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. Cortisol was detectable in the hair of foals from birth until 2 months, but decreased with time and varied greatly between individuals. Analysis of hair cortisol could be useful for non-invasive retrospective studies of HPA axis activity in perinatal horse.
Department of Food Sciences, University of Udine, Udine, Italy.
Antonella
A
Comin
Maria C
MC
Veronesi
Marta
M
Montillo
Massimo
M
Faustini
Silvia
S
Valentini
Fausto
F
Cairoli
Alberto
A
Prandi
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry*; D006736:Horses / Q000502:physiology*; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000502:physiology*
D006854:Hydrocortisone