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Full-Text Articles in Genetics and Genomics
Allostatic Load Index Effectively Measures Chronic Stress Status In Zoo-Housed Giraffes, Haley N. Beer, Lisa K. Karr, Trenton C. Schrader, Dustin T. Yates
Allostatic Load Index Effectively Measures Chronic Stress Status In Zoo-Housed Giraffes, Haley N. Beer, Lisa K. Karr, Trenton C. Schrader, Dustin T. Yates
Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications
For giraffes, few standardized methods exist for quantifying chronic stress. Allostatic load index is quantified from a panel of multi-system stress biomarkers to estimate cumulative stress. Our objective was to determine whether a panel of biomarkers selected for their role in allostatic load would reflect the number of documented stress events experienced by giraffes. Cortisol, DHEA-S, cholesterol, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), and fructosamine were determined in serum samples from zoo-housed giraffes (n = 18). These were correlated with the overall number and frequency of ZIMS-documented stress events experienced prior to blood collection. We also compared giraffes grouped by high vs. …