Dorsey Candice, Dennis Patricia, Guagnano Gregory, Wood Thomas, Brown Janine L
Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, 1500 Remount Drive, Front Royal, Virginia 22630, USA.
J Zoo Wildl Med. 2010 Dec;41(4):616-25. doi: 10.1638/2009-0162.1.
Ulcerative lesions are a health concern for managed black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) populations. To examine possible relationships between ex situ variables and adrenal activity with the presence of lesions, facility and socioenvironmental surveys of 25:20 (male:female) black rhinos at 18 zoos were conducted, and fecal samples were collected twice weekly for 1 yr for glucocorticoid metabolite analyses. During the collection period, 5.1 rhinos exhibited skin lesions, 1.0 had oral lesions, and 1.0 had both. All of the rhinos with lesions recovered, except the one with both oral and skin lesions, which died shortly after the end of the study. In general, there were no relationships (P > 0.05) between ex situ variables, or rhino behavior indices, and lesion onset. There also were no differences (P > 0.05) in fecal glucocorticoid variability (+/- SEM) between rhinos with (coefficients of variation [CV] = 57.1 +/- 7.2 ng/g) and without (53.8 +/- 2.3 ng/g) lesions, or in overall mean (+/- SEM) glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations between rhinos with (45.1 +/- 4.0 ng/g) and without (34.6 +/- 2.8 ng/g) lesions. However, baseline mean (+/- SEM) glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations were lower (P < 0.05) in rhinos with lesions (n = 5.1, baseline mean = 29.9 +/- 3.3 ng/g, range: 24.3-84.9 ng/g) than without (n = 19.19 baseline mean = 40.0 +/- 2.4 ng/g, range: 19.4-50.8 ng/g). For a male rhino that developed lesions during the study, the mean glucocorticoid concentrations were lower (P < 0.01) when lesions were present (n = 12, overall = 30.1 +/- 2.4 ng/g, baseline = 28.7 +/- 2.2 ng/g) than prior to lesion onset (n = 75, overall = 36.5 +/- 1.0 ng/g, baseline 35.3 +/- 0.8 ng/g). These results suggest that ulcerative lesions may be associated with changes in adrenal activity, although it is not clear if this is a cause or effect of disease.
溃疡性病变是圈养黑犀（Diceros bicornis）种群的一个健康问题。为了研究圈养环境变量和肾上腺活动与病变存在之间的可能关系，对18家动物园的25:20（雄性:雌性）黑犀进行了设施和社会环境调查，并每周两次采集粪便样本，持续1年用于糖皮质激素代谢物分析。在采集期间，5.1头犀牛出现皮肤病变，1.0头有口腔病变，1.0头两者皆有。除了那头既有口腔病变又有皮肤病变的犀牛在研究结束后不久死亡外，所有有病变的犀牛都康复了。总体而言，圈养环境变量或犀牛行为指标与病变发生之间没有关系（P>0.05）。有病变的犀牛（变异系数[CV]=57.1±7.2 ng/g）和无病变的犀牛（53.8±2.3 ng/g）之间粪便糖皮质激素变异性（±SEM）没有差异（P>0.05），有病变的犀牛（45.1±4.0 ng/g）和无病变的犀牛（34.6±2.8 ng/g）之间总体平均（±SEM）糖皮质激素代谢物浓度也没有差异。然而，有病变的犀牛（n = 5.1，基线平均值 = 29.9±3.3 ng/g，范围：24.3 - 84.9 ng/g）的基线平均（±SEM）糖皮质激素代谢物浓度低于无病变的犀牛（n = 19.19，基线平均值 = 40.0±2.4 ng/g，范围：19.4 - 50.8 ng/g）（P<0.05）。对于一头在研究期间出现病变的雄性犀牛，病变出现时的平均糖皮质激素浓度（n = 12，总体 = 30.1±2.4 ng/g，基线 = 28.7±2.2 ng/g）低于病变发生前（n = 75，总体 = 36.5±1.0 ng/g，基线35.3±0.8 ng/g）（P<0.01）。这些结果表明，溃疡性病变可能与肾上腺活动的变化有关，尽管尚不清楚这是疾病的原因还是结果。
