Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-7cvxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T16:16:12.041Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Changes in plasma cortisol and β-endorphin concentrations and behaviour in sheep subjected to a change of environment

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

D. P. Fordham ,
S. Al-Gahtani ,
L. A. Durotoye  and
R. G. Rodway
D. P. Fordham
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Physiology and Nutrition, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT
S. Al-Gahtani
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Physiology and Nutrition, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT
L. A. Durotoye
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Physiology and Nutrition, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT
R. G. Rodway
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Physiology and Nutrition, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT
Get access

Abstract

Changes in plasma cortisol and B-endorphin concentrations and behaviour in sheep subjected to a change in environment have been studied. Three male and three female sheep were transferred from pasture to indoor crates for a 9-week period. Behaviour was observed by scan sampling for 1-h periods morning and afternoon 5 days/week. Blood samples were taken hourly for 24-h periods on days 1, 5, 30 and 60, and assayed for β-endorphin and cortisol.

Plasma cortisol concentration decreased significantly between days 30 and 60 (P < 0·001) but there was no significant change in plasma B-endorphin concentration over the experimental period. After an initial period of ‘withdrawal’ in weeks 2 and 3, when the amount of time spent resting increased, the occurrence of active behaviours increased with length of confinement. The results suggest that animals had not fully acclimatized to the new surroundings within the 9-week period. This raises important welfare issues concerning experimental animals.

Keywords

endorphinsenvironmenthydrocortisonesheep
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 52 , Issue 2 , April 1991 , pp. 287 - 296
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1991

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Barnett, J. L., Winfield, C. G., Cronin, G. M., Hemsworth, P. H. and Dewar, A. M. 1985. The effect of individual and group housing on behavioural and physiological responses related to the welfare of pregnant pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 14: 149–161.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brett, L. P. and Levine, S. 1979. Schedule-induced polydipsia suppresses pituitary-adrenal axis in rats. Journal of Comparative Physiology and Psychology 93: 946–956.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Clarke, I. J., Clements, J. A., Cummins, J. T., Dench, J. and Funder, J. W. 1984. Immunoreactive ACTH and B-endorphin secretion in the hypothalamo-pituitary disconnected ewe. 3rd Joint Meeting of the British Endocrine Societies, Edinburgh, Abstr. 30.Google Scholar
Dantzer, R. and Mormede, P. 1981. Can physiological criteria be used to assess welfare in pigs? In The Welfare of Pigs. (ed. Sybesma, W.) pp. 53–71. Martinus Nijhoff, The Hague.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
De Silva, M., Kiehm, D. J., Kaltenbach, C. C. and Dunn, T. G. 1986. Comparison of serum cortisol and prolactin sampled by two methods. Domestic Animal Endocrinology 3: 11–16.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Done-Currie, J. R., Hecker, J. F. and Wodzickatomaszewska, M. 1984. Behaviour of sheep transferred from pasture to an animal house. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 12: 121–130.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Durotoye, L., Fordham, D. P. and Rodway, R. G. 1989. Melatonin treatment and plasma B-endorphin concentration in ewe lambs. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility Abstract Series No. 3, p. 61.Google Scholar
Ebling, F. J. P. and Lincoln, G. A. 1987. β-endorphin secretion in rams related to season and photoperiod. Endocrinology 120: 809–818.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fordham, D. P., Lincoln, G. A., Ssewannyana, E. and Rodway, R. G. 1989. Plasma 6-endorphin and cortisol concentrations in lambs after handling, transport and slaughter. Animal Production 49: 103–108.Google Scholar
Fraser, D. 1975. The effect of straw on the behaviour of sows in tether stalls. Animal Production 21: 59–68.Google Scholar
Iranmanesh, A., Lizarralde, G., Johnson, M. L. and Veldhuis, J. D. 1989. Circadian, ultradian and episodic release of β-endorphin in men, and its temporal coupling with cortisol. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 68: 1019–1026.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jephcott, E. H., McMillen, I. C., Rushen, J. and Thorburn, G. D. 1987. A comparison of the effects of electroimmobilisation and, or, shearing procedures on ovine plamsa concentrations of B-endorphin/ β-lipoprotein and cortisol. Research in Veterinary Science 43: 97–100.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kiley-Worthington, M. 1983. Abnormal behaviour in crated veal calves. International Journal for Studies in Animal Problems 4: 198–213.Google Scholar
Kilgour, R. and De Langen, H. 1970 Stress in sheep resulting from management practices. Proceedings of the New Zealand Society for Animal Production 30: 65–76.Google Scholar
Ladewig, J. 1987. In Biology of Stress in Farm Animals: An Integrative Approach. (ed. Wiepkema, P. R. and Adrichem, P. M. W. Van), pp. 13–26. Martinus Nijhoff, The Hague.Google Scholar
Marsden, D. and Wood-Gush, D. G. M. 1986. A note on the behaviour of individually-penned sheep regarding their use for research purposes. Animal Production 42: 157–159.Google Scholar
Martin, P. and Bateson, P. 1988. In Measuring Behaviour, pp. 48–69. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.Google Scholar
McNatty, K. P., Cashmore, M. and Young, A. 1972. Diurnal variation in plasma cortisol levels in sheep. Journal of Endocrinology 54: 361–362.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pearson, R. A. and Mellor, D. J. 1976. Some behavioural and physiological changes in pregnant goats and sheep during adaptation to laboratory condition. Research in Veterinary Science 20: 215–21.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shutt, D. A., Fell, L. R., Connell, R., Bell, A. K., Wallace, C. A. and Smith, A. I. 1987. Stressinduced changes in plasma concentrations of immunoreactive 6-endorphin and cortisol in response to routine surgical procedures in lambs. Australian Journal of Biological Science 40: 97–103.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shutt, D. A., Smith, A. I., Wallace, C. A., Connell, R. and Fell, L. R. 1988. Effect of mylasis and acute restraint stress on plasma levels of immunoreactive B-endorphin, adrenocortico-trophin and cortisol in sheep. Australian Journal of Biological Science 41: 297–301.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sillence, M. N., Thomas, K. M., Anil, H., Redfern, E. J. and Rodway, R. G. 1987. Adrenal function in lambs treated with androgenic and oestrogenic growth stimulants. Animal Production 44: 241–249.Google Scholar
Thomas, K. M. and Rodway, R. G. 1983. Effects of trenbolone acetate on adrenal function and hepatic enzyme activities in female rats. Journal of Endocrinology 98: 121–127.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wiepkema, P. R. 1987. Behavioural aspects of stress. In Biology of Stress in Farm Animals: An Integrative Approach (ed. Wiepma, P. R. and Adrichem, P. M. W. Van), pp. 113–134. Martinus Nijhoff, The Hague.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wiepkema, P. R., Cronin, G. M. and Van Ree, J. M. 1986. Stereotypies and endorphins: functional significance of developing stereotypies in tethered sows. Proceedings of the International Congress for Applied Ethology in Farm Animals, pp. 93–96.Google Scholar
Winer, B. J. 1971. Multifactor experiments having repeated measures of the same elements. In Statistical Principles in Experimental Design. 2nd ed., pp. 514–599. McGraw Hill, New York.Google Scholar