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Thermoregulatory, metabolic and stress responses to spring shearing of aged ewes born to undernourished mothers. J Therm Biol 2023; 113:103503. [PMID: 37055122 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2023.103503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
Maternal undernutrition during gestation affects the behaviour, metabolism, and sensitivity to stressors of the offspring. Shearing is a stressor that triggers physiological and behavioural changes and augments the thermoregulatory demands in sheep. The aim of this study was to compare the thermoregulatory, metabolic, and behavioural responses to spring shearing of aged ewes born to mothers who grazed different pasture allowances during gestation. Nineteen non-gestating six-year-old Corriedale ewes born to mothers who grazed two pasture allowances from 23 days before conception until 122 days of gestation were used. The pasture allowance offered to the mothers was high [HPA group; n = 11; 10-12 kg of dry matter (DM)/100 kg of body weight (BW)/day] or low [LPA group: n = 8; 5-8 kg of DM/100 kg of BW/day]. The adult offspring of both experimental groups were sheared during spring (Day 0), and remained outdoors, grazing natural grassland, and the behaviour, the surface temperature and the rectal temperature were recorded. Blood concentrations of albumin, total protein, glucose, and insulin were also determined. Data were compared with a mixed model. The LPA ewes had lower ear and nose maximum and minimum surface temperatures before shearing (P < 0.05). On Day 15, the average surface temperature of the vulva was lower in LPA than in HPA ewes (P < 0.05). After shearing, rumination frequency was greater in HPA than in LPA ewes (P = 0.01), and LPA ewes were observed more time standing up than HPA ewes (P < 0.0001). Insulin concentration tended to be greater in LPA than HPA ewes (P = 0.06). Maternal undernutrition during gestation modified the thermoregulatory responses and the acute behavioural changes after shearing in aged female offspring, whilst the metabolism was affected to a lesser degree. The long-term effects noticed in this study highlight the importance of providing proper nutrition to pregnant ewes.
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Gao J, Yang D, Sun Z, Niu J, Bao Y, Liu S, Tan Z, Hao L, Cheng Y, Liu S. Changes in Blood Metabolic Profiles Reveal the Dietary Deficiencies of Specific Nutrients and Physiological Status of Grazing Yaks during the Cold Season in Qinghai Province of China. Metabolites 2022; 12:metabo12080738. [PMID: 36005610 PMCID: PMC9413257 DOI: 10.3390/metabo12080738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the changes in the blood metabolic profiles of grazing yaks during the cold season to reveal their physiological status and seek the nutrients needed to be supplemented. Six castrated yaks (3 years old) with 166.8 kg (standard deviation = 5.3) of liveweight grazed in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau were used as experimental animals without supplementary feeding. Blood samples of each animal were collected in October and December 2015, and March 2016 for the analysis of serum biochemicals and metabolome. Results showed serum indices involved in protein metabolism in grazing yaks showed greater differences during the cold season than the metabolisms of energy or minerals. Cold stress in December had minor effects on the serum metabolic profiles of yaks compared with those in October. Yaks in October and December shared seven differential serum metabolites and enrichments of the “arachidonic acid metabolism” and “glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism” pathways compared with those in March caused by the shortage of feeds. Summarily, the nutrient deficiency would be influential on the physiological status of grazing yaks during the cold season, especially on the protein metabolism, which could be improved by supplementary feeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Gao
- Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Microbiology, National Center for International Research on Animal Gut Nutrition, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Deyu Yang
- Key Laboratory of Plateau Grazing Animal Nutrition and Feed Science of Qinghai Province, Qinghai Plateau Yak Research Center, Qinghai Academy of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine of Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China
| | - Zhanying Sun
- Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Microbiology, National Center for International Research on Animal Gut Nutrition, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Jianzhang Niu
- Key Laboratory of Plateau Grazing Animal Nutrition and Feed Science of Qinghai Province, Qinghai Plateau Yak Research Center, Qinghai Academy of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine of Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China
| | - Yuhong Bao
- Institute of Grassland Science, Tibet Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Lhasa 850000, China
| | - Suozhu Liu
- College of Animal Science, Tibet Agricultural and Animal Husbandry University, Nyingchi 860000, China
| | - Zhankun Tan
- College of Animal Science, Tibet Agricultural and Animal Husbandry University, Nyingchi 860000, China
| | - Lizhuang Hao
- Key Laboratory of Plateau Grazing Animal Nutrition and Feed Science of Qinghai Province, Qinghai Plateau Yak Research Center, Qinghai Academy of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine of Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China
- Correspondence: (L.H.); (Y.C.)
| | - Yanfen Cheng
- Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Microbiology, National Center for International Research on Animal Gut Nutrition, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
- Correspondence: (L.H.); (Y.C.)
| | - Shujie Liu
- Key Laboratory of Plateau Grazing Animal Nutrition and Feed Science of Qinghai Province, Qinghai Plateau Yak Research Center, Qinghai Academy of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine of Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China
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Filho WPDC, Souto PC, Orozco AMO, Argumedo AK, Girardi FM, Bento LD, da Fonseca LA. Influence of short and medium distance road transport on the acute phase proteins in horses. J Equine Vet Sci 2022; 117:104061. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jevs.2022.104061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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De K, Sharma S, Kumawat PK, Kumar D, Mohapatra A, Sahoo A. Tree shade improves the comfort of sheep during extreme summer. J Vet Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jveb.2020.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Koidou M, Mountousis I, Dotas V, Zagorakis K, Yiakoulaki M. Temporal variations of herbage production and nutritive value of three grasslands at different elevation zones regarding grazing needs and welfare of ruminants. Arch Anim Breed 2019; 62:215-226. [PMID: 31807632 PMCID: PMC6853133 DOI: 10.5194/aab-62-215-2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2018] [Accepted: 04/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Interannual and monthly variations of herbage production and nutritive value
regarding grazing ruminants' needs and welfare were evaluated in three
grasslands (semi-mountainous, mountainous and sub-alpine) located at
different altitudes (480–900, 901–1500 and 1501–2334 m,
respectively) in northern Greece during 2015–2016. Herbage biomass was
collected from 30 experimental cages (10 per grassland), weighed, dried at
65 ∘C, milled and analyzed for crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid
detergent fiber (ADF), lignin, calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) content
and in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD). The sub-alpine grassland was the most
productive (1031 and 1231 kg DM ha-1) with the
highest mean annual herbage CP content (93 and 87 g kg-1
dry matter; DM) for 2015 and 2016, respectively. CP content was sufficient to meet small
ruminants' and beef cattle maintenance requirements until April and May in
the semi-mountainous and mountainous grasslands, respectively, while it
could cover the above requirements in the sub-alpine grassland until June and
August, respectively. The herbage Ca concentration was higher than the
grazing ruminants' needs, while the phosphorus concentration was
insufficient. Protein and phosphorus supplementation should be provided to
animals to cover their maintenance requirements during the whole period and
to reach high levels of welfare. Even though grazing is considered as a
welfare-friendly procedure, it is uncertain whether all the welfare
principals are satisfied in extensive production systems due to variations
of forage availability and nutritive value as well as the lack of
infrastructure in grasslands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Koidou
- Department of Animal Production, School of Agriculture, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Environment, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Ioannis Mountousis
- Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Technological Educational Institute of Western Macedonia, Terma Kontopoulou 53100 Florina, Greece
| | - Vassilios Dotas
- Hellenic Agricultural Organization "Demeter", Research Institute of Animal Science, 58100 Giannitsa, Greece
| | - Konstantinos Zagorakis
- Department of Animal Production, School of Agriculture, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Environment, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Maria Yiakoulaki
- Department of Range and Wildlife Science, School of Forestry and Natural Environment, Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Environment, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
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Zhao H, Zhang S, Wu X, Pan C, Li X, Lei C, Chen H, Lan X. DNA methylation pattern of the goat PITX1 gene and its effects on milk performance. Arch Anim Breed 2019; 62:59-68. [PMID: 31807614 PMCID: PMC6852879 DOI: 10.5194/aab-62-59-2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2018] [Accepted: 01/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Paired-like homeodomain transcription factor 1 (PITX1) is a pivotal
gene in the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis, which is a well-known
pathway affecting lactation performance. The aim of this study was to analyze
the DNA methylation profile of the PITX1 gene and its relevance to
milk performance in Xinong Saanen dairy goats; thus, potential epigenetic
markers of lactation performance were identified. A total of 267 goat blood
samples were divided into “low” and “high” groups according to two milk
traits: the average milk yield (AMY) and the average milk density (AMD). One
CpG island in the 3′-flanking region of the PITX1 gene was
identified as being related to milk performance. Fisher's exact test
demonstrated that the methylation rates of the overall CpG island and the 3rd
and 12th CpG-dinucleotide loci in the blood were significantly associated
with the AMY, and the overall methylation rate of the high AMY group was
relative hypomethylation compared with the low AMY group. The overall
methylation rates of this CpG island in mammary gland tissue from dry and
lactation periods again exhibited a significant difference: the lactation
period showed relative hypomethylation compared with the dry period.
Bioinformatic transcription factor binding site prediction identified some
lactation performance related transcription factors in this CpG island, such
as CTCF, STAT, SMAD, CDEF, SP1, and KLFS. Briefly, overall methylation
changes of the CpG island in the PITX1 gene are relevant to
lactation performance, which will be valuable for future studies and
epigenetic marker-assisted selection (eMAS) in the breeding of goats with
respect to lactation performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiyu Zhao
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Sihuan Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Xianfeng Wu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Chuanying Pan
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Xiangchen Li
- Institute of Beijing Animal Science and Veterinary, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing 100194, China
| | - Chuzhao Lei
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Hong Chen
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Xianyong Lan
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
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Fazio F, Arfuso F, Rizzo M, Giannetto C, Giudice E, Zanghì E, Piccione G. Livestock handling and road transport influence some oxidative stress parameters in ewes. J Vet Behav 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jveb.2018.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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