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Updated: Jul 16, 2026

Fecal Glucocorticoid Analysis: Non-invasive Adrenal Monitoring in Equids
Published on: April 25, 2016
Illicit treatments in cattle and urinary 6beta-hydroxycortisol/cortisol ratio
F Capolongo1, M Tapparo, R Merlanti
1Dipartimento di Sanità pubblica Patologia comparata e Igiene veterinaria, Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria, Università di Padova, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, Padova, Italy. francesca.capolongo@unipd.it
Abstract:
Dexamethasone (DXM) is often illegally used as a growth promoter. To identify indirect biomarkers of illicit treatments, the urinary ratio between 6beta-hydroxycortisol (6beta-OHF) and cortisol (F) was measured in urines obtained from bulls experimentally treated per os and intramuscularly (i.m.) with different DXM dosages. Dexamethasone, given per os at low doses elicited an early and lasting significant reduction of 6beta-OHF/F. No significant variations were seen in urines from bulls given DXM intramuscularly. These results suggest 6beta-OHF/F as a rapid, non-invasive, screening test for oral, low-dose, long-term corticosteroid treatment in cattle. Further studies are required to go deep inside the biochemical and molecular events underlying such an effect.
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