Exploring immunoglobulin A as a stress biomarker in lions (Panthera leo): Validation of an immunoassay for its measurement in feces

IF 2.1 3区生物学 Q4 BIOCHEMISTRY & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A-Molecular & Integrative Physiology Pub Date : 2024-10-10 DOI:10.1016/j.cbpa.2024.111762

Paula Serres-Corral , Sergi Olvera-Maneu , Vanessa Almagro , Loles Carbonell , Santiago Borragán , Eva Martínez-Nevado , Miguel Angel Quevedo , Hugo Fernández-Bellon , Annaïs Carbajal , Manel López-Béjar

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Abstract

Immunoglobulin A (IgA) has been investigated as a stress biomarker with the potential to complement glucocorticoid measurements in welfare assessments. This study aimed to develop the methodology and validate an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for quantifying IgA in feces (FIgA) of lions (Panthera leo), investigate excretion patterns of FIgA under baseline conditions in captive lions, and explore its relationship with fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGM). Feces were collected from 11 lions housed in stable social groups at four Spanish zoos over a period of two to six weeks. FIgA was reliably quantified using a commercial EIA, with concentrations ranging from 0.28 to 794.17 μg IgA/g feces, showing substantial intra- and inter-individual variability. Females had significantly higher FIgA concentrations than males (113.10 vs 54.96 μg IgA/g feces; p < 0.01). Additionally, FIgA concentrations varied across zoos (p < 0.001). Positive correlations were found between FIgA and FGM for all samples combined (rho = 0.43, p < 0.001) and across individual means (rho = 0.70, p < 0.05), but not consistently when examining each lion separately. This study demonstrates for the first time that IgA can be reliably quantified in lion feces, paving the way for its application in welfare studies.

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将免疫球蛋白 A 作为狮子（Panthera leo）压力生物标志物的探索：粪便中免疫测定法的验证

免疫球蛋白 A (IgA) 作为一种应激生物标志物已被研究，它有可能在福利评估中补充糖皮质激素的测量。本研究旨在开发和验证一种酶免疫测定（EIA）方法，用于定量检测狮子（Panthera leo）粪便中的 IgA（FIgA），研究人工饲养狮子在基线条件下 FIgA 的排泄模式，并探讨其与粪便中糖皮质激素代谢物（FGM）的关系。研究人员收集了西班牙四个动物园中稳定社会群体中的 11 头狮子的粪便，时间跨度为 2 到 6 周。使用商业 EIA 对 FIgA 进行了可靠的定量，其浓度范围为 0.28 至 794.17 μg IgA/g（粪便），个体内部和个体之间的差异很大。女性的 FIgA 浓度明显高于男性（113.10 vs 54.96 μg IgA/g粪便；p < 0.01）。此外，不同动物园的 FIgA 浓度也不相同（p < 0.001）。在所有样本（rho = 0.43，p < 0.001）和个体平均值（rho = 0.70，p < 0.05）之间发现了 FIgA 和 FGM 之间的正相关，但在对每头狮子进行单独研究时并不一致。这项研究首次证明了狮子粪便中 IgA 的可靠定量，为其在福利研究中的应用铺平了道路。

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来源期刊

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A-Molecular & Integrative Physiology 生物-动物学

CiteScore

5.00

自引率

4.30%

发文量

155

审稿时长

3 months

期刊介绍： Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology of Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. This journal covers molecular, cellular, integrative, and ecological physiology. Topics include bioenergetics, circulation, development, excretion, ion regulation, endocrinology, neurobiology, nutrition, respiration, and thermal biology. Study on regulatory mechanisms at any level of organization such as signal transduction and cellular interaction and control of behavior are also published.