Hair cortisol levels determined at different body sites in the New Zealand White rabbit

Antonella Comin; Valentina Zufferli; Tanja Peric; Federico Canavese; Davide Barbetta; Alberto Prandi

doi:10.4995/wrs.2012.1106

Authors

Antonella Comin University of Udine
Valentina Zufferli University of Udine
Tanja Peric University of Udine
Federico Canavese Hôpital Estaing
Davide Barbetta University of Trieste
Alberto Prandi University of Udine

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4995/wrs.2012.1106

Keywords:

rabbit, hair, cortisol

Abstract

This study was designed to determine hair cortisol levels in the New Zealand White (NZW) rabbit and to examine possible differences in the cortisol levels of hair samples collected from different body regions in stable environmental conditions. The experiment was performed on eight 18 month-old female NZW rabbits. All animals were shaved to collect hair samples from 26 different body regions. Hair cortisol levels were determined by the RIA method. The mean hair cortisol concentration for the 26 samples in the 8 animals was 2.12±0.05 pg/mg (mean±standard error). This study reveals individual hair cortisol distributions in the 8 animals (P<0.001) and no statistical differences (P>0.05) in hair cortisol levels among the different body sites in each of the animals.

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Author Biographies

Antonella Comin, University of Udine

Department of Food Science

Valentina Zufferli, University of Udine

Department of Food Science

Tanja Peric, University of Udine

Department of Food Science

Davide Barbetta, University of Trieste

CSPA, Settore Stabulario Sperimentazione Animale

Alberto Prandi, University of Udine

Department of Food Science

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