Non-invasive cortisol measurements as indicators of physiological stress responses in guinea pigs.

ABSTRACT: Non-invasive measurements of glucocorticoid (GC) concentrations, including cortisol and corticosterone, serve as reliable indicators of adrenocortical activities and physiological stress loads in a variety of species. As an alternative to invasive analyses based on plasma, GC concentrations in saliva still represent single-point-of-time measurements, suitable for studying short-term or acute stress responses, whereas fecal GC metabolites (FGMs) reflect overall stress loads and stress responses after a species-specific time frame in the long-term. In our study species, the domestic guinea pig, GC measurements are commonly used to indicate stress responses to different environmental conditions, but the biological relevance of non-invasive measurements is widely unknown. We therefore establis

SUBMITTER: Nemeth M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4734438 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature