Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-p9bg8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T01:58:37.044Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Reproductive and pituitary-adrenal axis parameters in normal and prenatally stressed prepubertal blue foxes (Alopex lagopus)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 August 2016

L. V. Osadchuk ,
B. O. Braastad ,
A. L. Hovland  and
M. Bakken
L. V. Osadchuk*
Affiliation:
Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Department of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, 630090 Russia
B. O. Braastad
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, Agricultural University of Norway, PO Box 5025, N-1432 Ås, Norway
A. L. Hovland
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, Agricultural University of Norway, PO Box 5025, N-1432 Ås, Norway
M. Bakken
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, Agricultural University of Norway, PO Box 5025, N-1432 Ås, Norway
*
†E-mail:osadchuk@bionet.nsc.ru
Get access

Abstract

Man-animal relationships are involved in the process of fox domestication. Handling being an important part of man-animal contacts, causes stress responses in farm-bred blue foxes. The purpose of this study was to determine how prenatal stress induced by handling pregnant vixens influences certain morphometric and hormonal parameters of adrenocortical and gonadal function in the prepubertal offspring. Blue fox females were subjected to daily handling sessions, each of 1 min, in the last trimester of pregnancy (term = 52 days). Plasma concentrations of ACTH, cortisol, progesterone, oestradiol and testosterone, as well as the in vitro adrenal and gonadal production of steroids were measured by radio-immunoassay in control (C, no. = 56) and prenatally stressed (PS, no. = 56) blue fox cubs of both sexes at the age of 6 to 7 months. Prenatal stress decreased plasma concentration of cortisol (C: 31·0 (s.e. 4·3) v. PS: 22·7(s.e. 1·6) ng/ml, P < 0·05) as well as progesterone (C: 1·00(s.e. 0·10) v. PS: 0·65(s.e. 0·05) ng/ml, P < 0·05) in female cubs. Prenatal stress did not cause any changes in adrenal or gonadal weights, plasma concentrations of testosterone or oestradiol, or in vitro adrenal or gonadal steroid production, in either sex. It is concluded that persistent handling of pregnant blue foxes did not affect the prepubertal development of the reproductive system but resulted in disregulation in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in the female offspring.

Keywords

Alopex lagopushydrocortisoneprenatal period stressprepubertal femalesprogesterone
Type
Reproduction
Information
Animal Science , Volume 76 , Issue 3 , June 2003 , pp. 413 - 420
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 2003

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bakken, M. 1998. The effect of an improved man-animal relationship on sex ratio in litters and on growth and behaviour in cubs among farmed silver fox (Vulpes vulpes). Applied Animal Behaviour Science 56: 309–317.Google Scholar
Braastad, B. O., Osadchuk, L. V., Lund, G. and Bakken, M. 1998. Effects of prenatal handling stress on adrenal weight and function and behaviour in novel situations in blue fox cubs (Alopex lagopus). Applied Animal Behaviour Science 57: 157–169.Google Scholar
Dahlöf, L.-G., Hard, E. and Larsson, K. 1977. Influence of maternal stress on offspring sexual behaviour. Animal Behaviour 25: 958–963.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fameli, M., Kitraki, E. and Stylianopoulou, F. 1994. Effects of hyperactivity of the maternal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis during pregnancy on the development of the HPA axis and brain monoamines of the offspring. International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience 12: 651–659.Google Scholar
Farstad, W. 1998. Reproduction in foxes: current research and future challenges. Animal Reproduction Science 53: 35–42.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Götz, F., Stahl, F., Ohkawa, T., Mendez-Gomez, N. and Dörner, G. 1986. The influence of maternal adrenal function during gestation on hormonal and long-term behavioral parameters in the offspring of rats. Monographs in Neural Science 12: 112–116.Google ScholarPubMed
Henry, C., Arsaut, J., Arnauld, E. and Demotes-Mainard, J. 1996. Transient neonatal elevation in hypothalamic estrogen receptor mRNA in prenatally-stressed male rats. Neuroscience Letters 216: 141–145.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Herrenkohl, L. R. 1979. Prenatal stress reduces fertility and fecundity in female offspring. Science 206: 1097–1099.Google Scholar
Kaiser, S. and Sachser, N. 1998. The social environment during pregnancy and lactation affects the female offsprings’ endocrine status and behaviour in guinea pigs. Physiology and Behavior 63: 361–366.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McCormick, C. M., Furey, B. F., Child, M., Sawyer, M. J. and Donohue, S. M. 1998. Neonatal sex hormones have “organizational” effects on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis of male rats. Developmental Brain Research 105: 295–307.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McCormick, C. M., Smythe, J. W., Sharma, S. and Meaney, M. J. 1995. Sex-specific effects of prenatal stress on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal responses to stress and brain glucocorticoid receptor density in adult rats. Developmental Brain Research 84: 55–61.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Moe, R. O. and Bakken, M. 1997. Effects of handling and physical restraint on rectal temperature, cortisol, glucose and leukocyte counts in the silver fox (Vulpes vulpes). Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 38: 29–39.Google ScholarPubMed
Osadchuk, L. V., Braastad, B. O., Hovland, A. L. and Bakken, M. 2001a. Morphometric and hormonal changes following persistent handling in pregnant blue fox vixens (Alopex lagopus). Animal Science 72: 407–414.Google Scholar
Osadchuk, L. V., Braastad, B. O., Hovland, A. -L. and Bakken, M. 2001b. Handling during pregnancy in the blue fox (Alopex lagopus): the influence on the fetal pituitary-adrenal axis. General and Comparative Endocrinology 123: 100–110.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Osadchuk, L. V., Braastad, B. O., Hovland, A. -L. and Bakken, M. 2001c. Fetal development of pituitary-gonadal and pituitary-adrenal axis in prenatally stressed blue foxes. Reproduction, Abstract Series 27: 26.Google Scholar
Osadchuk, L. V., Braastad, B. O., Huhtaniemi, I. and Bakken, M. 2000. Alterations of the pituitary-gonadal axis in the neonatal blue fox (Alopex lagopus) exposed to prenatal handling stress. Reproduction, Fertility and Development 12: 119–126.Google Scholar
Pedersen, V. 1996. Combined behavioural and physiological measurements as a basis of the assessment of animal welfare. Acta Agriculturæ Scandinavica, Section A, Animal Science 27: (suppl. ) 69–75.Google Scholar
Sachser, N. and Kaiser, S. 1996. Prenatal social stress masculinizes the females’ behaviour in guinea pigs. Physiology and Behavior 60: 589–594.Google Scholar
Smith, A. J., Mondain-Monval, M., Berg, K. A., Gordeladze, J. O., Clausen, O. P. F., Simon, P. and Scholler, R. 1987. Sexual development in the immature male blue fox (Alopex lagopus), investigated by testicular histology, DNA flow cytometry and measurement of plasma FSH, LH, testosterone, and soluble testicular Mn-dependent adenylate cyclase activity. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 81: 505–515.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smith, A. J., Mondain-Monval, M., Moller, O. M., Scholler, R. and Hansson, V. 1985. Seasonal variations of LH, prolactin, androstenedione, testosterone and testicular FSH binding in the male blue fox (Alopex lagopus). Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 74: 449–458.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Takahashi, L. K. 1998. Prenatal stress: consequences of glucocorticoids on hippocampal development and function. International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience 16: 199–207.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Takahashi, L. K., Turner, J. G. and Kalin, N. H. 1998. Prolonged stress-induced elevation in plasma corticosterone during pregnancy in the rat: implications for prenatal stress studies. Psychoneuroendocrinology 23: 571–581.Google Scholar
Ward, I. L. 1972. Prenatal stress feminizes and demasculinizes the behavior of males. Science 175: 82–84.Google Scholar
Ward, I. L. and Weisz, J. 1984. Differential effects of maternal stress on circulating levels of corticosterone, progesterone, and testosterone in male and female rat fetuses and their mothers. Endocrinology 114: 1635–1644.Google Scholar
Weinstock, M. 1997. Does prenatal stress impair coping and regulation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis? Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews 21: 1–10.Google Scholar
Weinstock, M., Matlina, E., Maor, G. I., Rosen, H. and McEwen, B. S. 1992. Prenatal stress selectively alters the reactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal system in the female rat. Brain Research 595: 195–200.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Weisz, J., Brown, B. L. and Ward, I. L. 1982. Maternal stress decreases steroid aromatase activity in brains of male and female rat fetuses. Neuroendocrinology 35: 374–379.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed