The Development of a Circadian Pattern of Salivary Cortisol Secretion in the Neonatal Piglet

Gallagher, Nerida L.; Giles, L. R.; Wynn, Peter

doi:10.1159/000047195

Cited by 25 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…For the present investigation, this argument is likely only true for that the pain of C piglets is possibly underestimated. Circadian changes in cortisol was unlikely to have affected the cortisol responses of piglets in the present study as male piglets display such a pattern only from day 10 of life (Gallagher et al, 2002). Furthermore, in order to eliminate the possibility of minor stressors or environmental factors influencing the cortisol rise, all procedures were done both with and without pain medication in the present study, thus permitting us to discern a pain-associated response.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ear tagging in piglets: the cortisol response with and without analgesia in comparison with castration and tail docking

Numberger¹,

Ritzmann²,

Übel³

et al. 2016

Animal

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The objectives of the present study were to compare the cortisol response caused by ear tagging piglets with the distress caused by other known painful husbandry procedures (e.g. castration and tail docking) and to evaluate the effectiveness of analgesia with meloxicam to reduce the cortisol response caused by these procedures. In total, 210 male piglets were randomised to equal numbers (n = 30) into one of seven groups: a control group which was only handled (H), an ear tagged group that received no analgesia (ET), an ear tagged group with analgesia (ETM), a castration group with no analgesia (C), a castration group with analgesia (CM), a tail-docked group with no analgesia (TD) and a tail-docked group with analgesia (TDM). The procedures were carried out on day 3 or 4 after farrowing. Five blood samples were taken from each piglet: 30 min before the respective procedure (baseline value), and 30, 60 min, 4 and 7 h after processing, to assess cortisol concentrations. Means as well as the area under the curve (AUC) value were analysed and the effective sizes of the procedures were established. At 7 h after the experimental treatment, cortisol concentrations had returned to base values in all groups. ET evoked a greater cortisol response than H piglets at 30 min (P < 0.001) and 60 min (P = 0.001). The cortisol response to ET was lower than C at 30 min (P = 0.001) but did not differ significantly at the other sample times. The mean cortisol response was similar between ET and TD piglets over all sample times. Taking both intensity and duration of the cortisol response into account (AUC), ET evoked a greater response than TD. Analgesia (ETM) resulted in significantly lower cortisol levels than ET at 30 and 60 min post-procedure. Castration (C) provoked the highest cortisol response of all procedures; a significant analgesic effect (CM) was shown only at 4 h post-procedure. TD resulted in significantly higher cortisol levels than H piglets only at 30 min; analgesia (TDM) significantly reduced the cortisol response at 30 min. We conclude that ear tagging causes a dramatic increase in cortisol levels compared with handling alone in piglets, which suggests that this procedure causes substantial distress. However, further research is needed to confirm these results.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ear tagging in piglets: the cortisol response with and without analgesia in comparison with castration and tail docking

Numberger¹,

Ritzmann²,

Übel³

et al. 2016

Animal

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show abstract

“…Gallagher et al (2002) reported a distinctive pattern at 6 to 10 days upon CV-based analysis, whereas cosinor rhythms have emerged between 8 (Ekkel et al, 1996) and 20 weeks (Ruis et al, 1997). Results by De Jong et al (2000) indicate that one possible factor explaining these differences is housing: enriched-, but not barren-housed (difference in space and substrate from birth), animals had developed a clear rhythm at 22 weeks of age, as defined by significantly higher day-time group mean values.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Krieger et al (1971) characterized it by a decline of at least 25% comparing morning concentrations to all later values, whereas Santiago et al (1996) required a drop of at least three times the mean intra-assay coefficient of variation (CV) from morning to both afternoon and night. The method described by Krieger et al (1971) was applied to pig data by Gallagher et al (2002). Others have based a normal rhythm on significantly higher morning than afternoon group-level mean values (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental enrichment in early life affects cortisol patterns in growing pigs

Munsterhjelm

Valros

Heinonen

et al. 2010

Animal

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Effects of environmental enrichment at different stages of life on stress physiology of pigs were investigated in a trial with 63 groups, each of four siblings. In each of the three growing phases (suckling 0 to 4 weeks of age, nursery 5 to 9 weeks, fattening 10 to 24 weeks) pens either were (5E) or were not (50) enriched. Accordingly, the treatments were (i) 000, (ii) E00, (iii) EE0, (iv) 00E, (v) 0EE and (vi) EEE. The enrichment material, renewed twice daily to leave a thin layer, consisted of wood shavings and chopped straw. Salivary cortisol was sampled hourly from 0700 to 1900 h at the age of 9 and 21 weeks. The presence of a circadian secretion rhythm was evaluated by an intra-assay coefficient of variation-based method. An adrenocorticotropic hormone test was performed at 21 weeks. Treatment effects on the odds of a physiological cortisol rhythm were assessed by logistic regression, and effects on cortisol concentrations with a repeated measures GLM. Substrateenrichment from 0 to 9 weeks of age increased the odds of a rhythm as compared to barren housing (odds ratio (OR) 5 30.0, P , 0.01). A flat cortisol secretion pattern may indicate chronic stress and/or delayed maturation of the rhythm. Barren as compared to enriched rearing (0 to 4 weeks of age) seemed to cause a blunted secretion rhythm at 21 weeks of age. Although behavioural and tail lesion observations provided support to the assumption that a blunted rhythm indicates chronic stress, the biological significance of these cortisol results needs confirmation in future studies.Keywords: pig, cortisol, environmental enrichment, early enrichment ImplicationsThe welfare of intensively housed pigs is a matter of public concern. A crowded and barren environment is known to cause signs of stress. This research was designed to investigate effects on stress physiology of a very moderate amount of bedding provided at different stages of the life of pigs raised for slaughter. The quality (wood shavings and chopped straw) and amount was chosen to be compatible with partly slatted pen floors and slurry manure systems. The results indicate that a small amount of bedding in early life (0 to 4 weeks of age) will prevent physiological signs of stress at a later age. Due to use of unestablished methods the biological significance of these results needs more evidence to be disclosed.

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“…The discrepancy in the present study and that of Carroll (2001) may indicate potential differences in glucocorticoid sensitivity in male and female pigs. Gallagher et al (2002) reported differences in the development of a circadian pattern of salivary cortisol secretion between male and female neonatal pigs, with females establishing a circadian pattern by d 6, whereas males displayed a similar pattern from d 10 of birth. As with growth performance and carcass characteristics, glucocorticoid regulation and action are known to exhibit sexually dimorphic characteristics in several species (Vamvakopoulos, 1995;Tilbrook et al, 2000;Rhees et al, 2001).…”

Section: Defmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pre- and postweaning performance of pigs injected with dexamethasone at birth

Gaines

Carroll

Allee

et al. 2002

Journal of Animal Science

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A trial was conducted to determine pre- and postweaning performance of pigs injected with dexamethasone either 1 or 24 h after birth. In Exp. 1, 225 pigs (Triumph4 x PIC Camborough 22) were assigned according to birth weight and sex to three treatments. Treatments included either saline (Control), Dex1 (2 mg/kg BW i.m. injection of dexamethasone within 1 h of birth), or Dex24 (2 mg/kg BW i.m. injection of dexamethasone within 24 h after birth). Birth weights (1.56 +/- 0.06 kg) did not differ among treatments (P > 0.10) or between sexes (P > 0.10). There was a treatment x sex interaction on BW at weaning (15 d; P < 0.05) with Dex1 and Dex24 males 10% heavier than Control males (4.77 and 4.78 vs. 4.34 kg, respectively), and no significant differences in BW among the females (P > 0.05). In Exp. 2, 180 pigs from Exp. 1 were transported to a segregated early weaning nursery facility where each sex was assigned to 10 pens per treatment (60 pens total). Pigs were fed fortified corn-soybean meal diets in a three-phase feeding program. At the end of Exp. 2 (49-d period), there was a treatment x sex interaction (P < 0.01) for BW with Dex1 and Dex24 barrows being on average 8% heavier than the Control barrows (30.1 and 29.8 vs. 27.7 kg, respectively), and no significant difference in BW (P > 0.10) among the gilts. No treatment differences in feed efficiency (gain:feed) were observed during the nursery period (P > 0.10). In Exp. 3, pigs from the nursery were moved to a finishing facility where each sex was assigned to 4 pens per treatment (24 pens total). All pigs were fed fortified corn-soybean meal diets in a four-phase feeding program with sexes fed separately. Real-time ultrasound was used to measure 10th rib backfat depth and longissimus muscle area. At the end of Exp. 3 (83-d period), there was a treatment x sex interaction (P < 0.05) for final BW with Dex1 and Dex24 barrows being on average 5.45 kg heavier than Control barrows (119.6 and 120.7 vs. 114.4 kg, respectively), and no difference (P > 0.05) in BW among the gilts. No treatment differences (P > 0.10) were observed for backfat depth, longissimus muscle area or gain:feed. These studies demonstrate that dexamethasone (2 mg/kg BW) given within 24 h of birth significantly improves both pre- and postweaning performance of barrows with no beneficial effects on gilts.

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The Development of a Circadian Pattern of Salivary Cortisol Secretion in the Neonatal Piglet

Cited by 25 publications

References 26 publications

Ear tagging in piglets: the cortisol response with and without analgesia in comparison with castration and tail docking

Ear tagging in piglets: the cortisol response with and without analgesia in comparison with castration and tail docking

Environmental enrichment in early life affects cortisol patterns in growing pigs

Pre- and postweaning performance of pigs injected with dexamethasone at birth

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