prevalence and parasite richness are affected by female reproductive condition and stress levels in wild female black howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra). Over the course of one year, we collected fresh fecal samples from 15 adult females belonging to seven black howler groups living in Escárcega, Mexico. Fecal samples were used for parasitological analysis and for measuring fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (i.e., stress biomarker). We found that the prevalence of intestinal parasites and parasite richness did not differ among non-pregnant, pregnant, and lactating females. Fecal glucocorticoid metabolite levels increased significantly during pregnancy and during the first month of lactation, and positively predicted the probability of Controrchis biliophilus infection. Parasite prevalence and richness decreased during the months of increased rainfall. We conclude that reproductive physiology has limited consequences on intestinal parasitic infection risk in female black howler monkeys and that seasonal environmental fluctuations have greater effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodolfo Martínez-Mota
- Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah.,Department of Anthropology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Paul A Garber
- Department of Anthropology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Rupert Palme
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas R Gillespie
- Program in Population Biology, Ecology, and Evolution and Department of Environmental Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.,Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
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31
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Dettmer AM, Murphy AM, Guitarra D, Slonecker E, Suomi SJ, Rosenberg KL, Novak MA, Meyer JS, Hinde K. Cortisol in Neonatal Mother's Milk Predicts Later Infant Social and Cognitive Functioning in Rhesus Monkeys. Child Dev 2017; 89:525-538. [PMID: 28369689 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.12783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Milk provides not only the building blocks for somatic development but also the hormonal signals that contribute to the biopsychological organization of the infant. Among mammals, glucocorticoids (GCs) in mother's milk have been associated with infant temperament. This study extended prior work to investigate rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) mother-infant dyads (N = 34) from birth through 8 months postpartum. Regression analysis revealed that cortisol concentrations in milk during the neonatal period predicted impulsivity on a cognitive task, but not global social behaviors, months later. During this time period, sex-differentiated social behavior emerged. For female infants, milk cortisol concentrations predicted total frequency of play. Collectively, these findings support and extend the "lactational programming" hypothesis on the impact of maternal-origin hormones ingested via milk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda M Dettmer
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development
| | - Ashley M Murphy
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development
| | - Denisse Guitarra
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development
| | - Emily Slonecker
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development
| | - Stephen J Suomi
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development
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32
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Schell CJ, Young JK, Lonsdorf EV, Mateo JM, Santymire RM. Investigation of techniques to measure cortisol and testosterone concentrations in coyote hair. Zoo Biol 2017; 36:220-225. [DOI: 10.1002/zoo.21359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2016] [Accepted: 02/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Julie K. Young
- Department of Wildland ResourcesUSDA‐WS‐NWRCPredator Research FacilityUtah State UniversityLoganUtah
| | | | - Jill M. Mateo
- Committee on Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of ChicagoChicagoIllinois
| | - Rachel M. Santymire
- Committee on Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of ChicagoChicagoIllinois
- Department of Conservation and ScienceLincoln Park ZooChicagoIllinois
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33
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Grant KS, Worlein JM, Meyer JS, Novak MA, Kroeker R, Rosenberg K, Kenney C, Burbacher TM. A longitudinal study of hair cortisol concentrations in Macaca nemestrina mothers and infants. Am J Primatol 2017; 79:1-9. [PMID: 27643479 PMCID: PMC6040647 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2016] [Revised: 07/27/2016] [Accepted: 07/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Cortisol is a well-known glucocorticoid that can be used as a biomarker of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical activity. To explore basal cortisol physiology during pregnancy and infancy in Macaca nemestrina monkeys, hair was collected from a convenience sample of 22 healthy mother-infant dyads. Adult females were housed in pairs as part of a small breeding colony at the Washington National Primate Research Center and infants were reared in a specialized nursery. Maternal samples were collected from females during a pregnancy-detection ultrasound and immediately following labor and delivery. Infant samples were collected at birth, 20 days, 4, 6, 8, and 10 months of age. Hair cortisol concentrations (HCCs) were determined using an enzyme immunoassay in washed and ground hair samples. Like human mothers, macaque HCCs rose during pregnancy (paired t = 5.8, df = 16, P < 0.001). Maternal HCCs at pregnancy-detection (114.2 ± 12.07 picogram/milligram [pg/mg]) were highly predictive of maternal HCCs at delivery (144.8 ± 13.60 pg/mg), suggesting a trait-like quality (r = 0.90, P < 0.001). When maternal HCCs were viewed on a continuum, the absolute rise in cortisol over the course of pregnancy was significantly related to newborn HCCs (r = 0.55, P = 0.02). Infant birth HCCs (1,027.43 ± 97.95 pg/mg) were seven times higher than maternal HCCs at delivery (paired t = 19.1, df = 16, P < 0.001). Higher birth HCCs were strongly associated with larger decreases in infant hair cortisol until 6 months of postnatal age when infant HCCs converged on values indistinguishable from adults. Overall, study results demonstrate a marked degree of fetal cortisol exposure during the latter part of gestation and suggest that the rise in maternal cortisol over pregnancy may play an influential role on HCCs in the newborn.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly S Grant
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Massachusetts, Seattle, Washington
- Center on Human Development and Disability, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
- Washington National Primate Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Julie M Worlein
- Washington National Primate Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Jerrold S Meyer
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts
| | - Melinda A Novak
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts
| | - Rose Kroeker
- Washington National Primate Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Kendra Rosenberg
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts
| | - Caroline Kenney
- Washington National Primate Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Thomas M Burbacher
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Massachusetts, Seattle, Washington
- Center on Human Development and Disability, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
- Washington National Primate Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
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DETTMER AMANDAM, ROSENBERG KENDRA, MENARD MARKT, EL-MALLAH SAIFN, WOODWARD RUTHA, SUOMI STEPHENJ, MEYER JERROLDS. Differential relationships between chronic hormone profiles in pregnancy and maternal investment in rhesus monkey mothers with hair loss in the neonatal period. Am J Primatol 2017; 79:1-8. [PMID: 26496532 PMCID: PMC6528798 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2015] [Revised: 10/01/2015] [Accepted: 10/01/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Hair loss is commonly used as an indicator of well being in primate facilities, yet it has been shown to also occur in otherwise healthy pregnant and postpartum females. There is significant variability in the incidence of hair loss during these important developmental periods, reasons for which remain unclear. We studied female rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta, n = 47) with and without hair loss in pregnancy/postpartum. We hypothesized that, similar to previously published reports, pregnancy would result in an increased likelihood of hair loss, and that hair loss would be correlated with higher hair cortisol concentrations (HCCs). We further hypothesized that hair loss among pregnant females is related to differential maternal investment. We studied a subset of monkeys (n = 26) from mid-to-late pregnancy through peak lactation, some of which exhibited hair loss in the perinatal period (n = 15), and some of which did not (n = 11). We examined fetal measurements, infant birth weight, infant growth rate, and milk yield volume (MYV) in the first 30 days as indices of investment. We found that pregnant monkeys showed a greater incidence of hair loss across the study year (χ2(2) = 6.55, P = 0.038), and that mothers with hair loss had significantly higher HCCs in pregnancy than those without (F(2,28) = 3.8, P = 0.017, ηp2 = 0.21). HCCs in pregnancy were correlated with severity of hair loss in the neonatal period (r(37) = 0.42, P = 0.008). Moreover, HCCs in pregnancy were positively correlated with infant birth weight (r(12) = 0.56, P = 0.038), infant growth rate (r(12) = 0.64, P = 0.014), and MYV (r(11) = 0.85, P < 0.001) for alopecic but not non-alopecic mothers. These mothers did not differ in fetal measurements, infant birth weight/growth rate, or MYV. Our results suggest that hair loss in some monkeys, especially during the birthing season, may be a signal of greater physiological stress during pregnancy and differential investment by mothers to their offspring. Am. J. Primatol. 79:e22489, 2017. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- AMANDA M. DETTMER
- Laboratory of Comparative Ethology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Poolesville, Maryland
| | - KENDRA ROSENBERG
- Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts
| | - MARK T. MENARD
- Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts
| | - SAIF N. EL-MALLAH
- Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts
| | - RUTH A. WOODWARD
- Research Animal Management Branch, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Poolesville, Maryland
| | - STEPHEN J. SUOMI
- Laboratory of Comparative Ethology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Poolesville, Maryland
| | - JERROLD S. MEYER
- Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts
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35
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Hunt KE, Lysiak NS, Robbins J, Moore MJ, Seton RE, Torres L, Buck CL. Multiple steroid and thyroid hormones detected in baleen from eight whale species. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2017; 5:cox061. [PMID: 29230292 PMCID: PMC5691779 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/cox061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2017] [Revised: 09/20/2017] [Accepted: 10/18/2017] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies have demonstrated that some hormones are present in baleen powder from bowhead (Balaena mysticetus) and North Atlantic right (Eubalaena glacialis) whales. To test the potential generalizability of this technique for studies of stress and reproduction in large whales, we sought to determine whether all major classes of steroid and thyroid hormones are detectable in baleen, and whether these hormones are detectable in other mysticetes. Powdered baleen samples were recovered from single specimens of North Atlantic right, bowhead, blue (Balaenoptera [B.]musculus), sei (B. borealis), minke (B. acutorostrata), fin (B. physalus), humpback (Megaptera novaeangliae) and gray (Eschrichtius robustus) whales. Hormones were extracted with a methanol vortex method, after which we tested all species with commercial enzyme immunoassays (EIAs, Arbor Assays) for progesterone, testosterone, 17β-estradiol, cortisol, corticosterone, aldosterone, thyroxine and tri-iodothyronine, representing a wide array of steroid and thyroid hormones of interest for whale physiology research. In total, 64 parallelism tests (8 species × 8 hormones) were evaluated to verify good binding affinity of the assay antibodies to hormones in baleen. We also tested assay accuracy, although available sample volume limited this test to progesterone, testosterone and cortisol. All tested hormones were detectable in baleen powder of all species, and all assays passed parallelism and accuracy tests. Although only single individuals were tested, the consistent detectability of all hormones in all species indicates that baleen hormone analysis is likely applicable to a broad range of mysticetes, and that the EIA kits tested here perform well with baleen extract. Quantification of hormones in baleen may be a suitable technique with which to explore questions that have historically been difficult to address in large whales, including pregnancy and inter-calving interval, age of sexual maturation, timing and duration of seasonal reproductive cycles, adrenal physiology and metabolic rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen E Hunt
- Biological Sciences & Center for Bioengineering Innovation, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
- Corresponding author: Biological Sciences & Center for Bioengineering Innovation, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff AZ 86011, USA. Tel (cell): +1-928-523-0634;
| | | | | | - Michael J Moore
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | | | - Leigh Torres
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Newport, OR, USA
| | - C Loren Buck
- Biological Sciences & Center for Bioengineering Innovation, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
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36
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Dettmer AM, Wooddell LJ, Rosenberg KL, Kaburu SSK, Novak MA, Meyer JS, Suomi SJ. Associations between early life experience, chronic HPA axis activity, and adult social rank in rhesus monkeys. Soc Neurosci 2016; 12:92-101. [PMID: 27063359 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2016.1176952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Early life experience and socioeconomic status (SES) are well-established predictors of health outcomes in people. Both factors likely influence health outcomes via hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis regulation. However, it is unclear how early experience and HPA axis activity influence adult social status. We studied differentially reared female rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta, N = 90) as models to test the hypothesis that chronic HPA axis activity assessed via hair cortisol concentrations (HCCs) mediated the relationship between early life experience and adult social rank. We found that mother-peer-reared (MPR) monkeys acquired higher social ranks than either of the two nursery-reared (NR) groups (peer-reared, PR, or surrogate-peer-reared, SPR monkeys) (β = -0.07, t(89) = -2.16, p = 0.034). We also found that MPR HCCs were lower during the juvenile period at 18 months (F(2,25) = 3.49, p = 0.047). Furthermore, for MPR but not NR monkeys, changes in HCCs from 18 to 24 months (r(s) = -0.627, p = 0.039) and adult HCCs (r(s) = -0.321, p = 0.03) were negatively correlated with adult social rank. These findings suggest that chronic HPA axis regulation in juvenility, and perhaps in adulthood, may influence adult social status for primates that experience typical early rearing. However, early life adversity may result in dissociation between neuroendocrine stress regulation and adult social competence, which may be risk factors for adverse health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda M Dettmer
- a Laboratory of Comparative Ethology , Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, National Institutes of Health , Poolesville , MD , USA
| | - Lauren J Wooddell
- a Laboratory of Comparative Ethology , Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, National Institutes of Health , Poolesville , MD , USA
| | - Kendra L Rosenberg
- b Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences , University of Massachusetts Amherst , Amherst , MA , USA
| | - Stefano S K Kaburu
- c Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine , University of California Davis , Davis , CA , USA
| | - Melinda A Novak
- b Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences , University of Massachusetts Amherst , Amherst , MA , USA
| | - Jerrold S Meyer
- b Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences , University of Massachusetts Amherst , Amherst , MA , USA
| | - Stephen J Suomi
- a Laboratory of Comparative Ethology , Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, National Institutes of Health , Poolesville , MD , USA
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Kapoor A, Lubach GR, Ziegler TE, Coe CL. Hormone levels in neonatal hair reflect prior maternal stress exposure during pregnancy. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2016; 66:111-7. [PMID: 26802598 PMCID: PMC4788554 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2015] [Revised: 01/07/2016] [Accepted: 01/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Hormones present in hair provide summative information about endocrine activity while the hair was growing. Therefore, it can be collected from an infant after birth and still provide retrospective information about hormone exposure during prenatal development. We employed this approach to determine whether a delimited period of maternal stress during pregnancy affected the concentrations of glucocorticoids and gonadal hormones in the hair of neonatal rhesus monkeys. Hair from 22 infant monkeys exposed to 5 weeks of gestational disturbance was compared to specimens from 13 infants from undisturbed control pregnancies. Using an LC/MS/MS based technique, which permitted seven steroid hormones to be quantified simultaneously, we found 2 hormones were significantly different in infants from disturbed pregnancies. Cortisol and testosterone levels were lower in the hair of both male and female neonates. Maternal hair hormone levels collected on the same day after delivery no longer showed effects of the disturbance earlier during pregnancy. This study documents that a period of acute stress, lasting for 20% of gestation, has sustained effects on the hormones to which a developing fetus is exposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amita Kapoor
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin, 1220 Capitol Court, Madison, WI 53715, USA.
| | - Gabriele R. Lubach
- Harlow Primate Laboratory, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 22 N. Charter Street, Madison, WI 53715 USA
| | - Toni E. Ziegler
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1220 Capitol Court, Madison, WI 53715 USA
| | - Christopher L. Coe
- Harlow Primate Laboratory, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 22 N. Charter Street, Madison, WI 53715 USA
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