We are going to test deer mouse fecal samples for glucocorticoid levels. However, we are unsure if grinding feces in methanol is adequate for viral inactivation. Any guidance/input would be great.
I'm not a specialist in inactivation of hantavirus or denaturation in glucocorticoid.
However during thermal degradation/inactivation you need to follow two main parameters :
- Temperature
- Incubation time
The destruction of a product by temperature is often simulated by a DT value and a Z value :
DT = Time necessary to loss 90% at T temperature (in seconds, min etc...)
Z = value used to evaluate the variation of DT with the temperature (in degree)
If you know the DT and the Z for each of your product you may design the appropriate treatment to inactivate one and preserve the other one.
If you know how to measure the degradation of your products, with some experiments you can easily determine the both value for each of them.
I hope it may help you.
Regards
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_death_time
A study on dear and elk found an increased fecal steroid levels following autoclaving before transport.
See reference below
Effects of Heat and Chemical Treatments on Fecal Glucocorticoid Measurements: Implications for Sample Transport. Joshua J. Millspaugh, Brian E. Washburn, Mark A. Milanick, Rob Slotow and Gus van Dyk. Wildlife Society Bulletin (1973-2006). Vol. 31, No. 2 (Summer, 2003), pp. 399-406. Published by: Wiley on behalf of the Wildlife Society. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3784319
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