Urinary androstenedione and luteinizing hormone concentrations during musth in a mature African elephant |
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Authors: | John D. Brannian Frank Griffin Paul F. Terranova |
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Abstract: | Musth has not been well documented in captive African elephants. A 37-year-old African bull elephant in the Kansas City Zoological Park was observed during periods of behavioral musth and non-musth. Androstenedione and luteinizing hormone (LH) concentrations in urine were measured by radioimmunoassay. Urinary androstenedione and LH levels were significantly higher in musth urine than in non-musth samples. A positive correlation (P > 0.001) existed between urinary LH and androstenedione concentrations. These results indicate that musth can occur in a zoo-maintained African elephant and that urinary androgen levels are elevated during musth, possibly as the result of LH stimulation of testicular steroidogenesis. |
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Keywords: | androstenedione LH elephant Loxodonta |
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