Are serum cortisol levels a reliable indicator of wellbeing in the tammar wallaby, Macropus eugenii? 2004

S McKenzie, and E M Deane, and L Burnett
Division of Environmental and Life Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales 2109, Australia.

Serum corticosteroid levels were measured in six female tammar wallabies (Macropus eugenii) at Macquarie University, NSW, Australia, to assess their reliability as indicators of wellbeing in this species. Animals were challenged with a change in conditions over the course of approximately 3 weeks, comprising (i) isolation and movement; (ii) altered feeding routine, in order to impose a disturbance to homeostasis ("stress"). Blood samples were collected five times during the study period, and analysed for corticosteroid concentration and a number of haematological and biochemical measures. The use of enzyme immunoassay for the measurement of corticosteroids in marsupial serum was validated. We found that there was no significant change in serum corticosteroid concentrations in response to either of the changed conditions suggesting that serum corticosteroid concentrations are not reflective of a change in wellbeing. Cortisol was the dominant serum corticosteroid, with concentrations up to 50 times higher than corticosterone. Significant differences were observed in aspartate amino-transferase, alanine amino-transferase, haemoglobin, total erythrocyte count and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration over the period of study. However, no significant correlations emerged to justify any of these measures, or serum corticosteroid levels, as reliable indicators of compromised wellbeing in the tammar wallaby.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007124 Immunoenzyme Techniques Immunologic techniques based on the use of: (1) enzyme-antibody conjugates; (2) enzyme-antigen conjugates; (3) antienzyme antibody followed by its homologous enzyme; or (4) enzyme-antienzyme complexes. These are used histologically for visualizing or labeling tissue specimens. Antibody Enzyme Technique, Unlabeled,Enzyme Immunoassay,Enzyme-Labeled Antibody Technique,Immunoassay, Enzyme,Immunoperoxidase Techniques,Peroxidase-Antiperoxidase Complex Technique,Peroxidase-Labeled Antibody Technique,Antibody Enzyme Technic, Unlabeled,Enzyme-Labeled Antibody Technic,Immunoenzyme Technics,Immunoperoxidase Technics,Peroxidase-Antiperoxidase Complex Technic,Peroxidase-Labeled Antibody Technic,Antibody Technic, Enzyme-Labeled,Antibody Technic, Peroxidase-Labeled,Antibody Technics, Enzyme-Labeled,Antibody Technics, Peroxidase-Labeled,Antibody Technique, Enzyme-Labeled,Antibody Technique, Peroxidase-Labeled,Antibody Techniques, Enzyme-Labeled,Antibody Techniques, Peroxidase-Labeled,Enzyme Immunoassays,Enzyme Labeled Antibody Technic,Enzyme Labeled Antibody Technique,Enzyme-Labeled Antibody Technics,Enzyme-Labeled Antibody Techniques,Immunoassays, Enzyme,Immunoenzyme Technic,Immunoenzyme Technique,Immunoperoxidase Technic,Immunoperoxidase Technique,Peroxidase Antiperoxidase Complex Technic,Peroxidase Antiperoxidase Complex Technique,Peroxidase Labeled Antibody Technic,Peroxidase Labeled Antibody Technique,Peroxidase-Antiperoxidase Complex Technics,Peroxidase-Antiperoxidase Complex Techniques,Peroxidase-Labeled Antibody Technics,Peroxidase-Labeled Antibody Techniques,Technic, Enzyme-Labeled Antibody,Technic, Immunoenzyme,Technic, Immunoperoxidase,Technic, Peroxidase-Antiperoxidase Complex,Technic, Peroxidase-Labeled Antibody,Technics, Enzyme-Labeled Antibody,Technics, Immunoenzyme,Technics, Immunoperoxidase,Technics, Peroxidase-Antiperoxidase Complex,Technics, Peroxidase-Labeled Antibody,Technique, Enzyme-Labeled Antibody,Technique, Immunoenzyme,Technique, Immunoperoxidase,Technique, Peroxidase-Antiperoxidase Complex,Technique, Peroxidase-Labeled Antibody,Techniques, Enzyme-Labeled Antibody,Techniques, Immunoenzyme,Techniques, Immunoperoxidase,Techniques, Peroxidase-Antiperoxidase Complex,Techniques, Peroxidase-Labeled Antibody
D007614 Macropodidae A family of herbivorous leaping MAMMALS of Australia, New Guinea, and adjacent islands. Members include kangaroos, wallabies, quokkas, and wallaroos. Kangaroos,Macropus,Petrogale,Quokkas,Setonix,Wallabies,Wallabies, Rock,Wallaroo,Macropus robustus,Kangaroo,Petrogales,Quokka,Rock Wallabies,Rock Wallaby,Wallaby,Wallaby, Rock,Wallaroos
D001774 Blood Chemical Analysis An examination of chemicals in the blood. Analysis, Blood Chemical,Chemical Analysis, Blood,Analyses, Blood Chemical,Blood Chemical Analyses,Chemical Analyses, Blood
D005260 Female Females
D006403 Hematologic Tests Tests used in the analysis of the hemic system. Blood Tests,Hematologic Test,Hematological Tests,Test, Hematologic,Tests, Hematologic,Blood Test,Hematological Test,Test, Blood,Test, Hematological,Tests, Blood,Tests, Hematological
D006854 Hydrocortisone The main glucocorticoid secreted by the ADRENAL CORTEX. Its synthetic counterpart is used, either as an injection or topically, in the treatment of inflammation, allergy, collagen diseases, asthma, adrenocortical deficiency, shock, and some neoplastic conditions. Cortef,Cortisol,Pregn-4-ene-3,20-dione, 11,17,21-trihydroxy-, (11beta)-,11-Epicortisol,Cortifair,Cortril,Epicortisol,Hydrocortisone, (11 alpha)-Isomer,Hydrocortisone, (9 beta,10 alpha,11 alpha)-Isomer,11 Epicortisol
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia

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