title: Serum cortisol radioimmunoassay values in the normal ferret and response to ACTH stimulation and dexamethasone suppression tests.
abstract: Cortisol values were obtained from 39 ferrets, Mustela putorius furo, by using a commercial radioimmunoassay. Sera from 25 males (18 intact, 7 neutered) and 14 females (7 intact, 7 spayed) were assayed. Resting serum cortisol values ranged from 0.13 to 2.70 micrograms/dl for males (mean = 0.93 +/- 0.63 micrograms/dl), and 0.55 to 1.84 micrograms/dl for females (mean = 0.86 +/- 0.29 microgram/dl). The resting cortisol values of both males and females were comparable to those of the cat (1.0 to 3.0 micrograms/dl). A 7 year old male ferret with suspected hyperadrenocorticism and an adrenal mass had a cortisol level of 8.1 micrograms/dl. Adrenal cortical carcinoma was the histologic diagnosis. One adult female ferret had a cortisol level of 3.30 micrograms/dl. This animal also had proliferative colitis upon necropsy. An ACTH stimulation test (1 U/kg IM) and a low-dose dexamethasone suppression test (0.1 mg/kg) were performed on 10 ferrets. Post-ACTH serum cortisol levels increased by an average of 89%. Post-dexamethasone serum cortisol values decreased by an average of 18% 6 hours post-injection.
authors.affiliation: Division of Comparative Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02139.
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Garibaldi
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Pecquet Goad
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Fox
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Sylvina
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Murray
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D000818:Animals; D002335:Carnivora / Q000097:blood*; D003907:Dexamethasone; D005260:Female; D005289:Ferrets / Q000097:blood*; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D003907:Dexamethasone; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D006854:Hydrocortisone