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López-Arjona M, Ko HL, Llonch P, Temple D, Cerón JJ, Hales J, Manteca X. Salivary oxytocin changes and effect of the season in sows kept in different farrowing systems: Farrowing crate and farrowing pen with temporary crating. Res Vet Sci 2024; 176:105347. [PMID: 38972294 DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2024.105347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2024] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/30/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024]
Abstract
Alternative farrowing systems that have been developed in recent years could have a positive effect on the welfare of sows during farrowing and lactation. Oxytocin measurements in saliva may provide information about positive animal welfare status. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the changes in salivary oxytocin concentrations in sows during the lactation period in three different farrowing systems and in two different seasons. Crossbred Duroc sows (n = 34, average parity = 3.6 ± 1.80) were housed in conventional farrowing crates (FC) (n = 10) or in farrowing pens with temporary crating (TC), including SWAP (n = 12) and JFL15 (n = 12) in two different seasons: summer and winter. Saliva samples were collected for six days during lactation: days 2, 4, 12, 23, 25 (i.e., 1-day post-weaning) and 26 (i.e., 2-day post-weaning) after farrowing. Moreover, behavioral data from sows was recorded on days 2, 4, 12 and 23 after farrowing, using a 30-s scan sampling method for 3 min per pen to record the behaviors which were assessed by the same observer. The results showed that the salivary oxytocin concentrations were 472.5 pg/mL and 399.4 pg/mL higher in both TC (SWAP and JLF15, respectively) than in the FC in early-lactation period, and these differences were more pronounced in summer and at the end of lactation in winter. In terms of behavior, higher number of mother-young interactions were observed in TC than FC in early- and mid-lactation period. In conclusion, TC is associated to a higher salivary oxytocin concentration that could indicated an increased mother-young interaction, although oxytocin concentration can be influenced by other factors, such as season or day of lactation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina López-Arjona
- Department of Animal and Food Science, School of Veterinary Science, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Heng-Lun Ko
- Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Clinical Analysis, Interlab-UMU, Regional Campus of International Excellence Campus Mare Nostrum, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain
| | - Pol Llonch
- Department of Animal and Food Science, School of Veterinary Science, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Déborah Temple
- AWEC Advisors S.L., Parc de Recerca de la UAB, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
| | - J J Cerón
- Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Clinical Analysis, Interlab-UMU, Regional Campus of International Excellence Campus Mare Nostrum, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain
| | - Janni Hales
- SEGES Innovation, Agro Food Park 15, 8200 Aarhus N, Denmark
| | - Xavier Manteca
- Department of Animal and Food Science, School of Veterinary Science, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
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Mota-Rojas D, Napolitano F, Chay-Canul A, Ghezzi M, Braghieri A, Domínguez-Oliva A, Bragaglio A, Álvarez-Macías A, Olmos-Hernández A, De Rosa G, García-Herrera R, Lendez P, Pacelli C, Bertoni A, Barile VL. Anatomy and Physiology of Water Buffalo Mammary Glands: An Anatomofunctional Comparison with Dairy Cattle. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:1066. [PMID: 38612305 PMCID: PMC11011071 DOI: 10.3390/ani14071066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The present review aims to analyze the anatomical and physiological characteristics of the mammary gland and udders of water buffalo by making an anatomofunctional comparison with dairy cattle. It will also discuss the knowledge generated around the physiological regulation of milk ejection in the water buffalo. It was found that buffalo's average udder depth and width is approximately 20 cm smaller than Bos cattle. One of the main differences with dairy cattle is a longer teat canal length (around 8.25-11.56 cm), which highly influences buffalo milking. In this sense, a narrower teat canal (2.71 ± 0.10 cm) and thicker sphincter muscle are associated with needing higher vacuum levels when using machine milking in buffalo. Moreover, the predominant alveolar fraction of water buffalo storing 90-95% of the entire milk production is another element that can be related to the lower milk yields in buffalo (when compared to Bos cattle) and the requirements for prolonged prestimulation in this species. Considering the anatomical characteristics of water buffalo's udder could help improve bubaline dairy systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Mota-Rojas
- Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), Mexico City 04960, Mexico
| | - Fabio Napolitano
- Scuola di Scienze Agrarie, Forestali, Alimentari ed Ambientali, Università degli Studi della Basilicata, 85100 Potenza, Italy
| | - Alfonso Chay-Canul
- División Académica de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, Villahermosa 86040, Mexico
| | - Marcelo Ghezzi
- Anatomy Area, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences (FCV), Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires (UNCPBA), University Campus, Tandil 7000, Argentina
| | - Ada Braghieri
- Scuola di Scienze Agrarie, Forestali, Alimentari ed Ambientali, Università degli Studi della Basilicata, 85100 Potenza, Italy
| | - Adriana Domínguez-Oliva
- Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), Mexico City 04960, Mexico
| | - Andrea Bragaglio
- Research Centre for Engineering and Food Processing, Council for Agricultural Research and Agricultural Economy Analysis (CREA), Via Milano 43, 24047 Treviglio, Italy
| | - Adolfo Álvarez-Macías
- Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), Mexico City 04960, Mexico
| | - Adriana Olmos-Hernández
- Division of Biotechnology—Bioterio and Experimental Surgery, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación-Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra (INR-LGII), Mexico City 14389, Mexico
| | - Giuseppe De Rosa
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80055 Portici, Italy
| | - Ricardo García-Herrera
- División Académica de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, Villahermosa 86040, Mexico
| | - Pamela Lendez
- Faculty of Veterinary Sciences (FCV), Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, CIVETAN, UNCPBA-CICPBA-CONICET (UNCPBA), University Campus, Tandil 7000, Argentina
| | - Corrado Pacelli
- Scuola di Scienze Agrarie, Forestali, Alimentari ed Ambientali, Università degli Studi della Basilicata, 85100 Potenza, Italy
| | - Aldo Bertoni
- Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), Mexico City 04960, Mexico
| | - Vittoria Lucia Barile
- Research Centre for Animal Production and Aquaculture, Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi dell’Economia Agraria (CREA), Via Salaria 31, 00015 Monterotondo, Italy
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Moscovice LR, Sobczak B, Niittynen T, Koski SE, Gimsa U. Changes in salivary oxytocin in response to biologically-relevant events in farm animals: method optimization and usefulness as a biomarker. Front Physiol 2024; 15:1370557. [PMID: 38567114 PMCID: PMC10985263 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2024.1370557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Although best known for its established role in mediating parturition and lactation, the highly-conserved neuropeptide hormone oxytocin also mediates a range of social and stress-buffering processes across mammalian species. Measurements of peripheral oxytocin in plasma have long been considered the gold standard, but there is increasing interest in developing methods to detect oxytocin non-invasively in saliva. Here we present an analytical and biological validation of a novel method to measure salivary oxytocin (sOXT) in an under-studied research group: farm animals. Given their similarities with humans in physiology and brain, methods that can identify valued social contexts and social relationships for farm animals and investigate their function have implications for clinical research as well as for animal welfare science. However, current methods to measure sOXT vary greatly in terms of sample collection, pre-measurement processing and measurement and more rigorous standardization and validation of methods is critical to determine the utility of sOXT as a biomarker of salient social events and related emotions. We optimized a method for extracting sOXT in pigs and horses and measured sOXT in extracted samples using a commercially available enzyme-immunoassay. Extracted samples were within acceptable ranges for precision (CVs < 15.2%), parallelism and recovery (94%-99%) in both species. Salivary oxytocin increased in samples collected during birth in pigs (Friedmans, p = 0.02) and horses (Wilcoxon, p = 0.02). Salivary oxytocin tended to decrease in sows after a 90-min separation from their piglets (Wilcoxon, p = 0.08). We conclude that sOXT can be reliably linked to physiological events that are mediated by the oxytocinergic system in farm animals, but that more research is needed to determine whether sOXT is a reliable trait marker for more general oxytocin system activation in response to salient social events. Future research should characterize how individual attributes and salivary parameters influence sOXT measurement and should emphasize reporting of analytical and biological validations to increase acceptance of non-invasive methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liza R. Moscovice
- Psychophysiology Working Group, Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology, Dummerstorf, Germany
| | - Birgit Sobczak
- Psychophysiology Working Group, Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology, Dummerstorf, Germany
| | - Taru Niittynen
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sonja E. Koski
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ulrike Gimsa
- Psychophysiology Working Group, Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology, Dummerstorf, Germany
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Alkhfaji H, Kahloul M, Askar TRM, Alhamaidah MF, Ali Hussein H. Impact of Melatonin as a Premedication Agent in Caesarean Section on Blood Loss and Postoperative Pain Level. Anesthesiol Res Pract 2023; 2023:8102111. [PMID: 38116042 PMCID: PMC10730253 DOI: 10.1155/2023/8102111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is a serious postdelivery condition with a high incidence of morbidity and mortality for women who undergo childbirth with or without a caesarean section. Melatonin has been suggested to increase the contractility of myometrium and reduce the pain score postoperatively, therefore it is believed that the use of melatonin before surgery may decrease blood loss, reduce pain score, and decrease the need for postoperative opioids. Objectives The main objectives of this study are focused on the investigation of melatonin as a premedication agent to reduce blood loss and decrease pain score postoperatively in patients undergoing cesarean section under spinal anesthesia. Methods 80 patients were scheduled for spinal anesthesia-based cesarean sections and randomly assigned to two groups, melatonin group (M) 40 patients and placebo group (P) 40 patients to receive either 10 mg of sublingual melatonin or a placebo of 90 minutes preoperatively. Hemoglobin levels were been measured preoperative and 12 hrs. Postoperatively, blood loss volume was calculated by measuring both the weight of used materials before and after the surgery and the volume sucked in the suction bottle after placental delivery. Postoperative visual pain score and analgesic requirements were used to evaluate pain levels. Results Analyzed collected data showed a significant decrease in blood loss in the melatonin group in comparison with the placebo group as measured by the hemoglobin level. On the other hand, there is a significant decrease in pain score and analgesia requirement with the melatonin group compared to the placebo group. Conclusion Melatonin is a promising premedication drug that has a significant impact on postpartum hemorrhage by reducing blood loss and pain levels of mothers who have undergone C-sections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hussein Alkhfaji
- Department of Anesthesia, College of Health and Medical Technology, Al-Ayen University, Nasiriyah, Iraq
- Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, Faculty of Medicine Ibn El Jazzar, University of Sousse, Sousse, Tunisia
| | - Mohamed Kahloul
- Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, Sahloul Teaching Hospital, University of Sousse, Faculty of Medicine of Sousse, Sousse, Tunisia
| | | | - Majid Fakhir Alhamaidah
- Department of Anesthesia, College of Health and Medical Technology, Al-Ayen University, Nasiriyah, Iraq
| | - Hussein Ali Hussein
- Department of Anesthesia, College of Health and Medical Technology, Al-Ayen University, Nasiriyah, Iraq
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