Millspaugh Joshua J, Washburn Brian E
Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, University of Missouri, 302 Natural Resources Building, Columbia, MO 65211, USA.
Gen Comp Endocrinol. 2004 Sep 15;138(3):189-99. doi: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2004.07.002.
Fecal glucocorticoid metabolite analyses are increasingly being used by a variety of scientists (e.g., conservation biologists, animal scientists) to examine glucocorticoid (i.e., stress hormone) secretion in domestic and wild vertebrates. Adrenocortical activity (i.e., stress response) is of interest to conservation biologists because stress can alter animal behavior, reduce resistance to disease, and affect population performance. The noninvasiveness of fecal-based assessments is attractive, particularly when studying endangered species, because samples can often be obtained without disturbing the animal. Despite such advantages, many confounding factors inhibit the utility of this technique in addressing conservation problems. In particular, interpretation of fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGM) measures may be confounded by the length of time animals are held in captivity, normal seasonal and daily rhythms, body condition, sample storage and treatment techniques, diet of the animal, assay selection, animal status (i.e., social ranking, reproductive status), sample age and condition, and sample mass. Further complicating interpretation and utility of these measures is the apparent species-specific response to these factors. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the factors that confound interpretation of FGM measures, summarize research that addresses these issues, and offer an agenda for future research and interpretation. We urge conservation biologists to carefully consider confounding factors and the relationship between FGM secretion and population performance and biological costs when investigating effects of environmental and human-induced disturbances on wildlife. The crisis nature of many decisions in conservation biology often requires decisions from limited data; however, confirmatory results should not be posited when data are incomplete or confounding factors are not understood. Building reliable databases, and research with surrogate species when possible, will aid future efforts and enhance the utility of FGM assays.
粪便糖皮质激素代谢物分析正越来越多地被各类科学家（如保护生物学家、动物科学家）用于检测家养和野生脊椎动物体内糖皮质激素（即应激激素）的分泌情况。肾上腺皮质活动（即应激反应）是保护生物学家所关注的，因为应激会改变动物行为、降低对疾病的抵抗力并影响种群表现。基于粪便的评估具有非侵入性，这一点很有吸引力，尤其是在研究濒危物种时，因为通常可以在不干扰动物的情况下获取样本。尽管有这些优点，但许多混杂因素限制了该技术在解决保护问题方面的效用。特别是，粪便糖皮质激素代谢物（FGM）测量结果的解读可能会受到动物圈养时间长短、正常的季节性和每日节律、身体状况、样本储存和处理技术、动物饮食、检测方法选择、动物状态（即社会等级、繁殖状态）、样本年龄和状况以及样本质量的影响。这些测量结果的解读和效用进一步复杂化的是，不同物种对这些因素的反应明显不同。本文的目的是讨论混淆FGM测量结果解读的因素，总结解决这些问题的研究，并提供未来研究和解读的议程。我们敦促保护生物学家在调查环境和人为干扰对野生动物的影响时，仔细考虑混杂因素以及FGM分泌与种群表现和生物成本之间的关系。保护生物学中许多决策的危机性质往往需要根据有限的数据做出决策；然而，当数据不完整或不了解混杂因素时，不应得出确定性结果。建立可靠的数据库，并尽可能使用替代物种进行研究，将有助于未来的工作并提高FGM检测的效用。
