As a part of the study on stress effects on reproduction of the brown bear, Dr. Ghulam Nabi, the leader of the AnthroBear Project, is investigating hormone concentrations in the adrenal gland and gonads. The analyses will be conducted for us at the laboratory of the Terrestrial Ecosystems and Ecotoxicology Group at the Institute of Environmental Sciences (Jagiellonian University, Krakow) with the use of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) techniques. We passed the samples to our colleagues there and the results are expected at the end of summer.
Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry has been proven to be a highly sensitive and powerful analytical technique. In the liquid chromatography technique, compounds are separated from samples before analysis and coupled with mass spectrometry. When using LC, sample components are separated based on how they interact with the mobile and stationary phases. After chromatographic separation, compounds are dissolved into a gas phase, ionized at an ionization source, and finally subjected to mass spectrometers for mass analysis. LC-MS has several advantages, including reduction in analysis time, higher accuracy, decreasing the use of hazardous and expensive chemicals, and improved detection limits. It has a variety of applications, including biochemical, pharmaceutical, environmental, and clinical. In wildlife research, LC-MS can identify stressed populations, investigate the reproductive potentials, and provide useful information about pollutant load in animal tissues. The LC-MS method provides more comprehensive steroid profiles than immunoassays with improved sensitivity and specificity. Furthermore, LC-MS analyses in terrestrial and aquatic mammals and birds provide steroid profiles for glucocorticoids and sex steroids. In addition to maximizing data collection, these analyses enable a greater understanding of hormone homeostasis regarding stress and reproductive management.