Measuring Faecal Glucocorticoid Metabolites to Assess Adrenocortical Activity in Reindeer
Şeyda Özkan Gülzari | Grete Helen Meisfjord Jørgensen | Svein Morten Eilertsen | Inger Hansen | Snorre Bekkevold Hagen | Ida Fløystad | Rupert Palme
Several non-invasive methods for assessing stress responses have been developed and validated for many animal species. Due to species-specific differences in metabolism and excretion of stress hormones, methods should be validated for each species. The aim of this study was to conduct a physiological validation of an 11-oxoaetiocholanolone enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for measuring faecal cortisol metabolites (FCMs) in male reindeer by administration of adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH; intramuscular, 0.25 mg per animal). A total of 317 samples were collected from eight male reindeer over a 44 h period at Tverrvatnet in Norway in mid-winter. In addition, 114 samples were collected from a group of reindeer during normal handling and calf marking at Stjernevatn in Norway. Following ACTH injection, FCM levels (median and range) were 568 (268−2415) ng/g after two hours, 2718 (414−8550) ng/g after seven hours and 918 (500−6931) ng/g after 24 h. Levels were significantly higher from seven hours onwards compared to earlier hours (<i>p</i> < 0.001). The FCM levels at Stjernevatn were significantly (<i>p</i> < 0.001) different before (samples collected zero to two hours; median: 479 ng/g) and after calf marking (eight to ten hours; median: 1469 ng/g). Identification of the faecal samples belonging to individual animals was conducted using DNA analysis across time. This study reports a successful validation of a non-invasive technique for measuring stress in reindeer, which can be applied in future studies in the fields of biology, ethology, ecology, animal conservation and welfare.
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