Gj. Kenagy et Nj. Place, Seasonal changes in plasma glucocorticosteroids of free-living female yellow-pine chipmunks: Effects of reproduction and capture and handling, GEN C ENDOC, 117(2), 2000, pp. 189-199
We measured plasma levels of cortisol and corticosterone in female yellow-p
ine chipmunks (Tamias amoenus) while observing seasonal reproductive and li
fe-history events by live-trapping a natural population during the active (
nonhibernating) season. Both glucocorticosteroids (GCs) varied significantl
y from March through September, starting with minimal values at the time of
mating (cortisol similar to 900 ng/ml, corticosterone similar to 50 ng/ml)
, rising to a peak by late lactation (cortisol similar to 1600 ng/ml, corti
costerone similar to 175 ng/ml), and then declining prior to hibernation. F
ollowing their emergence from natal burrows, young of the year had GC level
s indistinguishable from those of adults. Body mass also varied significant
ly over the season, increasing after mating and again after parturition to
a peak in lactation, after which it declined steadily until hibernation. In
addition to the use of standard trapping to describe seasonal hormonal pat
terns, we also trapped chipmunks using a special protocol to examine the ef
fects of capture and handling on GCs; we obtained an initial (basal) blood
sample immediately, within 1-3 min of observing a capture, and then a secon
d sample 30 min after holding the animal in the trap. Chipmunks consistentl
y increased GCs above the initial (basal) level during the 30 min after cap
ture and initial handling; these significant increases in GCs ranged approx
imately 70-130% for cortisol and 50-190% for corticosterone, depending on s
eason and reproductive state. GC levels at 30 min after capture and handing
were similar to those obtained from samples drawn from our standard trappi
ng and blood sampling. We conclude that although capture and handling incre
ase the absolute level of plasma GC hormones, that effect does not obscure
natural patterns of seasonal variation in GCs. Overall, our observations su
ggest an important role of adrenocortical activity in the energy balance of
these free-living rodents in two different contexts: (1) the seasonal regu
lation of physiological state, including body mass, energy reserves, and re
productive function, and (2) an acute response to stimulatory events, encom
passing physiological stress, as represented here by capture and handling.
(C) 2000 Academic Press.