Cortisol-binding globulin and meat quality in five European lines of pigs1

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In the search for biological basis of robustness, this study aimed (i) at the determination of the heritability of the cortisol response to ACTH in juvenile pigs, using restricted maximum likelihood methodology applied to a multiple trait animal model, and (ii) at the study of the relationships between basal and stimulated cortisol levels with corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG), IGF-I and haptoglobin, all important players in glucose metabolism and production traits. At 6 weeks of age, 298 intact male and female piglets from 30 litters (30 dams and 30 boars) were injected with 250 µg ACTH(1-24) (Synacthen). Blood was taken before ACTH injection to measure basal levels of cortisol, glucose, CBG, IGF-I and haptoglobin, and 60 min later to measure stimulated cortisol levels and glucose. Cortisol increased 2.8-fold after ACTH injection, with a high correlation between basal and stimulated levels (phenotypic correlation, r p = 0.539; genetic correlation, r g = 0.938). Post-ACTH cortisol levels were highly heritable ( h 2 = 0.684) and could therefore be used for genetic selection of animals with a more reactive hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis. CBG binding capacity correlated with cortisol levels measured in basal conditions in males only. No correlation was found between CBG binding capacity and post-ACTH cortisol levels. Basal IGF-I concentration was positively correlated with BW at birth and weaning, and showed a high correlation with CBG binding capacity with a strong sexual dimorphism, the correlation being much higher in males than in females. Basal haptoglobin concentrations were negatively correlated with CBG binding capacity and IGF-I concentrations. Complex relationships were also found between circulating glucose levels and these different variables that have been shown to be related to glucose resistance in humans. These data are therefore valuable for the genetic selection of animals to explore the consequences on production and robustness traits, but also point at pigs as a relevant model to explore the underlying mechanisms of the metabolic syndrome including the contribution of genetic factors.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 51%

The cortisol response to ACTH in pigs, heritability and influence of corticosteroid-binding globulin

Larzul

Terenina

Foury

et al. 2015

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“…A significant genotype effect was observed for plasma CBG with higher levels in B pigs than in LW pigs. Such an effect was expected as higher plasma levels were previously observed in fat than in lean breeds of pigs (Ousova et al, 2004;Geverink et al, 2006). Indeed, it is hypothesized that the CBG gene could play a role in fat tissue development (Ousova et al, 2004).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

“…Charcoal was removed from the plasma by centrifugation at 3000 3 g for 15 min. The binding capacity of CBG in the stripped plasma was determined at 48C using a modification of the solid-phase assay method described by Pugeat et al (1984) and adapted by Geverink et al (2006).…”

Section: Animals Housing and Experimental Interventionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Health and immune traits of Basque and Large White pigs housed in a conventional or enriched environment

Merlot

Vincent

Thomas

et al. 2012

Since decades, production traits such as growth rate, feed efficiency or body composition have been drastically increased in pigs by genetic selection. Whether this selection impacted animal robustness is still unclear. In this study, we compared Large White (LW) pigs, a breed submitted to intense genetic selection for production traits, and Basque (B) pigs, a local rustic breed, reared in two different housing environments (conventionalv.enriched). Adaptation to housing conditions among each breed was evaluated at the level of endocrine and immune traits. These are known to be impacted by housing conditions and breed; however, the interaction effects between genotype and environment are less described. Animals (20 per breed and housing environment) entered the experiment at 35 kg of live weight. Levels of cortisol, acute-phase inflammatory proteins, immunoglobulins and hydrogen peroxide, blood formula, lymphocyte proliferation andin-vitrocytokine expression were measured at ∼115 kg of live weight. Animals were checked for skin injuries during the growing period. At slaughter, at the average live weight of 145 kg, carcasses were examined for pathological conditions of the respiratory tract. The major result was that the two breeds exhibited differences in response to the housing environment. Among the 24 sanitary, endocrine or immune traits investigated, the housing conditions affected eight variables in both breeds (salivary cortisol at 0700 and 1900 h, severity of pneumonia at slaughter) or only in B pigs (severe skin lesions) or LW pigs (salivary cortisol at 1500 h, granulocyte numbers and lymphocyte/granulocyte ratio and lymphocyte proliferation). These observations strengthen the hypothesis that selection for high meat production level might be associated with an increased susceptibility of animals to environmental stressors.

“…Carcass composition traits measured in these animals have been published before (Plastow et al, 2005;Geverink et al, 2006) and only a few selected measures are listed in Table 1. The genetic lines studied in the present experiment show a large variation in body composition and are ranked in the order of decreasing carcass lean content (PLEAN), from the leanest (Pié train, 60.3%) to the fattiest (Meishan, 48.8%).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stress neuroendocrine profiles in five pig breeding lines and the relationship with carcass composition

Foury

Geverink²,

Gil³

et al. 2007

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Stress neuroendocrine systems (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and sympathetic nervous system) were studied in 100 female pigs from each of the five main genetic lines used in Europe for pork production: Pié train, Large White, Landrace, Duroc and Meishan. Levels of cortisol and catecholamines were measured in urine collected at the farm, after transportation to the slaughterhouse and the next morning before slaughter. With the exception of the Pié train line that showed intermediate levels of cortisol despite its extreme leanness, a significant positive relationship was found between basal cortisol levels and fatness, both across and within (except in Pié train and Duroc) lines. Basal cortisol levels were 2.46-fold higher in Meishan (20.46 ng/mg creatinine) than in Large White pigs (8.30 ng/mg creatinine), the two extreme breeds. Post-transportation levels were highest but proportional to basal levels, suggesting that the adrenal reactivity to adrenocorticotropic hormone is a major source of variability between lines. Levels of catecholamines were less variable between lines but correlated also with fatness, partlyviapartial correlations with cortisol levels. In serum collected at exsanguination, creatine kinase activity was correlated with muscularity across the five breeds. However, this was due to a much larger activity than expected in Pié train pigs, although all animals were negative for the allele of the ryanodine receptor gene responsible for stress sensitivity. Serum glucose levels were inversely related to fatness. These data show that the differences between breeds or lines can be utilised by cross-breeding and that this can lead to changes in stress hormones and in turn to some degree of changes in carcass traits.