Title |
Evaluation of immune and stress status in harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena): can hormones and mRNA expression levels serve as indicators to assess stress?
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Published in |
BMC Veterinary Research, July 2013
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DOI | 10.1186/1746-6148-9-145 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Sabine Müller, Kristina Lehnert, Henrike Seibel, Jörg Driver, Katrin Ronnenberg, Jonas Teilmann, Cornelius van Elk, Jakob Kristensen, Eligius Everaarts, Ursula Siebert |
Abstract |
The harbour porpoise is exposed to increasing pressure caused by anthropogenic activities in its marine environment. Numerous offshore wind farms are planned or under construction in the North and Baltic Seas, which will increase underwater noise during both construction and operation. A better understanding of how anthropogenic impacts affect the behaviour, health, endocrinology, immunology and physiology of the animals is thus needed. The present study compares levels of stress hormones and mRNA expression of cytokines and acute-phase proteins in blood samples of harbour porpoises exposed to different levels of stress during handling, in rehabilitation or permanent human care.Free-ranging harbour porpoises, incidentally caught in pound nets in Denmark, were compared to harbour porpoises in rehabilitation at SOS Dolfijn in Harderwijk, the Netherlands, and individuals permanently kept in human care in the Dolfinarium Harderwijk and Fjord & Belt Kerteminde, Denmark. Blood samples were investigated for catecholamines, adrenaline, noradrenaline and dopamine, as well as for adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), cortisol, metanephrine and normetanephrine. mRNA expression levels of relevant cell mediators (cytokines IL-10 and TNFα, acute-phase proteins haptoglobin and C-reactive protein and the heat shock protein HSP70) were measured using real-time PCR. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
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United Kingdom | 2 | 50% |
Netherlands | 1 | 25% |
Unknown | 1 | 25% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
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Members of the public | 3 | 75% |
Practitioners (doctors, other healthcare professionals) | 1 | 25% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Belgium | 2 | 3% |
Germany | 1 | 1% |
Peru | 1 | 1% |
Brazil | 1 | 1% |
Unknown | 75 | 94% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Researcher | 16 | 20% |
Student > Ph. D. Student | 14 | 18% |
Student > Bachelor | 11 | 14% |
Student > Master | 9 | 11% |
Student > Doctoral Student | 4 | 5% |
Other | 11 | 14% |
Unknown | 15 | 19% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 30 | 38% |
Veterinary Science and Veterinary Medicine | 7 | 9% |
Medicine and Dentistry | 5 | 6% |
Environmental Science | 4 | 5% |
Nursing and Health Professions | 2 | 3% |
Other | 14 | 18% |
Unknown | 18 | 23% |