title: Physiological and behavioural stress responses in cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis) to noise associated with construction work.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the behavioural and physiological responses to environmental disturbances (live and recorded dynamite explosions) in laboratory non-human primates in preparation for a future tunnel construction underneath our animal facility. In a pilot study (A) on 20 female Macaca fascicularis, a day of test blasts resulted in an increase in faecal cortisol and immunoreactive cortisol metabolites (CICM), and the animals reacted behaviourally with vertical flight and vocalizations. In a follow-up study (B), we assessed the impact of 10 days of exposure to recorded detonations on the behaviour and CICM in 16 M. fascicularis. In the latter study we introduced a predictive signal, serving as a conditional stimulus, to half of the animals. We found no significant effects of the noise in the Signal group; while the Control groups' CICM values were affected. The behaviour was largely unaffected in the two groups. It was decided not to introduce a research moratorium on biomedical research planned to be conducted during the future tunnel construction, and that a conditional stimulus ('warning signal') will be used.
authors.affiliation: Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control, SE-171 82 Solna, Sweden. karolina.westlund@smi.se
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Westlund
authors.forename: A-L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Fernström
authors.forename: E-M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Wergård
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fredlund
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hau
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Spångberg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003214:Conditioning, Classical; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004924:Escape Reaction; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D008252:Macaca fascicularis / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D009622:Noise; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D014828:Vocalization, Animal
chemical_list: D006854:Hydrocortisone