Measurement of Resting and Stress-elevated Serum Cortisol in Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss in Experimental Net-pens |
| |
| Authors: | Myron J Kebus Michael T Collins Mark S Brownfield Clyde H Amundson Terrence B Kayes Jeffrey A Malison |
| |
| Institution: | School of Veterinary Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison. Wisconsin 53706 USA;University of Wisconsin Aquaculture Program, Department of Food Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison. Wisconsin 53706 USA |
| |
| Abstract: | A commercially available heterogeneous, solid-phase tube enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) was modified and validated for the measurement of serum cortisol in rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss . The assay is accurate and precise. Resting and stress-elevated serum cortisol concentrations were measured in rainbow trout with a sensitivity of 1.5 ng/ml. Fish held in net-pens at a density of 0.4 kg/m3/cm had a resting cortisol level of 16.5 ± 3.8 ng/ml (mean ± SE). At 3 h postdisturbance, serum cortisol levels were not affected by the removal of fish from adjacent net-pens with dip nets or by the use of 200 mg/L tricaine methanesulfonate (MS-222) as an anesthetic for obtaining samples. However, an acute stress (60 s removal from water) elevated serum cortisol levels to 73.7 ± 9.4 ng/ml. |
| |
| Keywords: | |
|
|
