INDUCTION OF CHRONIC STRESS IN SEA BASS DICENTRARCHUS LABRAX BY SLOW RELEASE CORTISOL IMPLANT: PHYSIOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR RESPONSE

摘要

Stress response is considered an adaptive coping strategy; if stressors are severe or long lasting, stress response may become maladaptive and threaten the health and welfare of fish (Barton 2002). Cortisol is the major glucocorticoid (GC) in teleostsand its release into the peripheral blood is commonly used as measure of stress response. Nevertheless, due to the complex mechanisms that regulate stress response and cortisol release, the evaluation of stress response by means of circulating level ofcortisol is easily mistaken.