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Excreted corticosterone metabolites differ between two galliform species, Japanese Quail and Chicken, between sexes and between urine and faecal parts of droppings

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Abstract

Japanese Quail (Coturnix japonica) are a common avian laboratory model, and measuring corticosterone metabolites (CM) non-invasively from Quail droppings would be of broad interest. Using the enzyme immunoassay suitable for measuring CM in droppings of Chicken (Gallus domesticus) and other galliform species, we tested the CM measured in Quail droppings after stimulation with adrenocorticotropic hormone. An ACTH challenge indicated that the assay did not detect major amounts of CM in Japanese Quail excreta. Therefore, we aimed at testing whether steroid metabolism and clearance differed between closely related species. We compared the CM excretion patterns in male and female Japanese Quail and Chicken. After intravenous injection with [3H]-labelled corticosterone, we collected all droppings for 24 h, including caecum excreta. Males and females of both species excreted radioactive CM with two peaks. The first radioactivity-peak presumably was from uric acid (Quail 45/55 min; Chicken 120/75 min post-injection, males/females respectively), whereas the second peak probably represented faecal excretion (180/210 min; 240/140 min, respectively). Several highly polar radioactive CM, but no corticosterone, was separated by chromatography in droppings of both species. Number and identity of CM considerably differed between males and females, as well as between urine and faecal excretion. The nature of excreted CM in Quail droppings remains unresolved. However, we show that knowing the effective time for dropping collection is essential for interpreting stimulus-specific CM responses, and mixing samples from rapid urine and slower faecal excretion should be avoided.

Zusammenfassung

Unterschiedliche Ausscheidungsmetaboliten von Kortikosteron bei zwei Galliformen-Arten, Japanwachteln und Hühner

Japanwachteln (Coturnix japonica) sind beliebte Laborvögel und die Möglichkeit, Kortikosteron-Metaboliten (CM) nicht-invasiv aus Wachtellosung zu messen, ist von großem Interesse. Wir haben die Messung von CM in der Losung von Japanwachteln unter Anwendung jenes Enzymimmunoassays, der für Haushühner (Gallus domesticus) und andere Galliformen-Arten geeignet ist, getestet. Ein Test mit dem Auslöserhormon Adrenocorticotropin deutete darauf hin, dass der Assay im Kot von Japanwachteln keine der hauptsächlich ausgeschiedenen Metaboliten misst. Um zu untersuchen, ob die Metabolisierung und Ausscheidung von Kortikosteron bei nahe verwandten Arten ähnlich ist, wurden die CM-Ausscheidungsmuster von männlichen und weiblichen Japanwachteln und Hühnern verglichen. Nach intravenöser Injektion von [3H]-markiertem Kortikosteron wurde 24 h lang jede abgegebene Losung inklusive Blinddarm-Ausscheidungen gesammelt. Männchen und Weibchen beider Arten schieden radioaktive CM in Form von zwei Ausscheidungs-Peaks aus. Für den ersten Peak war vermutlich der Ausscheidungsweg über Harnsäure verantwortlich (Japanwachteln 45/55 min; Hühner 120/75 min post injectionem, Männchen/Weibchen respektive), während der zweite Peak die Ausscheidung von CM über Kot darstellte (180/210 min; 240/140 min). Chromatographisch konnten wir mehrere hochpolare radioaktive CM aber kein Kortikosteron auftrennen. Anzahl und Identität der ausgeschiedenen CM unterschied sich zwischen Männchen und Weibchen, sowie zwischen Harnsäure- und Kot-Ausscheidung. Die Identität der von Japanwachteln hauptsächlich ausgeschiedenen CM bleibt offen. Wir zeigen jedoch, dass das Vermischen von Proben, die CM aus dem schnelleren Harnsäure-Exkretionsweg und/oder CM aus langsamerer Kotausscheidung beinhalten, vermieden werden sollte. Um reizspezifische CM-Veränderungen sinnvoll interpretieren zu können, ist es deshalb wesentlich, die effektive Zeitspanne für das Sammeln von Losungsmaterial zu berücksichtigen.

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Acknowledgments

We are thankful for the precious assistance by F. Schachinger during the experiments and by A. Kuchar in the laboratory, for funding by the Konrad Lorenz Research Station, the University of Vienna and the Alexander von Humboldt Stiftung. Wolfgang Goymann and two anonymous referees helped improving an earlier draft of the manuscript. The experiments meet the terms of the current Austrian laws. The experiments were conducted in Chickens and Japanese Quails with the permission of the Austrian Amt der Steiermärkischen Landesregierung (FA10A–78Hi3/2007–1).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Konrad Lorenz Research Station, Department Behavioural Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstr. 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria

    Katharina Hirschenhauser, Katharina Spreitzer & Kurt Kotrschal

  2. Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 82319, Seewiesen, Germany

    Katharina Hirschenhauser

  3. Department of Natural Sciences/Biochemistry, Veterinary University of Vienna, 1210, Vienna, Austria

    Michael Lepschy & Erich Möstl

Authors
  1. Katharina Hirschenhauser
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  2. Katharina Spreitzer
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  3. Michael Lepschy
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  4. Kurt Kotrschal
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  5. Erich Möstl
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Katharina Hirschenhauser.

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Communicated by L. Fusani.

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Hirschenhauser, K., Spreitzer, K., Lepschy, M. et al. Excreted corticosterone metabolites differ between two galliform species, Japanese Quail and Chicken, between sexes and between urine and faecal parts of droppings. J Ornithol 153, 1179–1188 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-012-0848-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-012-0848-9

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