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(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

easonal changes in steroid and thyroid hormone content in shed skins of the tegu lizard Salvator meriana

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Author(s):
Zena, Lucas A. [1, 2, 3] ; Dillon, Danielle [2] ; Hunt, Kathleen E. [4, 5] ; Navas, Carlos A. [3] ; Bicego, Kenia C. [1] ; Buck, C. Loren [2]
Total Authors: 6
Affiliation:
[1] Sao Paulo State Univ, Coll Agr & Vet Sci, Dept Anim Morphol & Physiol, BR-14884900 Jaboticabal, SP - Brazil
[2] No Arizona Univ, Dept Biol Sci, Box 5640, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 - USA
[3] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Biosci, Dept Physiol, Rua Matao 14, BR-05508090 Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil
[4] George Mason Univ, Dept Biol, Fairfax, VA 22030 - USA
[5] George Mason Univ, Smithsonian Mason Sch Conservat, Fairfax, VA 22030 - USA
Total Affiliations: 5
Document type: Journal article
Source: JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE PHYSIOLOGY B-BIOCHEMICAL SYSTEMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL; v. 192, n. 1 AUG 2021.
Web of Science Citations: 0
Abstract

Sampling blood for endocrine analysis from some species may not be practical or ethical. Quantification of hormones extracted from nontypical sample types, such as keratinized tissues, offers a less invasive alternative to the traditional collection and analysis of blood. Here, we aimed to validate assays by using parallelism and accuracy tests for quantification of testosterone, corticosterone, progesterone, and triiodothyronine (T-3) in shed skins of tegu lizards. We assessed whether hormone content of sheds varied across one year similar to what was previously detected in plasma samples. In addition, we aimed to identify the phase relationship between hormone levels of shed skin and plasma levels obtained from the same animals. High frequency of shedding occurred during the active season for tegus (spring/summer), while shedding ceased during hibernation (winter). All hormones measured in shed skins exhibited seasonal changes in concentration. Levels of testosterone in shed skins of male tegus correlated positively with plasma testosterone levels, while corticosterone in both males and females exhibited an inverse relationship between sample types for the same month of collection. An inverse relationship was found when accounting for a lag time of 3 and 4 months between sheds and plasma testosterone. These results indicate that endocrine content of sheds may be confounded by factors (i.e., seasons, environmental temperature, thermoregulatory behavior, among others) that affect frequency of molting, skin blood perfusion, and therefore hormone transfer from the bloodstream and deposition in sheds of squamates. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 14/16320-7 - Impacts of climate/environmental change on the fauna: an integrative approach
Grantee:Carlos Arturo Navas Iannini
Support Opportunities: Research Program on Global Climate Change - Thematic Grants
FAPESP's process: 17/01652-2 - Seasonal physiology in the tegu lizard Salvator merianae: an animal model for assessing physiological functions in a dynamic and changing environment
Grantee:Lucas Aparecido Zena
Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
FAPESP's process: 18/06192-2 - Seasonal physiology in the tegu lizard Salvator merianae: an animal model for assessing physiological functions in a dynamic and changing environment
Grantee:Lucas Aparecido Zena
Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
FAPESP's process: 15/04849-6 - Role of TRPV4 channels in thermoregulation in endotherms
Grantee:Kênia Cardoso Bícego
Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants