Appraisal of Allostatic Load in Wild Boars Under a Controlled Environment.

Besides metabolic and cardiovascular parameters, fluctuations in endocrine and inflammatory biomarkers might be regarded as reliable indicators of allostatic load. Among them, glucocorticoids have been shown to correlate with social stress in animals, regardless of whether they are dominant or subordinate, thus highlighting the crucial role of physiological energetic costs, together with social challenges, in the onset and severity of allostasis. Therefore, in the present work, we evaluated and monitored monthly the concentration of cortisol in bristles (pg/mg) over six months in young (n = 8), sub-adult (n = 5) and adult female wild boars (n = 5), which were kept in a controlled State Forest in Southern Italy.

Hair Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate (DHEA(S)) and Cortisol/DHEA(S) Ratio as Long-Lasting Biomarkers of Clinical Syndromes Exhibited by Piglets Early in Life.

Poor health and increased susceptibility to infectious diseases are among the main sources of economic losses in the pig industry worldwide, and they also serve as indicators of compromised animal welfare. However, there is limited information on long-lasting biomarkers of poor health and common infections experienced by piglets early in life. Hair cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA(S)), and their ratio have been proposed as components of the mammalian stress response due to the activation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis and were investigated in this study using 30 batches of pigs from 16 farms.

Hair Allopregnanolone in Mares and Foals as a Retrospective Biomarker of Predicting Feto-Maternal Well-Being.

Assay of steroid hormones in hair has become an attractive alternative for studies focusing on the perinatal period in equine medicine. The aim of the present study was to evaluate mares' and foals' hair ALLO concentrations and their ratio in relation to clinical conditions and selected clinical parameters. The 37 mare-foal pairs were categorized into healthy (group H; = 15) and sick (group S; = 22) groups.

Hair Cortisol/DHEA-S Ratios in Healthcare Workers and Their Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study.

Background: Unlike psychological distress, which has been extensively studied during the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact of the pandemic on stress hormones has been overlooked. The aim of this study is to examine the hair cortisol/dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) ratios as markers of HPA axis dysregulation in healthcare workers and their patients.

Methods: A total of 200 healthcare workers and 161 "patients" patients with special healthcare needs due to chronic illness or motor disabilities were included in this study.

Exploring Relationship Between Immunocompetence, HPA Axis Functioning and Performances of Preweaning Dairy Calves.

Cortisol and DHEA(S) are markers of allostatic load and resilience; as such, they may be added to the definition of performance measures alongside immunocompetence. We aimed at studying the potential carryover effects of management practices on growth performances and the interrelationship between the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, immunocompetence and performances during the preweaning period in dairy calves. This study consisted of first a retrospective cohort study and second a prospective study.

Validation of a commercial ELISA kit to measure 11-oxoetiocholanolone in equine and bovine feces.

Feces are a noninvasive and easily collectible matrix that may help determine cumulative hormone metabolite concentrations over medium-to-long times. To date, 11-oxoetiocholanolone, an important metabolite of cortisol, has been measured in equine and bovine feces solely by an in-house enzyme immunoassay (EIA). Therefore, we validated the use of a commercial ELISA kit (11-oxoetiocholanolone ELISA kit; Cayman Chemical), which had been validated on sheep feces and human urine, to measure 11-oxoetiocholanolone in feces from 42 horses and 32 bulls.

Hair dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate as biomarker of employees' well-being? A longitudinal investigation of support, resilience, and work engagement during COVID-19 pandemic.

Introduction: Building on the motivational process of the job demands-resources (JD-R) theory, in the current research we investigated the longitudinal association between supervisor support/resilience as job/personal resources, work engagement (WE) and hair dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, or DHEA(S), as a possible biomarker of employees' well-being.

Methods: In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, 122 workers completed two self-report questionnaires (i.e.

Peripubertal Testosterone, 17β-Estradiol and Progesterone Concentrations in Hair and Nails in Dobermann Dogs.

Studies about puberty in dogs are few, probably because many factors are involved in the delicate process of puberty onset, leading to difficulties in the proper enrollment of subjects. Moreover, the use of blood for monitoring hormonal changes can be problematic, and not feasible for long-term studies. Hair and nails proved to be suitable matrices for the retrospective evaluation of hormones' long-term accumulation.

Incorporation of Testicular Ultrasonography and Hair Steroid Concentrations in Bull Breeding Soundness Evaluation.

Testicular ultrasonography and steroid concentrations (cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), cortisol/DHEA-S ratio, testosterone) in hair were examined for their utility in the bull breeding soundness evaluation (BBSE). Beef and dairy bulls ( = 16; 2.7 ± 0.

Validation of an ELISA kit to measure allopregnanolone in human and equine hair.

In humans, allopregnanolone plays important roles in a number of different neurodegenerative disorders, and it has been proposed for use in some therapies. Horses are commonly used as animal models for human neurodegenerative diseases, mental and behavioral disorders, and neuropsychiatric disorders, and there is interest in using hair as a biological sample to study hormones in these conditions. We validated the use of a commercial ELISA kit (DetectX allopregnanolone kit; Arbor Assays), which was designed for serum, plasma, feces, urine, and tissue samples, to assess allopregnanolone in hair samples from 30 humans and 63 horses.

Hair and Claw Dehydroepiandrosterone Concentrations in Newborn Puppies Spontaneously Dead within 30 Days of Age.

The latest intrauterine fetal developmental stage and the neonatal period represent the most challenging phases for mammalian offspring. Toward the term of pregnancy, during parturition, and after birth, the hypothalamic−pituitary−adrenal axis (HPA) is a key system regulating several physiologic processes, through the production of cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). This study was aimed to assess DHEA concentrations in hair and claws of 126 spontaneously dead newborn puppies, classified as premature puppies (PRE-P), stillborn puppies (STILL-P) and puppies that died from the 1st to the 30th day of life (NEON-P).

Hair Cortisol and DHEA-S in Foals and Mares as a Retrospective Picture of Feto-Maternal Relationship under Physiological and Pathological Conditions.

Equine fetal hair starts to grow at around 270 days of pregnancy, and hair collected at birth reflects hormones of the last third of pregnancy. The study aimed to evaluate cortisol (CORT) and dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-S) concentrations and their ratio in the trichological matrix of foals and mares in relation to their clinical parameters; the clinical condition of the neonate (study 1); the housing place at parturition (study 2). In study 1, 107 mare-foal pairs were divided into healthy (group H; n = 56) and sick (group S; n = 51) foals, whereas in study 2, group H was divided into hospital (n = 30) and breeding farm (n = 26) parturition.

Metabolic and production parameters of dairy cows with different dry period lengths and parities.

To assess the effects of dry period (DP) length on metabolic, reproductive, and productive parameters, second- (SP) and third- (TP) parity cows were assigned to a traditional (9 weeks, T) or short (5 weeks, S) DP, obtaining four subgroups: second-parity cows with traditional (SPT = 8) and short (SPS = 8) DP, third-parity cows with traditional (TPT = 8) and short (TPS = 10) DP. Plasma insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) levels were assessed from 5 weeks before to 14 weeks after parturition. IGF-I concentrations were affected by parity (P < 0.

Effect of Delivery by Emergency or Elective Cesarean Section on Nitric Oxide Metabolites and Cortisol Amniotic Concentrations in at Term Normal Newborn Dogs: Preliminary Results.

The neonatal response to stress was reported to be related to the type of delivery, that is elective or emergency cesarean sections (ELCS and EMCS, respectively). Nitric oxide (NO) is also reported to be related to uterine inertia, and high levels of NO metabolites (NOs) are associated with physical and emotional stress. The study aimed to assess the concentrations of cortisol (C) and NOs in the amniotic fluid of puppies delivered by ELCS or EMCS.

Steroids in pig hair and welfare evaluation systems: combined approaches to improve management in pig breeding?

The aim of the present pilot study was to determine the allostatic load by analysing the hair cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone‑sulphate (DHEA‑S) of commercial pigs belonging to different farms having good overall animal welfare according to the CREnBA (Centro di Referenza Nazionale per il Benessere Animale - Brescia, Italy) assessment protocol. The study was conducted on 86 pigs belonging to three farms with a grade higher than 8 on the CReNBA welfare evaluation system. Hair samples were taken by shaving on sows 1‑10 days after weaning (Farms 1 and 2) and at the age of 8‑10 months (Farm 3).

Analysis of 19 Minerals and Cortisol in Red Deer Hair in Two Different Areas of the Stelvio National Park: A Preliminary Study.

The aim of the study was to perform an investigation on the concentration of 19 minerals and cortisol in red deer ( ) hair, a matrix that is easy to collect with non-invasive and painless sampling, able to represent an integrative values of long-term substance concentrations, and able to give useful information, also when performed on dead animals, given its extreme stability over time. In the study thirty-five animals were included, coming from two different sides of a valley in the Stelvio National Park, where official water analysis had pointed out elevated concentrations of As in one of the two orographic sides. Hair cortisol concentrations were measured using a RIA(Radio Immuno Assay), while minerals were detected using ICP-MS (Inductively Coupled Plasma- Mass Spectrometry).

Cortisol, DHEA, and Sexual Steroid Concentrations in Fattening Pigs' Hair.

The aim of this study was to analyze the feasibility and reliability of using hair as a matrix to determine the dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and sexual steroid concentrations and the cortisol/DHEA ratio in fattening pigs. The results could be also used to plan future research to identify threshold values in order to set up strategies to control the allostatic load and increase the resilience of fattening pigs before slaughter. The study was conducted on 107 commercial crossbred rearing pigs.

The usefulness of claws collected without invasiveness for cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (sulfate) monitoring in healthy newborn puppies after birth.

Despite the high rates of perinatal mortality in dogs, the study of canine perinatology did not receive strong scientific interests until recently, probably due to the difficulties in studying long term changes evaluations without incur with ethical issues. In the recent years, however, the usefulness of new matrices, such as the claws, collectable without invasiveness and providing information about a long-term, retrospective window of time were reported to be a suitable tool for the study of canine perinatology in spontaneously dead puppies. The present study was therefore aimed to assess the usefulness of claws as matrices collectable without invasiveness for the study of immunoreactive cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (sulfate) in alive puppies at birth, at 30 and at 60 days of age.

Evaluation of factors involved in the failure of ovum capture in superovulated buffaloes.

The aim of this work was to evaluate factors affecting ovum capture in superovulated buffaloes, by comparing the morphological features of pre-ovulatory follicles and oocytes, the intrafollicular and plasmatic steroid profile, as well as the expression of genes involved in cumulus expansion and steroid cascade in granulosa cells (GCs) and that of genes involved in contraction-relaxation of the oviduct between superovulated and synchronized buffaloes. Italian Mediterranean Buffalo cows were either synchronized by Ovsynch (n = 25) and superovulated (n = 10) with conventional FSH protocol and sacrificed 18 h after last GnRH. Antral follicular count, recovery rate and oocyte quality were recorded, and plasma and follicular fluid were collected for steroid profile determination.

Hair cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone concentrations in naturally Taenia solium infected pigs in Tanzania.

The aim of this study was to measure hair cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) concentrations in naturally Taenia solium infected and non-infected control pigs and assess the effect of an environmental change on the aforementioned parameters. Three hair patches were obtained from 13 T. solium infected and 15 non-infected controls sows, respectively corresponding to 3 time points (prior to, at and approximately two weeks after arrival at the research facility).

Relocation and Hair Cortisol Concentrations in New Zealand White Rabbits.

To investigate how long relocation modified hair cortisol concentrations in New Zealand white rabbits, 19 rabbits were subjected to a change in their breeding facility at the beginning of the trial and then were kept under stable environmental conditions. Hair samples were collected at the time of arrival to the nonhuman animal facility and at 40-day intervals from the same skin area for up to 440 days after the animals' arrival to the facility. A period effect on the hair cortisol concentration was found (p < .

Effect of season, late embryonic mortality and progesterone production on pregnancy rates in pluriparous buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) after artificial insemination with sexed semen.

The use of sexed semen technology in buffaloes is nowadays becoming more and more accepted by farmers, to overcome the burden of unwanted male calves with related costs and to more efficiently improve production and genetic gain. The aim of this study was to verify the coupling of some variables on the efficiency of pregnancy outcome after deposition of sexed semen through AI. Pluriparous buffaloes from two different farms (N = 152) were screened, selected, and subjected to Ovsynch protocol for AI using nonsexed and sexed semen from four tested bulls.

Hair cortisol level as a retrospective marker of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity in horse foals.

Stimulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and elevated cortisol concentrations in fetal plasma are associated with foal maturity, viability and adaptation to independent life. However, non-invasive measurement of cortisol in hair samples has not yet been validated in horses. The current study developed a radioimmunoassay to analyse cortisol in horse hair and was used to measure cortisol hair concentration at birth and at 30 and 60 days of age as a retrospective study of HPA axis activity.