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Not "Only" Stress: The Positive and Negative Roles of Glucocorticoids...
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Not "Only" Stress: The Positive and Negative Roles of Glucocorticoids on Physiology and Behaviour

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Human-Animal Interactions, Animal Behaviour and Emotion".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2022) | Viewed by 17755

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Daniela Alberghina

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
Interests: animal welfare; social behavior; steroid hormones; serotonergic system; factors influencing the development of stereotypic behaviors
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Glucocorticoids are regulatory hormones, which are known to affect behavior. From a behavioral point of view, chronic high levels of glucocorticoids decrease aggression, sexual behavior, locomotor activity, and exploration and, at the same time, may lead to the development of anxiety and depression in both animals and humans. Despite the well-known, long-term effect of glucocorticoids as behavioral downregulators,  little is known about their immediate/short-term influence on behavior.

The acute control of behavior by glucocorticoids during active periods of the day, such as during feeding, reproductive behavior, social exposure, playing, learning, and training, suggests their role in promoting behavioral reactivity related to positive affective states.

This Special Issue will cover the science to date in relation to glucocorticoids, the controversial issues related to sampling and measurement due to individual variability and lack of specificity (in positive and negative affective states), their interrelationship with neurotransmitters, and their role as indicators of an imbalanced physiological state. The aim of this Special Issue is therefore to gather the most recent scientific findings on the role of glucocorticoids in behavior whether in a positive or negative sense. Original manuscripts that address different aspects of this topic are invited.

Dr. Daniela Alberghina
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • glucocorticoids
  • cortisol
  • corticosterone
  • behavior
  • animal welfare assessment.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 3128 KiB  
Article
Acute Stress Response of Sheep to Shearing Procedures: Dynamic Change of Cortisol Concentration and Protein Electrophoretic Pattern
by Francesca Arfuso, Francesco Fazio, Lucas Chikhi, Guillaume Aymond, Giuseppe Piccione and Claudia Giannetto
Animals 2022, 12(7), 862; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12070862 - 29 Mar 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2270
Abstract
The current study aimed to investigate the influence of acute stress by shearing procedures on hematological parameters, serum cortisol concentration and serum protein electrophoretic pattern in Comisana sheep. A total of 20 not pregnant and not lactating adult ewes, aged 3–4 years old [...] Read more.
The current study aimed to investigate the influence of acute stress by shearing procedures on hematological parameters, serum cortisol concentration and serum protein electrophoretic pattern in Comisana sheep. A total of 20 not pregnant and not lactating adult ewes, aged 3–4 years old and with a mean bodyweight of 55.50 ± 3.50 kg, were enrolled in the study. From each animal, blood samples were collected before shearing (TPRE) and 5 (TPOST5) and 60 (TPOST60) minutes after the end of the shearing procedure in order to assess the values of hematological parameters, serum cortisol, total proteins and protein fractions, including albumin, α-, β1-, β2- and γ-globulins. According to statistical analysis results, albumin values were lower at TPOST60 than TPOST5 (p < 0.01), whereas α- and β2-globulins and the A/G ratio were higher at TPOST60 with respect to TPRE (p < 0.01) and TPOST5 (p < 0.01). A higher serum concentration of cortisol was found at TPOST5 and TPOST60 than TPRE (p < 0.01), and at TPOST60 than TPOST5 (p < 0.01). The serum cortisol values were negatively correlated with the serum values of albumin, β1-globulins and A/G ratio at TPOST60, and positively correlated with α- and β2-globulins at TPOST5 and TPOST60. The decrease in the albumin concentration and the increase in the α- and β2-globulins observed in ewes after shearing with respect to the baseline values suggests an acute phase response in shorn ewes. Additionally, the correlation found between the serum cortisol concentration and the serum protein fractions confirmed the immunomodulatory effect of this hormone, emphasizing the linkage between the endocrine and immune systems during an acute stress condition. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Not "Only" Stress: The Positive and Negative Roles of Glucocorticoids on Physiology and Behaviour)
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9 pages, 963 KiB  
Article
Serum Cortisol and Its Correlation with Leucocyte Profile and Circulating Lipids in Donkeys (Equus asinus)
by Daniela Alberghina, Alessandra Statelli, Vincenzo Monteverde, Irene Vazzana, Giuseppe Cascone and Michele Panzera
Animals 2022, 12(7), 841; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12070841 - 26 Mar 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2292
Abstract
The values for basal serum cortisol concentrations of horses are available in many studies. However, there are limited data about serum cortisol in donkeys. The present study aimed to determine the baseline values for serum cortisol, to evaluate the influence of age and [...] Read more.
The values for basal serum cortisol concentrations of horses are available in many studies. However, there are limited data about serum cortisol in donkeys. The present study aimed to determine the baseline values for serum cortisol, to evaluate the influence of age and pregnancy on its levels, and to correlate its values with leucocyte profile, serum cholesterol, and triglycerides. Serum samples were collected from 97 healthy donkeys. Cortisol was analyzed by chemo-luminescent assay. The median and the 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles of serum cortisol measured and calculated in all donkeys were 5.64, 3.40, and 10.54 µg/dL, respectively. Females (n.91) were divided into three groups: Group A (young), Group B (adult), and Group C (pregnant at the 9th–11th months). The effect of age and physiological status was investigated by the Mann–Whitney test. Group C showed significantly higher levels than Group B (p < 0.05). Significant correlations were found in Group B with monocytes (r = 0.37, p < 0.01) and triglycerides (r = 0.30, p < 0.05), and in Group C with monocytes (r = 0.79, p < 0.01), basophils (r = 0.6, p < 0.05), and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (r = −0.63, p < 0.05). Higher cortisol values related to late pregnancy are also found in this species. These preliminary results provide evidence for a relationship between cortisol and the immune system as well as cortisol and lipid metabolism modulated by age and pregnancy when parameters are within normal values. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Not "Only" Stress: The Positive and Negative Roles of Glucocorticoids on Physiology and Behaviour)
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Other

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12 pages, 3487 KiB  
Commentary
Psycho-Behavioural Changes in Dogs Treated with Corticosteroids: A Clinical Behaviour Perspective
by Lorella Notari, Roxane Kirton and Daniel S. Mills
Animals 2022, 12(5), 592; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12050592 - 26 Feb 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 12089
Abstract
Arousal and distress are often important factors in problematic behaviours, and endogenous corticosteroids are important mediators in the associated stress responses. Exogenous corticosteroid treatments have been reported to change behaviour in human patients and laboratory animals, with similar changes also noted in pet [...] Read more.
Arousal and distress are often important factors in problematic behaviours, and endogenous corticosteroids are important mediators in the associated stress responses. Exogenous corticosteroid treatments have been reported to change behaviour in human patients and laboratory animals, with similar changes also noted in pet dogs. These behaviours not only potentially adversely impact the welfare of the dogs, but also the quality of life of their owners. Indeed, corticosteroids can bias sensitivity towards aversion in dogs. A decrease in behaviours associated with positive affective states, such as play and exploratory behaviours, together with an increase in aggression and barking have also been described in dogs. According to the available literature, human patients with pre-existing psychiatric disorders are more at risk of developing behavioural side effects due to corticosteroid treatments. It is reasonable to consider that the same may happen in dogs with pre-existing behavioural problems. In this paper, the possible behavioural side effects of exogenous corticosteroids are summarised to help inform and support veterinarians prescribing these drugs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Not "Only" Stress: The Positive and Negative Roles of Glucocorticoids on Physiology and Behaviour)
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