title: Short communication: Ovine leukocyte telomere length is associated with variation in the cortisol response to systemic bacterial endotoxin challenge.
abstract: Stress has been associated with biological aging and numerous age-related diseases. This may be due, in part, to accelerated shortening of telomeres, which are critical genomic structures that cap and protect chromosomal ends. Dysfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis may indirectly contribute to telomere shortening if an animal reacts too strongly or weakly to a stressor, leading to accelerated biological aging. In this study, outbred Rideau-Arcott sheep were stress challenged with Escherichia coli endotoxin and classified as high, middle, or low cortisol responders to investigate a potential relationship between cortisol response and age, and telomere length. In the present study, no association was found between age and telomere length. The study, however, revealed shorter telomeres in high and low cortisol responders compared with the middle cortisol responders, which suggests that health and longevity may be compromised in extreme high- and low-stress-responding sheep.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal & Poultry Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada, N1G 2W1.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yip
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal & Poultry Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada, N1G 2W1. Electronic address: ugohs530@gmail.com.
authors.forename: S Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal & Poultry Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada, N1G 2W1.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal & Poultry Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada, N1G 2W1.
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: You
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal & Poultry Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada, N1G 2W1.
authors.forename: V M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Quinton
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Science, Ontario Veterinary College (OVC), University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada, N1G 2W1.
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Gilchrist
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal & Poultry Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada, N1G 2W1. Electronic address: nkarrow@uoguelph.ca.
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Karrow
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood*; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000502:physiology; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008136:Longevity; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000502:physiology; D012756:Sheep / Q000097:blood*; D034561:Sheep, Domestic; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D016615:Telomere / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D059506:Telomere Shortening
chemical_list: D004731:Endotoxins; C044101:endotoxin, Escherichia coli; D006854:Hydrocortisone
keywords: cortisol; endotoxin; sheep; telomere