First Look into the Use of Fish Scales as a Medium for Multi-Hormone Stress Analyses
Recent efforts have provided convincing evidence for the use of fish scale cortisol concentration in the assessment of long-term stress in fishes. However, cortisol alone is not sufficient to fully describe this state of long-term stress. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is an androgen with actions tha...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-06-01
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| Series: | Fishes |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2410-3888/7/4/145 |
| _version_ | 1797410382896168960 |
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| author | Emily K. C. Kennedy David M. Janz |
| author_facet | Emily K. C. Kennedy David M. Janz |
| author_sort | Emily K. C. Kennedy |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Recent efforts have provided convincing evidence for the use of fish scale cortisol concentration in the assessment of long-term stress in fishes. However, cortisol alone is not sufficient to fully describe this state of long-term stress. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is an androgen with actions that oppose those of cortisol. The means by which DHEA negates the effects of cortisol occurs in part via changes in the metabolism of cortisol to cortisone. The quantitation of cortisol, DHEA and cortisone could therefore provide a more comprehensive assessment of the overall status of physiological stress. As DHEA and cortisone have yet to be quantified within the fish scale, our first objective was to ensure our sample processing protocol for cortisol was applicable to cortisone and DHEA. Following this, we induced a state of long-term stress in goldfish (<i>Carassius auratus</i>). Some degree of elevation in all hormones was observed in the stressed fish scales. Additionally, cortisol and cortisone were significantly elevated in the stressed fish serum in comparison to controls while DHEA was undetectable in either group. Overall, these results suggest that fish scales provide an appropriate medium for the assessment of long-term stress in fishes via the quantitation of relevant steroid hormones. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T04:29:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cbb6e10506ed4c27a19d291cad4876c6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2410-3888 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T04:29:08Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Fishes |
| spelling | doaj.art-cbb6e10506ed4c27a19d291cad4876c62023-12-03T13:38:30ZengMDPI AGFishes2410-38882022-06-017414510.3390/fishes7040145First Look into the Use of Fish Scales as a Medium for Multi-Hormone Stress AnalysesEmily K. C. Kennedy0David M. Janz1Toxicology Graduate Program, University of Saskatchewan, 44 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7K 5B3, CanadaWestern College of Veterinary Medicine and Toxicology Centre, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B4, CanadaRecent efforts have provided convincing evidence for the use of fish scale cortisol concentration in the assessment of long-term stress in fishes. However, cortisol alone is not sufficient to fully describe this state of long-term stress. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is an androgen with actions that oppose those of cortisol. The means by which DHEA negates the effects of cortisol occurs in part via changes in the metabolism of cortisol to cortisone. The quantitation of cortisol, DHEA and cortisone could therefore provide a more comprehensive assessment of the overall status of physiological stress. As DHEA and cortisone have yet to be quantified within the fish scale, our first objective was to ensure our sample processing protocol for cortisol was applicable to cortisone and DHEA. Following this, we induced a state of long-term stress in goldfish (<i>Carassius auratus</i>). Some degree of elevation in all hormones was observed in the stressed fish scales. Additionally, cortisol and cortisone were significantly elevated in the stressed fish serum in comparison to controls while DHEA was undetectable in either group. Overall, these results suggest that fish scales provide an appropriate medium for the assessment of long-term stress in fishes via the quantitation of relevant steroid hormones.https://www.mdpi.com/2410-3888/7/4/145biomonitoringconservation physiologyglucocorticoidsphysiological stress |
| spellingShingle | Emily K. C. Kennedy David M. Janz First Look into the Use of Fish Scales as a Medium for Multi-Hormone Stress Analyses Fishes biomonitoring conservation physiology glucocorticoids physiological stress |
| title | First Look into the Use of Fish Scales as a Medium for Multi-Hormone Stress Analyses |
| title_full | First Look into the Use of Fish Scales as a Medium for Multi-Hormone Stress Analyses |
| title_fullStr | First Look into the Use of Fish Scales as a Medium for Multi-Hormone Stress Analyses |
| title_full_unstemmed | First Look into the Use of Fish Scales as a Medium for Multi-Hormone Stress Analyses |
| title_short | First Look into the Use of Fish Scales as a Medium for Multi-Hormone Stress Analyses |
| title_sort | first look into the use of fish scales as a medium for multi hormone stress analyses |
| topic | biomonitoring conservation physiology glucocorticoids physiological stress |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2410-3888/7/4/145 |
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