Social subordination impairs hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal function in female rhesus monkeys
Linear dominance hierarchies organize and maintain stability in female rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) social groups regardless of group size. As a consequence of their low social status, subordinate females suffer from an array of adverse outcomes including reproductive compromise, impaired immune function, and poor cardiovascular health. However, data that differentiate limbic–hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis (LHPA) parameters between […]
Administration of dexamethasone per os in finishing bulls. I. Effects on productive traits, meat quality and cattle behaviour as indicator of welfare
The study investigated the effects of prolonged oral administration of dexamethasone at a low daily dosage of 0.75 mg/head per day (Dexa) on beef cattle productive traits, behaviour and meat quality. In all, 14 finishing Marchigiana bulls were used in a trial that begun 56 days prior to slaughter, of which six bulls received treatment […]
Administration of dexamethasone per os in finishing bulls. II. Effects on blood parameters used as indicators of animal welfare
A set of hormonal, haematological and biochemical parameters was used to evaluate the physiological response and welfare status of 14 finishing Marchigiana bulls treated for 49 days with a low daily dosage (0.75 mg/head per day) of dexamethasone per os. Compared to the Control group, dexamethasone decreased cortisol concentrations (42.3 v. 5.7 nmol/l; s.e.d.54.17; P,0.001), […]
Risk-averse personalities have a systemically potentiated neuroendocrine stress axis: A multilevel experiment in Parus major
Hormonal pleiotropy—the simultaneous influence of a single hormone on multiple traits—has been hypothesized as an important mechanism underlying personality, and circulating glucocorticoids are central to this idea. A major gap in our understanding is the neural basis for this link. Here we examine the stability and structure of behavioral, endocrine and neuroendocrine traits in a […]