Circulating thyroid hormones and associated metabolites in white whales (Delphinapterus leucas) determined using isotope-dilution mass spectrometry.
Blood was sampled from nine free-ranging white whales (beluga whale, Delphinapterus leucas) from Svalbard, Norway during the summers of 2013 and 2014. Total concentrations of eleven thyroid hormones and metabolites were measured in serum using a novel liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry analytical method. Measurements of these compounds in plasma gave the same results as in serum. The three hormones found in highest concentrations were 3,3',5-triiodothyronine (T3), 3,3',5'-triiodothyronine (rT3) and thyroxine (T4). Traces of associated metabolites were also found.
Molecular Toxicology, Energy and Resources Group, Endocrinology, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, and Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA. Electronic address: martin.hansen@berkeley.edu.
Martin
M
Hansen
Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Mental and Physical Health, Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: groand@gmail.com.
Gro D
GD
Villanger
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Alberta, Canada.
Thea
T
Bechshoft
University of Connecticut, Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Sciences, Storrs, CT, USA.
Milton
M
Levin
Norwegian Polar Institute, N-9296 Tromsø, Norway.
Heli
H
Routti
Norwegian Polar Institute, N-9296 Tromsø, Norway.
Kit M
KM
Kovacs
Norwegian Polar Institute, N-9296 Tromsø, Norway.
Christian
C
Lydersen
D000818:Animals; D050643:Beluga Whale / Q000378:metabolism*; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D010949:Plasma / Q000737:chemistry; D044967:Serum / Q000737:chemistry; D013538:Svalbard; D013963:Thyroid Hormones / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism
D013963:Thyroid Hormones
Beluga whale; Endocrine disruption; LC-MS/MS; Reverse-T(3); Thyronamines