Reburn C J, Wynne-Edwards K E
Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Canada.
Comp Med. 2000 Apr;50(2):184-98.
Validation of a method for obtaining blood samples that does not change cortisol or prolactin concentrations yet allows serial blood samples to be collected from animals under anesthesia, without prior handling, from freely interacting social groups of small mammals.
Results from five experiments are reported. Male dwarf hamsters (Phodopus spp.) were housed in modified home cages under continuous flow of compressed air that could be switched to isoflurane in O2 vehicle without approaching the cages.
Dwarf hamsters respond to manual restraint with behavioral distress and increase in the concentration of the dominant glucocorticoid, cortisol, and decrease in prolactin concentration. Both effects are evident within one minute. In contrast, when this new method was used, neither cortisol nor prolactin changed in response to repeated sample collection (up to 8 successive samples at 2 hour intervals), prolonged isoflurane exposure, or substantial blood volume reduction (30%). Prolactin concentration was suppressed and cortisol concentration was increased in response to stimuli from other hamsters tested without anesthesia. Suppression of prolactin concentration was graded in response to the degree of stress and equaled the pharmacologic reduction caused by bromocryptine mesylate (50 microg of CB154 x 3 days).
The technique is superior to alternatives for studies of behavioral endocrinology of freely interacting small mammals.
验证一种获取血样的方法，该方法不会改变皮质醇或催乳素浓度，却能在不预先处理的情况下，从处于麻醉状态的小型哺乳动物自由互动的社会群体中连续采集血样。
报告了五项实验的结果。雄性侏儒仓鼠（Phodopus spp.）饲养在经过改良的笼舍中，笼舍内有持续流动的压缩空气，可在不靠近笼子的情况下切换为含异氟烷的氧气载体。
侏儒仓鼠在受到人工约束时会表现出行为应激，其主要糖皮质激素皮质醇的浓度会升高，催乳素浓度会降低。这两种效应在一分钟内就很明显。相比之下，使用这种新方法时，无论是重复采集血样（每隔2小时连续采集多达8个样本）、长时间暴露于异氟烷，还是大量减少血容量（30%），皮质醇和催乳素都不会发生变化。在对未经麻醉的其他仓鼠进行刺激时，催乳素浓度会受到抑制，皮质醇浓度会升高。催乳素浓度的抑制程度与应激程度相关，等同于甲磺酸溴隐亭（50微克CB154×3天）所致的药物性降低。
对于自由互动的小型哺乳动物的行为内分泌学研究，该技术优于其他方法。
