Histological and Proteomic Approaches to Assessing the Adrenal Stress Response in Common Dolphins (<i>Delphinus delphis</i>).

ABSTRACT: The adrenal glands are central to the stress response in cetaceans, yet their morphological and molecular changes under chronic stress remain poorly described. We investigated adrenal histology and protein composition in stranded common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) to assess whether post-mortem material can provide insights into stress physiology. Adrenal glands from 58 dolphins recovered along the Irish coast during a period of reported nutritional stress in the species were analyzed for adrenal mass, cortex-to-medulla (C:M) ratios, and cortical cell density. Additionally, two archival formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues were included in a pilot trial to assess the feasibility of protein extraction and mass spectrometry analysis. While adrenal mass did not differ signi

SUBMITTER: Medina Santana C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12523369 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature