Hair cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate concentrations in healthy beef calves from birth to 6 months of age
Cortisol (C) and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) are recognized as the main fetal steroids, and they are likely to influence fetal development and have long-term effects on newborn hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) function. DHEA is often measured as its sulfates and expressed as DHEA-S. Hair...
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| Published in: | Theriogenology 2021-11, Vol.175, p.89-94 |
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | eng |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Get full text |
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| Summary: | Cortisol (C) and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) are recognized as the main fetal steroids, and they are likely to influence fetal development and have long-term effects on newborn hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) function. DHEA is often measured as its sulfates and expressed as DHEA-S. Hair analysis represents a promising methodological approach for the non-invasive measurement of steroids, allowing for a retrospective analysis of the total exposure to steroids over time, and avoiding the influence of acute events or circadian fluctuations. Hair cortisol and DHEA concentrations have been investigated in cows, but no studies have been performed on calves. The object of this study was to evaluate hair cortisol (HC) and hair DHEA-S (HDHEA-S) concentrations in beef calves from birth to six months of age. Hair samples of 12 beef calves (seven males, five females) were firstly collected at birth (T1) and then every three weeks up to six months of age (T2-T10), collecting only the re-grown hair. HC and HDHEA-S were analyzed by radioimmunoassay (RIA). Calves sex, weight and APGAR score were registered immediately after birth. Statistical analysis revealed that both HC and HDHEA-S were influenced by sampling time (P |
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| ISSN: | 0093-691X 1879-3231 |