Abstract
Cortisol exhibits a circadian rhythm in horses. It is a well-known biomarker that is suppressed by dexamethasone. A sampling protocol of cortisol with one pre- and one post drug administration sample is used in dexamethasone suppression tests. However, diurnal fluctuation and inter-individual variation may hamper the utility of test results. The aim of this study was to quantify the determinants of baseline fluctuation and between-individual and between-occasion variability for guidance of an improved test protocol.
Authors and Affiliations
- Felix Held, Fraunhofer-Chalmers Centre, Gothenburg, Sweden, and Mathematical Sciences, Chalmers and Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Carl Ekstrand, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Uppsala, Sweden
- Johan Gabrielsson, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Uppsala, Sweden
- Mats Jirstrand, Fraunhofer-Chalmers Centre, Gothenburg, Sweden
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