Profile study of cortisol and testosterone fecal and urine hormonal metabolites in Black-tufted marmoset males (Callithrix penicillata, Geoffroy, 1812) submitted to physical restraint

Author(s)

Cíntia Germano da Rocha

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: São Paulo.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ/SBD)
• Defense date: 2010-06-29

Examining board members

Marcelo Alcindo de Barros Vaz Guimarães; Priscila Viau Furtado; Cristiane Schilbach Pizzutto

• Advisor: Marcelo Alcindo de Barros Vaz Guimarães

Abstract

The maintaining of animals in Zoo\'s, breeders and reproduction centers have as objective to help in situ and ex situ conservation programs , besides contributing to environmental education programs. Every day, the importance of captive animals well being becomes more clear, and the reduction of stress is fundamental in this context. Manual restraining is part of the handling performed in zoos and breeders for many procedures, such as topic treatments, blood or semen draw or even for physical exams. It is known that this kind of procedure provokes a stress response, however the intensity of the response is not clear, or if this physiological mechanism could potentially alter the cortisol and/or testosterone secretion pattern. The objective of the project was to evaluate the effect of manual physical restraint for five minutes, over the fecal and urinary metabolites profiles of testosterone and cortisol, in five adult males of Black tufted marmosets (C.penicillata), maintained in couples, at the Parque Municipal Quinzinho de Barros in Sorocaba, SP. Considering the day of physical restraint as day 0, daily fecal samples were collected, always in the morning, starting from -5 until +4. For the urine samples, daily multiple collections were done, from day -5 to +1. The samples were measured with radioimmunoassay. Based on the results found, it was verified that the physical restraining of C.penicillata for five minutes can induce a stress response, though not in a sustained or long lasting manner. However, the individual variation and the adaptation of the animals to experimental conditions possibly had a relevant role over the modulation of the response. (AU)