Hair cortisol level as a retrospective marker of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity in horse foals

Abstract

Stimulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and elevated cortisol concentrations in fetal plasma are associated with foal maturity, viability and adaptation to independent life. However, non-invasive measurement of cortisol in hair samples has not yet been validated in horses. The current study developed a radioimmunoassay to analyse cortisol in horse hair and was used to measure cortisol hair concentration at birth and at 30 and 60 days of age as a retrospective study of HPA axis activity. Cortisol was detectable in the hair of foals from birth until 2 months, but decreased with time and varied greatly between individuals. Analysis of hair cortisol could be useful for non-invasive retrospective studies of HPA axis activity in perinatal horse.