Stereotypic Behavior in Sows Is Related to Emotionality Changes in the Offspring

Tatemoto, Patricia; Bernardino, Thiago; Morrone, Beatrice; Queiroz, Mariana Ramos; Zanella, Adroaldo José

doi:10.3389/fvets.2020.00079

Cited by 16 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 44 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…In other words, the higher cortisol concentration in sham-chewing sows could result from a placenta holding this glucocorticoid and protecting the brain development in their offspring. We also have some evidence that the epigenome in the limbic system of these piglets is differentially methylated (45).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 80%

“…We have shown in preliminary results that the expression of sham-chewing by the mother affects the offspring's emotionality (45). However, in that experiment, we considered a gradient of sows, in which we divided 28 sows in two groups, from low to high expression in terms of duration.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the open field test, piglets from sows with a high rate of stereotypies walked more in central quadrants and lateral quadrants than piglets from sows with a low rate of stereotypies. Moreover, in the novel object test the offspring from low stereotypy sows vocalized more (45). We demonstrated for the first time that stereotypic behavior expressed by the mother during gestation changes the phenotype of the offspring, in particular their emotionality (45).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Moreover, in the novel object test the offspring from low stereotypy sows vocalized more (45). We demonstrated for the first time that stereotypic behavior expressed by the mother during gestation changes the phenotype of the offspring, in particular their emotionality (45). This outcome can be related to the stress response or reactivity, reflecting stereotypies as an indicator of welfare.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Sham-Chewing in Sows Is Associated With Decreased Fear Responses in Their Offspring

et al. 2019

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We hypothesized that sham-chewing expressed by the dam during gestation affects fetus programming. The goal of this study was to assess the effects of maternal sham-chewing on offspring welfare indicators, such as behavior and physiology. Sows that exhibited consistent sham-chewing on at least two of 6 days of observation (N = 7) were compared with sows that had never performed sham-chewing (non-sham-chewing sows; N = 4) during these 6 days. Salivary samples from sows and piglets were collected and cortisol concentrations were analyzed to assess the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis activity as cortisol is a physiological indicator of welfare. Moreover, placental tissue was collected, right after farrowing, to assess cortisol and cortisone concentration. Piglet behavior and fear tests were performed after weaning (one couple per sow). In the fear tests, data was collected in an open field test to determine the states of fear indicators. Non-sham-chewing sows had lower concentrations of cortisol on days 91 and 92 of gestation in the morning. In addition to this, placental cortisol was higher among sham-chewing sows than non-sham-chewing sows. In the open field test, piglets born from non-sham-chewing sows demonstrated more latency to move in the arena and less activity, indicating more fear. Based on our data, we concluded that the expression of maternal sham-chewing is related to less fear in their offspring. Although stereotypies have been studied, attention has not been devoted to the effects of the prenatal period in considering a fetal reprogramming approach.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 80%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Sham-Chewing in Sows Is Associated With Decreased Fear Responses in Their Offspring

et al. 2019

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Studies have indicated that the management of pigs during gestation promotes changes in their offspring’s behavior [ 38 , 73 , 75 , 106 ]. However, to the best of our knowledge, stressful events in pig farming, such as the effect of gestation crates, lameness, and social isolation have not been explored by epigenetic studies in pigs [ 107 , 108 ].…”

Section: Epigenetics Studies In the Porcine Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

How Epigenetics Can Enhance Pig Welfare?

Silva

Araujo

Pértille

et al. 2021

Animals

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Epigenetics works as an interface between the individual and its environment to provide phenotypic plasticity to increase individual adaptation capabilities. Recently, a wide variety of epi-genetic findings have indicated evidence for its application in the development of putative epi-biomarkers of stress in farm animals. The purpose of this study was to evaluate previously reported stress epi-biomarkers in swine and encourage researchers to investigate potential paths for the development of a robust molecular tool for animal welfare certification. In this literature review, we report on the scientific concerns in the swine production chain, the management carried out on the farms, and the potential implications of these practices for the animals’ welfare and their epigenome. To assess reported epi-biomarkers, we identified, from previous studies, potentially stress-related genes surrounding epi-biomarkers. With those genes, we carried out a functional enrichment analysis of differentially methylated regions (DMRs) of the DNA of swine subjected to different stress-related conditions (e.g., heat stress, intrauterine insult, and sanitary challenges). We identified potential epi-biomarkers for target analysis, which could be added to the current guidelines and certification schemes to guarantee and certify animal welfare on farms. We believe that this technology may have the power to increase consumers’ trust in animal welfare.

show abstract

The in-utero experience of piglets born from sows with lameness shapes their life trajectory

Sarmiento

Bernardino

Tatemoto

et al. 2021

Sci Rep

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Experiences during gestation can alter the mother’s behavior and physiology, thereby potentially affecting the behavioral and physiological development of the offspring. In livestock, one common challenge for pregnant animals is lameness: a multifactorial condition that causes pain, stress, resulting in poor welfare outcomes. Since maternal pain can affect offspring development, we aimed to quantify the behavioral response in 142 piglets born from sows with different degrees of lameness during pregnancy. Gait scores of 22 pregnant group-housed sows were assessed six times at 2-week intervals. Lameness scores varied from 0 (no lameness) to 5 (most severe lameness score). Saliva samples and behavior were assessed in the sows throughout pregnancy. Sows were moved to individual farrowing pens and placental tissue was collected for glucocorticoid assessment. At 28 days of age, piglets were weaned, weighed, and regrouped by body size and sex. Skin lesions were counted for each piglet on days 28, 29, and 30 after birth. During open field and novel object tests on day 30, the vocalization and activity levels were evaluated. Piglet data were grouped by the lameness score of the sows as G1 (without lameness), G2 (moderate lameness), and G3 (severe lameness). Data analysis included ANOVA or Kruskal–Wallis tests and pairwise comparisons which were performed using Tukey and Kramer (Nemenyi) test with Tukey-Dist approximation for independent samples. G2 piglets were heavier than G3 at weaning. G1 piglets had fewer skin lesions at days 28 and 29 than G2 piglets. Moreover, G1 piglets vocalized more than G2 when they were subjected to the combined open field and novel object test. We did not identify differences among sows showing different lameness scores in the concentration of placental or salivary glucocorticoids. Lameness in pregnant sows altered the offspring’s weight gain, number of skin lesions and vocalizations, together showing evidence that lameness in sows affect offspring performance and behavior.

show abstract

Stereotypic Behavior in Sows Is Related to Emotionality Changes in the Offspring

Cited by 16 publications

References 44 publications

Sham-Chewing in Sows Is Associated With Decreased Fear Responses in Their Offspring

Sham-Chewing in Sows Is Associated With Decreased Fear Responses in Their Offspring

How Epigenetics Can Enhance Pig Welfare?

The in-utero experience of piglets born from sows with lameness shapes their life trajectory

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About