Measurement of Faecal Cortisol Metabolites in Cats and Dogs: A Non-invasive Method for Evaluating Adrenocortical Function

The aim of this comparative study was to gain more information about the metabolism and excretion of glucocorticoids in cats and dogs in order to establish non-invasive methods for evaluating stressful conditions. Therefore, in a first experiment, [¹⁴C]cortisol was administered intravenously to 8 animals (two of each sex and species). Over a period of 6 days, faeces and urine were collected immediately after spontaneous defecation and urination. Marked species differences were found, as cats mainly excreted cortisol in the faeces (82%±4% of the total recovered radioactivity), whereas in dogs only a small portion was found there (23%±4%). The highest urinary radioactivity was observed after 9±3 h in cats and 3±1 h in dogs. Peak concentrations in the faeces occurred after 22±6 h in cats and after 24±4 h in dogs. Most of the radioactivity was not extractable with diethyl ether, indicating that the metabolites excreted in urine and faeces were mainly of the conjugated or polar unconjugated types. This was confirmed by RP-HPLC, which also revealed marked differences between cats and dogs concerning the metabolites formed. In addition, the immunoreactivity of the metabolites was tested in cortisol, corticosterone and 11-oxoaetiocholanolone EIAs. The latter, measuring 11,17-dioxoandrostanes (11,17-DOA) detected the highest quantities of immunoreactive metabolites in cats, but not in dogs. In a second experiment, the adrenal cortex of both species was stimulated by ACTH and, three weeks later, suppressed by dexamethasone. In this study, only faeces were collected over a period of 7 days. In both species, inter-animal variability in the basal and maximal/minimal faecal cortisol metabolite concentrations and the time course was observed. The 11-oxoaetiocholanolone EIA in cats and the cortisol EIA in dogs proved best suited for monitoring changes in adrenocortical activity. ACTH injections resulted in an increase above baseline values of 355% (median) in 11,17-DOA concentrations in cats and of 702% in the concentrations of cortisol equivalents in dogs by about 25 h and 22 h (median) after injection, respectively. Minimal concentrations after dexamethasone administration were about 17% in cats and 31% in dogs (in relation to baseline values) and were reached in 66 h and 72 h, respectively. It was concluded that measuring cortisol metabolites in faeces should be a useful non-invasive tool for monitoring stress in carnivores.     

体外批次培养法研究莫能菌素对亚油酸氢化及反式11-油酸合成的影响

采用体外批次培养技术,在以亚油酸(C18∶2)为脂肪酸源的培养液中添加不同水平的莫能菌素,研究其对C18∶2氢化及反式11-油酸(t11-C18∶1)合成的影响.试验采用单因子试验设计,以微晶纤维素为培养底物,莫能菌素以其占底物的质量浓度添加,对照组、M1组、M2组、M3组和M4组莫能菌素添加水平分别为0、10、20、...     

A Comparative Study of the Difference Method and the Enzyme-Hydrolyzed Casein Method for Determining True Amino Acid Digestibilities and Endogenous Amino Acid Losses in Duck Feed

In this study,we examined the variations between the difference method and the enzyme-hydrolyzed casein method for determining endogenous amino acid loss and the true amino acid digestibility in ducks fed normal protein-containing diets.These methods were compared to the nitrogen-free(N-free)diet method.The difference method was based on soybean meal as the only protein source,with the experimental diets containing crude protein levels at 15% and 20%.The enzyme-hydrolyzed casein method was based on enzyme-hydrolyzed casein meal as the protein source,with the experimental diet containing a crude protein level of 17.5%.The N-free diet was prepared with starches and paper fibers.In each method,64 Tianfu meat drakes(7-weeks-old)with an average body weight of 2.77±0.16 kg were used and divided into four groups,and fed four different diets.Each group contained four replicates of four drakes and they were force fed trial diets according to the Sirbald method for detecting their apparent amino acid digestibility,endogenous amino acid loss and true amino acid digestibility.The results demonstrated that using the difference,enzyme-hydrolyzed casein and N-free diet methods,endogenous amino acid losses were 0.9946,1.2243 and 0.9297 mg/g dry matter intake(DMI),respectively.The true amino acid digestibility measured by the difference method was 88.93%±4.43%.Using the enzyme-hydrolyzed casein method with two dietary crude protein levels of 15% and 20%,the digestibility was 91.15%±4.33% and 91.97%±4.16%,respectively,and by the N-free diet methods with two dietary crude protein levels of 15% and 20%,it was 88.55%±4.29% and 88.82%±4.61%,respectively.The results suggested that when the dietary protein level was 15% to 20 %,the true amino acid digestibility and endogenous amino acid loss as determined by the difference method was more accurate than the values determined by the enzyme-hydrolyzed casein method.     

A Comparative Study of the Difference Method and the Enzyme-Hydrolyzed Casein Method for Determining True Amino Acid Digestibilities and Endogenous Amino Acid Losses in Duck Feed

In this study, we examined the variations between the difference method and the enzyme-hydrolyzed casein method for determining endogenous amino acid loss and the true amino acid digestibility in ducks fed normal protein-containing diets. These methods were compared to the nitrogen-free (N-free) diet method. The difference method was based on soybean meal as the only protein source, with the experimental diets containing crude protein levels at 15% and 20%. The enzyme-hydrolyzed casein method was based on enzyme-hydrolyzed casein meal as the protein source, with the experimental diet containing a crude protein level of 17.5%. The N-free diet was prepared with starches and paper fibers. In each method, 64 Tianfu meat drakes (7-weeks-old) with an average body weight of 2.77 ± 0.16 kg were used and divided into four groups, and fed four different diets. Each group contained four replicates of four drakes and they were force fed trial diets according to the Sirbald method for detecting their apparent amino acid digestibility, endogenous amino acid loss and true amino acid digestibility. The results demonstrated that using the difference, enzyme-hydrolyzed casein and N-free diet methods, endogenous amino acid losses were 0.9946, 1.2243 and 0.9297 mg/g dry matter intake (DMI), respectively. The true amino acid digestibility measured by the difference method was 88.93% ± 4.43%. Using the enzyme-hydrolyzed casein method with two dietary crude protein levels of 15% and 20%, the digestibility was 91.15% ± 4.33% and 91.97% ± 4.16%, respectively, and by the N-free diet methods with two dietary crude protein levels of 15% and 20%, it was 88.55% ± 4.29% and 88.82% ± 4.61%, respectively. The results suggested that when the dietary protein level was 15% to 20 %, the true amino acid digestibility and endogenous amino acid loss as determined by the difference method was more accurate than the values determined by the enzyme-hydrolyzed casein method.