The Level of Selected Hormones in Peripheral Blood in Female Polar Foxes(Alopex lagopus L.) in Relation to Age

摘要

The objective of the study was to determine the concentration profile of selected hormones inthe blood serum of blue polar fox vixens at various ages during the non-mating period, threemonths after lactation. The investigation was performed on 50 clinically healthy female polarfoxes derived from a domestic reproductive farm. The animals were divided into 5 age groups(n=10) ranging from the 1 to 5 years of life. In the blood serum the contents of insulin,triiodothyronine (total and free), thyroxin (total and free), leptin and ghrelin (total and active)were determined. No significant, female age-dependent differences were found in thecontents of insulin, total and free triiodothyronine and total ghrelin in the blood serum.Significant (P<0.05) differences were observed in the concentration of total and free thyroxin(the highest in the blood of 4-year old females) as well as leptin and active ghrelin (the lowestand the highest content in 3-year old vixens). However, no distinct, female age-dependenttendencies for change in the content of these hormones in the blood serum were observed.