| Maternal corticosterone but not testosterone level is associated with the ratio of second-to-fourth digit length (2D:4D) in field vole offspring (Microtus agrestis). | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 19958785 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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The steroid environment encountered by a foetus can strongly affect its post-natal physiology and behaviour. It has been proposed that steroid concentrations experienced in utero could be estimated from adults by measuring their second-to-fourth digit length ratio (2D:4D). However, there is still little direct evidence that intra-uterine steroid levels affect individual 2D:4D. We examined whether maternal pre-pregnancy testosterone and corticosterone levels (as estimates of intra-uterine testosterone and corticosterone exposure) affected the 2D:4D of pups in non-domesticated field voles (Microtus agrestis), measured by X-rays at the age of weaning (21 days). Furthermore, for the first time in a non-human species, we studied whether testosterone and corticosterone levels correlated with 2D:4D in adult females. We found that the maternal pre-pregnancy level of testosterone was not associated with offspring 2D:4D in either the left or the right paw. Instead, maternal pre-pregnancy corticosterone level was positively correlated with offspring 2D:4D in the right paw, but unrelated to 2D:4D in the left paw. In addition, the 2D:4D of adult females was not associated with either their circulating testosterone or corticosterone levels. Our results suggest that in field voles maternally administered testosterone is not a major determinant of offspring 2D:4D, whereas maternal stress appears to account for some of the variation in the 2D:4D of their offspring. |
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Authors:
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Thomas Lilley; Toni Laaksonen; Otso Huitu; Samuli Helle |
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Publication Detail:
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Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Date: 2009-11-30 |
Journal Detail:
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Title: Physiology & behavior Volume: 99 ISSN: 1873-507X ISO Abbreviation: Physiol. Behav. Publication Date: 2010 Mar |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 2010-02-22 Completed Date: 2010-05-12 Revised Date: - |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 0151504 Medline TA: Physiol Behav Country: United States |
Other Details:
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Languages: eng Pagination: 433-7 Citation Subset: IM |
Copyright Information:
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(c) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. |
Affiliation:
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Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, FI-20014, Turku, Finland. tmlill@utu.fi |
Export Citation:
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APA/MLA Format Download EndNote Download BibTex |
| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
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Animals Animals, Newborn Anthropometry / methods Arvicolinae / anatomy & histology*, metabolism* Blood Chemical Analysis Corticosterone / metabolism* Feces / chemistry Female Male Pregnancy Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects Testosterone / blood* Upper Extremity / anatomy & histology* X-Rays |
| Chemical | |
Reg. No./Substance:
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50-22-6/Corticosterone; 58-22-0/Testosterone |
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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