Psychosocial Stress and Urinary Cortisol Excretion in Marmoset Monkeys (original) (raw)
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Scientific Reports, 2021
Cortisol is often measured as a marker for stress. Therefore, a profound validation of the time-lag between the stressor and the increase and peak in cortisol levels is needed. No study measured both the urinary and salivary cortisol time-lag after a psychological stressor. In this study, we used a frequent sampling study design to (1) describe the urinary and salivary cortisol pattern during a control day; and (2) characterize the induced excretion pattern of urinary and salivary cortisol after a psychological stressor in six zoo-housed bonobos. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was used to analyze 71 urine and 162 saliva samples collected on a control and a test day. We found that the time-lag between the stressor and the maximal cortisol concentration was similar in urine and saliva (160 min after the stressor). However, salivary cortisol after the stressor did show a faster and steeper increase than urinary cortisol. We also show inter-individual variation in the ba...
Rearing experience, stress and adrenocorticosteroids in the rhesus monkey
Physiology & Behavior, 1972
BEHAV. 8 (2) 339-343, 1972.-Baseline cortisol levels and adrenocortical response to ACTH admimstration and chairrestraint stress were measured in rhesus monkeys reared under partial social isolation, total social isolation, and jungle conditions, 3-4 years after the rearing treatments. In contrast to expectations derived from the rodent literature on early treatment effects, no pituitary-adrenocortlcal effects of rearing condition were found in the monkey. From these and other data, it seems that such effects which may appear shortly after rearing treatment in the monkey are transient, and there is no long-term modification of a hormonostat mechanism regulating basal cortisol levels or adrenocortical responsivity. Other effects of stress were observed; additionally, some sex differences were noted. Adrenocortical secretion apparently fell to zero soon after termination of stress and did not recommence within the next 2 hr, indicating a rapid and complete poststress reset of some feedback mechanism for control of plasma cortisol levels. Finally, plasma levels of injected, radioactive cortisol were decreased during stress, but recovered poststress, compared with baseline conditions, suggesting a stress-induced shift in cortisol compartmentalization ratios.
Animals
Monitoring changes in cortisol levels is a widespread tool for measuring individuals’ stress responses. However, an acute increase in cortisol levels does not necessarily denote an individual in distress, as increases in cortisol can be elicited by all factors that signal the need to mobilize energy. Nor are low levels of cortisol indicative for a relaxed, healthy individual. Therefore, a more fine-grained description of cortisol patterns is warranted in order to distinguish between cortisol fluctuations associated with different stress response qualities. In most species, cortisol shows a distinct diurnal pattern. Using a reaction norm approach, cortisol levels across the day can be described by the two regression coefficients: the intercept and the slope of the curve. We measured immunoreactive salivary cortisol in three zoo-housed ape species under three conditions (routine days, enrichment days, and after the move to a new house). We examined salivary cortisol intercepts (SCI) a...
Biological Psychiatry, 1996
concentrations and responsiveness of these hormones to dexamethasone, ovine corticotropinreleasing hormone ( oCRH), and A CTH l_24. Socially stressful conditions, such as isolation and peer group formation, were associated with increased HPA axis function and behavioral arousal, and individual profiles were related to gender and social status. Hormonal levels prior to group formation predicted subsequent status in peer groups. Basal morning concentrations of plasma cortisol, as well as cortisol responsiveness to dexamethasone suppression, were sensitive indices of HPA axis arousal during periods of social stress. The context-dependent development of hormonal and behavioral profiles, reminiscent of depression and~or anorexia nervosa, suggests that the common marmoset may be a useful model of psychiatric hypercortisolism.
Reviews in the Neurosciences, 2008
Social non-human primates are potential animal models for studying changes in social dynamics because they build strong emotional bonds inside the group, much as do humans. The common marmoset, a small neotropical primate, is a suitable model because of its low maintenance cost and high reproductive output in captivity associated with the presence of affiliative relationships among the members of the social group and pair bond formation. The paradigm of involuntary separation is frequently used to study the physiological repercussions of ι social deprivation. In this review we point out ' the advantages of using social non-human primates as animal models for studying psychological disorders. We focused on New World primates, adding some original findings for common marmosets. Forty-eight adult individuals (24 females) were monitored over 25 days in two situations: baseline phase and separation phase. Variability in basal Cortisol levels was recorded for both males and females, and three types of Cortisol profile were drawn for the subjects in this population: high, medium and low. Basal Cortisol levels were a predictor of hormonal reactivity to social separation. The animals with low and high Cortisol levels were
Laboratory Animals, 1997
Salivary cortisol is a non-invasive and easy-to-assess measure of the activity of the hypotha1amo-pituitary-adrenocortical IHPA) system. Here we report that salivary cortisol determination can be used in squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus) to monitor variations in HPA system activity induced by both housing and experimental conditions. Saliva cortisol assessment has several advantages over blood cortisol analysis such as stress-free frequent sampling, laboratory independence and lower costs. Therefore, this non-invasive measure can be the method of choice in primatological research projects and routine programmes related to the well-being of these laboratory animals.
Stress, the HPA axis, and nonhuman primate well-being: A review
Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 2013
Numerous stressors are routinely encountered by wild-living primates (e.g., food scarcity, predation, aggressive interactions, and parasitism). Although many of these stressors are eliminated in laboratory environments, other stressors may be present in that access to space and social partners is often restricted. Stress affects many physiological systems including the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis, which is the focus of this review. The glucocorticoid, cortisol, is the ultimate output of this system in nonhuman primates, and levels of this hormone are used as an index of stress. Researchers can measure cortisol from several sampling matrices that include blood, saliva, urine, faeces, and hair. A comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of each sampling matrix is provided to aid researchers in selecting an optimal strategy for their research. Stress and its relationship to welfare have been examined in nonhuman primates using two complimentary approaches: comparing baseline cortisol levels under different conditions, or determining the reactivity of the system through exposure to a stressor. Much of this work is focused on colony management practices and developmental models of abnormal behaviour. Certain colony practices are known to increase stress at least temporarily. Both blood sampling and relocation are examples of this effect, and efforts have been made to reduce some of the more stressful aspects of these procedures. In contrast, other colony management practices such as social housing and environmental enrichment are hypothesized to reduce stress. Testing this hypothesis by comparing baseline cortisol levels has not proved useful, probably due to "floor" effects; however, social buffering studies have shown the powerful role of social housing in mitigating reactions of nonhuman primates to stressful events. Models of abnormal behaviour come from two sources: experimentally induced alterations in early experience (e.g., nursery rearing), and the spontaneous development of behavioural pathology (e.g., self-injurious behaviour). Investigators have often assumed that abnormal behaviour is a marker for stress and thus such monkeys are predicted to have higher cortisol levels than controls. However, an emerging finding is that monkeys with abnormal behaviour are more likely to show a pattern of lowered cortisol concentrations which may reflect either an altered set point or a blunting of the stress response system. These findings parallel human clinical studies demonstrating that neuropsychiatric disorders may be associated with either increased or decreased activity of the HPA system, depending on the aetiology and manifestation of the disorder and their potential influence in provoking allostatic shifts in system functioning.
Psychoneuroendocrinology, 2004
Behaviorally subordinate female common marmoset monkeys (Callithrix jacchus) exhibit pronounced, chronic reductions of circulating cortisol levels. Cortisol suppression in these animals is mediated in part by adrenocortical hyporesponsiveness to adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). In addition, we hypothesized that social subordination may activate a central, neurally mediated mechanism to further inhibit hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal function. In this study, therefore, we evaluated basal plasma cortisol and ACTH concentrations, as well as cortisol and ACTH responses to dexamethasone (DEX), in dominant and subordinate females to initially characterize such a mechanism. Morning plasma cortisol and ACTH levels were determined before, and 1, 2, and 3 days following administration of DEX (0.5, 1.0, or 5.0 mg/kg, IM) or saline. Baseline cortisol concentrations prior to DEX treatment were significantly lower in subordinate females than in dominants, as previously reported. However, ACTH concentrations in the same blood samples did not differ between the two groups. Furthermore, dominant and subordinate females showed similar cortisol and ACTH responses to DEX. These results indicate that reduced circulating cortisol levels in subordinate females are not associated with either altered circulating ACTH concentrations or enhanced responsiveness to glucocorticoid negative feedback. However, the finding that basal ACTH levels are not elevated in subordinate females as compared to dominants, in spite of low circulating cortisol
Biological Psychiatry, 2005
Background: Early adverse experiences represent risk factors for the development of anxiety and mood disorders. Studies in nonhuman primates have largely focused on the impact of protracted maternal and social deprivation, but such intense manipulations also result in severe social and emotional deficits very difficult to remediate. This study attempts to model more subtle developmental perturbations that may increase the vulnerability for anxiety/mood disorders but lack the severe deficits associated with motherless rearing. Methods: We investigated the consequences of repeated maternal separations between 3 to 6 months of age on rhesus monkeys' hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function and acoustic startle reactivity.
ILAR journal / National Research Council, Institute of Laboratory Animal Resources, 2014
Stressful life events have been linked to the onset of severe psychopathology and endocrine dysfunction in many patients. Moreover, vulnerability to the later development of such disorders can be increased by stress or adversity during development (e.g., childhood neglect, abuse, or trauma). This review discusses the methodological features and results of various models of stress in nonhuman primates in the context of their potential relevance for human psychopathology and endocrine dysfunction, particularly mood disorders and dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) system. Such models have typically examined the effects of stress on the animals' behavior, endocrine function (primarily the HPA and hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal systems), and, in some cases, immune status. Manipulations such as relocation and/or removal of an animal from its current social group or, alternatively, formation of a new social group can have adverse effects on all of these ou...