Cortisol

Definition of Cortisol

From the elephant glossary Section: hormone

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Cortisol is a steroid hormone, in the glucocorticoid class of hormones. When used as a Medication, it is known as hydrocortisone.

In animals, cortisol is often used as an indicator of stress and can be measured in blood, saliva, urine, hair, and faeces Sustained stress can lead to high levels of circulating cortisol (regarded as one of the more important of the several "stress hormones"). Such levels may result in an allostatic load,[37] which can lead to various physical modifications in the body's regulatory networks.

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Samples were collected twice a month for 22 months from nine elephants. Of those, four were pregnant (24.3 ± 2.9 years of age; range 21-28 years) and five (20.2 ± 9.6 years; range 8-34 years) exhibited normal ovarian cycles based on serum progestogen analyses. Gestation was divided into three periods: 1st (week 1-31), 2nd (week 32-62), and 3rd (week 63 to parturition), while the estrous cycle was divided into the follicular and luteal phases. By contrast, Prolactin concentrations in nonpregnant elephants were consistently low throughout the ovarian cycle. In one cycling female, Prolactin concentrations were similar to pregnant elephants, perhaps because she was an Allomother to two calves.

Estrous cycle was divided into the follicular and luteal phases. Serum progestogens were higher during the luteal phase of the cycle, whereas cortisol and Prolactin were similar.

In pregnant elephants, there were no differences in serum progestogens or cortisol concentrations across the three gestational periods, whereas Prolactin concentrations increased significantly during the 2nd and 3rd periods
Relationship among Serum Progestogens, Cortisol, and Prolactin in Pregnant and Cycling Asian Elephants in Thailand

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Reference list Koehl, Dan, (2025). Cortisol. Elephant Encyclopedia, available online retrieved 20 September 2021 at https://www.elephant.se/index.php?id=247. (archived at the Wayback machine)

Sources used for this article is among others:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cortisol
Patcharapa Towiboon, Kanokporn Saenphet, Chatchai Tayapiwattana, Siriwan Tangyuenyong, Gen Watanabe, Sittidet Mahasawangkul, Janine L Brown, Chatchote Thitaram, Relationship among Serum Progestagens, Cortisol, and Prolactin in Pregnant and Cycling Asian Elephants in Thailand. Online at https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35622772/

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Categories glossary | hormone

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