Lactating female @entity35 without their pups exhibit lower HPA responsiveness to stress than nonlactating females. However, responsiveness to stress is similar when lactating females are tested with their pups and the stressor involves a potential threat to the offspring. This study constitutes the first comparison of stress responsiveness in lactating and nonlactating female nonhuman primates. Subjects were 53 multiparous female free-ranging @entity2608 . Approximately half of the females were lactating and half were nonpregnant/nonlactating. Blood samples were obtained after capture and after overnight housing in an individual cage. Lactating females were tested with their @entity1 . Lactating females had significantly higher plasma @entity701 levels than nonlactating females on both days. Having or not having an @entity1 was also a better predictor of plasma @entity701 levels among all females than their age, dominance rank, group of origin, time of day at which the sample was obtained, and time elapsed since beginning of the sampling procedure or since anesthesia. Plasma @entity701 levels of lactating females were not significantly correlated with @entity6751 stage or with the @entity701 levels of their @entity1 . Capture, handling, and individual housing in a cage are powerful psychological stressors for free-ranging primates. We suggest that the higher plasma @entity701 levels exhibited by lactating females reflect greater responsiveness to stress associated with perception of risks to @entity1 . @entity6306 to stress may not be a general characteristic of lactation in all @entity1 species, but a short-term effect of @entity1 suckling that is most apparent with stressors unrelated to the offspring.

Plasma XXXX responses to stress in lactating and nonlactating female @entity2608 .

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['mammalian', 'infant', 'infants'] @entity2608 :: ('9544', 'Species') :: ['rhesus macaques'] @entity6751 :: ('MESH:D050032', 'Disease') :: ['post-partum'] @entity6306 :: ('MESH:C566417', 'Disease') :: ['Hyporesponsiveness'] @entity701 :: ('MESH:D006854', 'Chemical') :: ['cortisol'] @entity35 :: ('10116', 'Species') :: ['rats']
@entity701 :: (MESH:D006854,Chemical) :: ['cortisol']
