Sheep as an experimental model: individual housing allowing visual, auditory, olfactory and tactile contact is not an obstacle for studies involving hormonal interrelationships

Maria, GA (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Valares, JA ; Forcada, F (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Abecia Martínez, José Alfonso (Universidad de Zaragoza)

Resumen: Thirty-two ewes were used to determine whether individual housing, allowing contact with neighbours, induces a stress response. Ewes were housed in individual pens designed to allow the ewes to see, hear, smell and touch adjacent animals, and were distributed into four groups (n=8/group): ewes with subcutaneous implants containing melatonin and oestradiol (M+E), melatonin (M), oestradiol (E) and non-implanted control ewes (C). Heart rate, stress indicators (plasma cortisol, glucose, lactate and creatine kinase (CK) concentrations) and luteinizing hormone (LH) concentrations were measured hourly and compared with the resting values (before and after pen housing). Heart rate increased significantly during the introduction into the pen (P<0.001) in all groups, in comparison with the resting values. No significant differences between groups were observed for cortisol concentrations, with the exception of the M group, which showed the highest response (P<0.001) when ewes were introduced into the pens. Lactate, CK and glucose changes in comparison with the resting values were similar between groups. LH concentrations during pen housing decreased significantly in all groups in comparison with resting values. In conclusion, individual confinement of sheep allowing visual, auditory, olfactory and tactile contact with their neighbouring animals was not an obstacle for investigating particular hormonal interrelationships with multiple sampling procedures. However further investigations are required to determine if this conclusion applies to other hormone systems in sheep.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.23675/sjlas.v41i0.336

Año: 2015

Publicado en: SCANDINAVIAN JOURNAL OF LABORATORY ANIMAL SCIENCE 41 (2015), [9 pp.]
ISSN: 0901-3393

Originalmente disponible en: Texto completo de la revista

Factor impacto JCR: 0.0 (2015)

Categ. JCR: VETERINARY SCIENCES rank: 137 / 138 = 0.993 (2015) - Q4 - T3

Factor impacto SCIMAGO: 0.101 - Animal Science and Zoology (Q4) - Veterinary (miscellaneous) (Q4) - Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology (miscellaneous) (Q4)

Tipo y forma: Article (Published version)

Área (Departamento): Área Producción Animal (Dpto. Produc.Animal Cienc.Ali.)