The effect of active immunization against adrenocorticotropic hormone on cortisol, β-endorphin, vocalization, and growth in pigs1

Abstract

Because the poor growth performance of intensively housed pigs is associated with increased circulating glucocorticoid concentrations, we investigated the effects of glucocorticoid suppression by inducing a humoral immune response to ACTH on physiological and production variables in growing pigs. Grower pigs (28.6 +/- 0.9 kg) were immunized with amino acids 1 through 24 of ACTH conjugated to ovalbumin and suspended in diethylaminoethyl (DEAE) dextran-adjuvant or adjuvant alone (control) on d 1, 28, and 56. The ACTH-specific antibody titers generated suppressed increases in cortisol concentrations on d 63 in response to an acute stressor (P = 0.002; control = 71 +/- 8.2 ng/mL; ACTH-immune = 43 +/- 4.9 ng/mL) without altering basal concentrations. Plasma beta-endorphin concentrations were also increased (P < 0.001) on d 63 (control = 18 +/- 2.1 ng/mL; ACTH-immune = 63 +/- 7.3 ng/mL), presumably because of a release from negative feedback on the expression of proopiomelanocortin in pituitary corticotropes. Immunization against ACTH did not alter ADG (P = 0.120; control = 1,077 +/- 25; ACTH-immune = 1,143 +/- 25 g) or ADFI (P = 0.64; control = 2,719 +/- 42; ACTH-immune = 2,749 +/- 42 g) and did not modify behavior (P = 0.681) assessed by measuring vocalization in response to acute restraint. In summary, suppression of stress-induced cortisol responses through ACTH immunization increased beta-endorphin concentrations, but it did not modify ADG, ADFI, or restraint vocalization score in growing pigs.

Vernonia cinerea Less. supplementation and strenuous exercise reduce smoking rate: relation to oxidative stress status and beta-endorphin release in active smokers

“…Nicotine in smoke is known to release neuroendocrine substances, such as beta-endorphin (β-end) [7], found in women smokers with either high doses of nicotine cigarettes or with heavy smoking [8,9]. Moreover, a previous report showed that nicotine stimulates the pituitary release of the pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) which contains the precursor for β-end [10]. …”

Effect of air cleaner on stress hormones of pig and pork quality

“…As a result, the productivity index of pigs is the mainstream of researches but those related basic data have been not sufficient so far. There are, for the most part, materials about productivity index of overseas pigs in a veterinary rather than environmental concept [ 15 – 17 ]. Moreover, a variety of researches have utilized data on stress hormones playing an important role in productivity index of pigs since there are no materials affecting it y improving air quality in swine houses [ 18 – 20 ].…”