Periparturient cortisol, acute phase cytokine, and acute phase protein profiles of gilts housed in groups or stalls during gestation

Abstract

Use of gestation stalls in pork production remains a controversial topic in animal welfare. Immune status and measures are frequently used to assess stress levels and thus well-being of confined animals. The important welfare issue of close confinement among gestating gilts was tested by quantifying cortisol, acute phase cytokine, and acute phase protein pro-files before and after farrowing of gilts housed in 2 systems. Landrace x Yorkshire crossbred gilts housed in groups of 4 (group, n = 8) in pens (3.9 x 2.4 m with 4 individual feeding spaces, 9.36 m(2) total or 2.34 m(2)/gilt) were compared with gilts housed in standard industry stalls (stall, n = 16; 2.2 x 0.6 m, 1.32 m(2)/gilt). Floors were fully slatted, and a substrate was not provided for either system. Cortisol was determined from saliva on d 105 of gestation, 1 h after moving the gilts into farrowing stalls (d 111), and 24 h and 7 d after farrowing. Cortisol was greater (P = 0.04) for group gilts compared with stall gilts 1 h after moving them into farrowing stalls and 24 h after farrowing. Cortisol concentrations decreased (P = 0.001) over time. Leukocyte mRNA expression of IL-1, IL-1 receptor antagonist, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha was determined by quantitative, reverse transcription PCR on d 35, 63, and 91 of gestation and 72 h after farrowing. Cytokine mRNA expression of peripheral blood mononuclear cells did not differ between housing systems for IL-1, its receptor antagonist, or for tumor necrosis factor-alpha. Acute phase proteins, including fibrinogen, haptoglobin, and alpha(1)-acid glycoprotein were determined for plasma samples taken at d 35, 63, and 91 of gestation and 72 h and 14 d after farrowing. In contrast to cortisol, plasma fibrinogen concentrations increased (P < 0.005) over time. Haptoglobin did not differ between treatments (P > 0.10). Stall gilts tended to have greater (P = 0.07) plasma alpha(1)-acid glycoprotein concentrations than group animals at d 35 of gestation and d 14 after farrowing. These data showed a trend (P < 0.07) for alpha(1)-acid glycoprotein concentrations to return to baseline more quickly in group-housed gilts, which did not appear to be directly related to increased cortisol just before farrowing. In conclusion, few differences in the acute phase response were detected between housing systems, suggesting that the resting immunological responses are only mildly affected by gestation stalls.

No apparent effect of an experimental narrow confinement on heart activity and cortisol in domestic pigs

“…The pigs then lost the ability to contact each other with the nose through the lattice between adjacent pens. Such a loss of stimulation has already been attributed to reduced cortisol concentrations (Beattie et al, 2000) and, accordingly, has also been revealed in crated sows compared to sows living in groups (Sorrells et al, 2007).…”

“…As domestic pigs have undergone a long period of domestication that sometimes included poor housing conditions (Albarella, 2007), their susceptibility to restraint, in particular, might have been reduced during the selection process. Consequently, if at all, only slightly increased cortisol concentrations were found in confined pigs Sorrells et al, 2007).…”

Group housing during gestation affects the behaviour of sows and the physiological indices of offspring at weaning

“…It has been confirmed that cortisol can be detected in saliva, and has a strong relationship with plasma cortisol concentration (Bushong et al, 2000;Sorrells et al, 2007). Moreover, the collection of saliva does not require forcing or restraining the sow, and thus determination of salivary cortisol concentrations has become a popular tool in studies on pregnant sows.…”

Administration of dexamethasone per os in finishing bulls. II. Effects on blood parameters used as indicators of animal welfare

“…Our study showed that the highest levels of total protein in treated bulls might be related to the increase of b 1 globulin fraction. This parameter might be affected either by the higher concentration of fibrinogen, an inflammatory acute phase protein stimulated by dexamethasone acting as a stressor or by an increase in other acute phase proteins (Sevaljevic et al, 1998;Sorrells et al, 2007).…”