Indicator Of Acute Stress Research Articles

Effectiveness of F3 feline facial pheromone analogue for acute stress reduction within clinical veterinary practice

PICO Question In cats within a clinical veterinary context, does the application of the F3 feline facial pheromone (Feliway™), when compared to placebo, reduce signs of acute stress? Clinical bottom line Category of research Treatment. Number and type of study designs reviewed Five papers were critically reviewed. There were three prospective, double-blinded, randomised controlled trials, one prospective, single-blinded, randomised controlled trial and one prospective, single-blinded, non-randomised controlled trial. Strength of evidence Moderate. Outcomes reported Four studies found improvement in select indicators of acute stress following F3 feline facial pheromone analogue (FFPA) exposure. One study showed FFPA reduced patient stress during routine physical examination, and improved caregiver impression of patient relaxation and ease of handling. One study revealed FFPA decreased vocalisations but had no effect upon systolic blood pressure during physical examination. One study determined that FFPA calmed but did not reduce struggling during venous catheterisation. One study demonstrated reduced time to sedation and propofol induction dose for routine surgical procedures when a transport protocol incorporating FFPA was applied. Finally, one study found no significant effect of FFPA upon behavioural and physiologic measures of acute stress during physical examination. No studies reported outward negative effects associated with FFPA exposure. Conclusion It can be concluded that FFPA may reduce signs of acute stress within a clinical veterinary context. Additionally, exposure to FFPA is unlikely to cause patient harm. To optimise patient welfare, FFPA is not recommended as a sole agent for stress mitigation and should instead be incorporated holistically with patient friendly handling, clinic design, and pharmacotherapy where indicated. How to apply this evidence in practice The application of evidence into practice should take into account multiple factors, not limited to: individual clinical expertise, patient’s circumstances and owners’ values, country, location or clinic where you work, the individual case in front of you, the availability of therapies and resources. Knowledge Summaries are a resource to help reinforce or inform decision making. They do not override the responsibility or judgement of the practitioner to do what is best for the animal in their care.

Brain fog in neuropathic postural tachycardia syndrome may be associated with autonomic hyperarousal and improves after water drinking.

BackgroundBrain fog is a common and highly disturbing symptom for patients with neuropathic postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS). Cognitive deficits have been measured exclusively in the upright body position and mainly comprised impairments of higher cognitive functions. The cause of brain fog is still unclear today. This study aimed to investigate whether increased autonomic activation might be an underlying mechanism for the occurrence of brain fog in neuropathic POTS. We therefore investigated cognitive function in patients with neuropathic POTS and a healthy control group depending on body position and in relation to catecholamine release as a sensitive indicator of acute stress. The second aim was to test the effect of water intake on cardiovascular regulation, orthostatic symptoms, cognitive function and catecholamine release.MethodsThirteen patients with neuropathic POTS and 15 healthy control subjects were included. All participants completed a total of four rounds of cognitive testing: two before and two after the intake of 500 ml still water, each first in the supine position and then during head-up tilt. At the end of each cognitive test, a blood sample was collected for determination of plasma catecholamines. After each head-up tilt phase participants were asked to rate their current symptoms on a visual analogue scale.ResultsWorking memory performance in the upright body position was impaired in patients, which was associated with self-reported symptom severity. Patients had elevated plasma norepinephrine independent of body position and water intake that increased excessively in the upright body position. The excessive increase of plasma norepinephrine was related to heart rate and symptom severity. Water intake in patients decreased norepinephrine concentrations and heart rate, and improved symptoms as well as cognitive performance.ConclusionBrain fog and symptom severity in neuropathic POTS are paralleled by an excessive norepinephrine secretion. Bolus water drinking down-regulates norepinephrine secretion and improves general symptom severity including brain fog.

Evaluation of Dental Anxiety in Children by Estimating the Salivary Cortisol Levels before and after Dental Procedures

Aim: Dental procedures in general range from simple examination to complex stressful procedures like extractions. This can cause varied levels of anxiety in children based on the severity and duration of the procedure. This study was designed with the aim to assess changes in salivary cortisol levels due to the various dental procedures carried out in children.
 Materials and Methods: The sample consisted of a total of 30 children of the 5-9 age group whose parents consented to examination and further treatment. Children who had been given a Frankl score of positive (+) or definitely positive (++) upon initial examination were only included in the study. Children with negative (-) and definitely negative (--) Frankl scores, any history of systemic diseases, on corticosteroid therapy, having fever, or medically compromised were excluded from the study. Unstimulated saliva was collected before and after the procedure and was analysed using ELISA. The data collected was statistically analysed and assessed for significance.
 Results: Out of the 30 children 17 were boys and 13 were girls and the difference was statistically insignificant. There was no significant difference in age between the genders (P = 0.12). Paired t - test was done to analyse the intra group data and ANOVA test was done to compare between the groups. Compared to the three procedures restorative was least stressful whereas extractions were most stressful and this result was statistically significant. 
 Conclusions: Within the limitations of this study, we can conclude that salivary cortisol is a good indicator of acute stress. Extraction procedures seem to be the most stressful of all the procedures.

Muscular tension as an indicator of acute stress in horses.

Horses’ muscular tension during acute stress remains unexplored. Our aim was to assess muscular, behavioral, cortisol, and hematocrit responses to social isolation (ISO), novel object exposure (NOV), and sham clipping (CLIP). Altered stress responses were expected. Eight mature Standardbred horses (four mares and four geldings) were exposed to acute stressors and a control period (CON) in a balanced, replicated 4×4 Latin Square experimental design with 3 min treatment periods and 10 min washout periods. Surface electromyography collected from the masseter, brachiocephalas, cervical trapezius, and longissimus dorsi was processed to derive average rectified value (ARV) and median frequency (MF) during the initial, middle, and final 30 s of treatments. ARV and MF data were log transformed then analyzed using a mixed model, repeated measures ANOVA along with plasma cortisol and hematocrit. Behavior data were analyzed using a negative binomial distribution mixed model ANOVA. CLIP resulted in greater (p < 0.05) log ARV in the masseter (1.5 + 1.5%, mean + SD) and brachiocepahlas (2.2 + 2.0%) than CON (−1.2 + 1.4%, 0.1 + 1.5%). ISO resulted in greater (p < 0.05) log ARV in the masseter (0.2 + 1.3%) and cervical trapezius (0.6 + 1.3%) than CON (−1.2 + 1.4%, −1.0 + 1.7%). ISO increased (p < 0.05) the total number of stress‐related behaviors and hematocrit. No changes in cortisol were observed. We suggest that muscular tension can be used as an indicator of acute stress in horses. Incorporating muscle activity into an array of measurements may provide a more nuanced understanding of stress responses.

The feasibility of using gas mixture to stun seabream (Sparus aurata) before slaughtering in aquaculture production

Current European Union regulation explicitly states that farmed fish should be spared any avoidable pain, distress or suffering at the time of slaughter. It has been shown that fish suffer when they are killed in an ice slurry, the most common method of killing farmed fish in the Mediterranean. Thus, it is necessary to find a method of slaughtering Mediterranean fish that is, (1) efficient in inducing unconsciousness with minimal pain and distress, (2) practical to be applied to a large group of animals at the same time, and (3) feasible to be used at sea. The present study assesses the welfare of Gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) stunned by two different gas mixtures authorised for stunning other farmed species.To achieve this objective, commercial sized seabream were stunned and/or sacrificed under different protocols: a) killed directly in ice slurry, b) exposed to a mixture of 30% CO2 + 70% N2, and then moved to ice slurry and c) exposed to a mixture of 40% CO2 + 30% N2 + 30% O2 and then moved to ice slurry. Electroencephalograms (EEG) were recorded to evaluate the state of consciousness of seabream during stunning, while blood and brains were sampled to obtain acute stress indicators and relative gene expression, respectively. Additionally, dead fish were kept for in situ meat quality evaluation.When exposed to the gas mixtures, fish lost balance at 1 min 23 s ± 31 s with CO2 + N2 and 1 min 12 s ± 32 s, with CO2 + N2 + O2, respectively. Cortisol, lactate and glucose levels were significantly lower in all fish exposed to gas prior to ice slurry than in fish slaughtered directly in ice slurry (p < 0.05). Electroencephalogram records indicated that fish started to lose consciousness when they lost balance and sank to the bottom of the tank. No differences were found in the meat quality (pH and rigor mortis) among the three treatments.Altogether, the study concludes that the use of carbon dioxide together with nitrogen prior to immersion in ice slurry is more humane than ice slurry alone.

High Throughput Sequencing of MicroRNA in Rainbow Trout Plasma, Mucus, and Surrounding Water Following Acute Stress.

Circulating plasma microRNAs (miRNAs) are well established as biomarkers of several diseases in humans and have recently been used as indicators of environmental exposures in fish. However, the role of plasma miRNAs in regulating acute stress responses in fish is largely unknown. Tissue and plasma miRNAs have recently been associated with excreted miRNAs; however, external miRNAs have never been measured in fish. The objective of this study was to identify the altered plasma miRNAs in response to acute stress in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), as well as altered miRNAs in fish epidermal mucus and the surrounding ambient water. Small RNA was extracted and sequenced from plasma, mucus, and water collected from rainbow trout pre- and 1 h-post a 3-min air stressor. Following small RNA-Seq and pathway analysis, we identified differentially expressed plasma miRNAs that targeted biosynthetic, degradation, and metabolic pathways. We successfully isolated miRNA from trout mucus and the surrounding water and detected differences in miRNA expression 1-h post air stress. The expressed miRNA profiles in mucus and water were different from the altered plasma miRNA profile, which indicated that the plasma miRNA response was not associated with or immediately reflected in external samples, which was further validated through qPCR. This research expands understanding of the role of plasma miRNA in the acute stress response of fish and is the first report of successful isolation and profiling of miRNA from fish mucus or samples of ambient water. Measurements of miRNA from plasma, mucus, or water can be further studied and have potential to be applied as non-lethal indicators of acute stress in fish.

Pekin ducks are motivated to access their nest site and exhibit a stress-induced hyperthermia when unable to do so

The origins of floor-laying in ducks could be low motivation for a nest, or stress related to difficulties with accessing a nest (e.g. competition). Using a behavioural demand test, we investigated if increasing the work required to access their nest impacted ducks’ behaviour and two indicators of stress: egg corticosterone concentration and elevation of core body temperature (stress-induced hyperthermia (SIH)). Twelve laying Pekin ducks previously trained in an operant push-door task were required to use a push-door to access their nest. The door was loaded with increasing weight (0–160% of individual BW, four nights per workload) and eventually blocked to prevent nest access. Before testing, temperature data loggers were implanted in the abdomen. Eggs were collected daily to measure corticosterone concentrations. Behaviour towards the push-door was quantified. Three birds were excluded from the experiment at an early stage. Five of the nine remaining birds pushed all workloads up to 160% BW and attempted to pass the blocked door, with another two birds pushing up to 80 and 140% BW. For those that pushed at all workloads (n = 5) the area under the curve (AUC) of hyperthermia was larger at workloads of 80% (P < 0.001), 120% (P < 0.01), 140% (P < 0.001), 160% (P < 0.001), and when the door was blocked (P < 0.001), compared with 0%. On the first night when the door was blocked, all five birds pushed more at the door, but no attempts were made to push on the following 3 nights, yet the AUC of hyperthermia did not differ between nights 2–4 of the blocked door, compared with the first night that the door was blocked. Increasing workload and inability to access the nest had no effect on corticosterone in egg albumen. It was concluded that laying Pekin ducks were motivated to access a nest. Although it was not possible to differentiate metabolic from psychogenic stress on the first night that nest access was denied, we suggest that the occurrence of hyperthermia on the subsequent nights was due to SIH resulting from frustration at their inability to use their preferred nest. Floor-laying therefore is unlikely due solely to low nest-seeking motivation. Egg corticosterone was not a relevant indicator of acute stress. Strategies to improve nest availability (e.g. decreasing competition) could improve the welfare of commercial ducks.

Effectiveness of Partial Sedation to Reduce Stress in Captured Mule Deer

ABSTRACTInformation garnered from the capture and handling of free‐ranging animals helps advance understanding of wildlife ecology and can aid in decisions on wildlife management. Unfortunately, animals may experience increased levels of stress, injuries, and death resulting from captures (e.g., exertional myopathy, trauma). Partial sedation is a technique proposed to alleviate stress in animals during capture, yet efficacy of partial sedation for reducing stress and promoting survival post‐capture remains unclear. We evaluated the effects of partial sedation on physiological, biochemical, and behavioral indicators of acute stress and probability of survival post‐capture for mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) that were captured via helicopter net‐gunning in the eastern Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, Wyoming, USA. We administered 10–30 mg of midazolam and 15 mg of azaperone intramuscularly (IM) to 32 mule deer in 2016 and 53 mule deer in 2017, and maintained a control group (captured but not sedated) of 38 mule deer in 2016 and 54 mule deer in 2017. To evaluate indicators of acute stress, we measured heart rate, blood‐oxygen saturation, body temperature, respiration rate, and levels of serum cortisol. We recorded number of kicks and vocalizations of deer during handling and evaluated behavior during release. We also measured levels of fecal glucocorticoids as an indicator of baseline stress. Midazolam and azaperone did not reduce physiological, biochemical, or behavioral indicators of acute stress or influence probability of survival post‐capture. Mule deer that were administered midazolam and azaperone, however, were more likely to hesitate, stumble or fall, and walk during release compared with individuals in the control group, which were more likely to trot, stot, or run without stumbling or falling. Our findings suggest that midazolam (10–30 mg IM) and azaperone (15 mg IM) may not yield physiological or demographic benefits for captured mule deer as previously assumed and may pose adverse effects that can complicate safety for captured animals, including drug‐induced lethargy. Although we failed to find efficacy of midazolam and azaperone as a method for reducing stress in captured mule deer, the efficacy of midazolam and azaperone or other combinations of partial sedatives in reducing stress may depend on the dose of tranquilizer, study animal, capture setting, and how stress is defined. © 2020 The Wildlife Society.

Effect of augmented reality simulation on administration of local anaesthesia in paediatric patients.

Augmented reality (AR) is a simulation of a three-dimensional environment created using hardware and software that provides the user with realistic experiences and ability to interact. The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of AR simulator on the perception of learning and acute stress level in students administering local anaesthesia to paediatric patients relative to standard teaching methods. The prospective study included 21 fourth- and fifth-year students enrolled in 5-year dental programme. In addition to conventional training, the students of the study group used the augmented reality simulator in a dental office 2hours weekly in 2weeks. The level of salivary cortisol was measured before and after the anaesthetic procedure as one of the indicators of acute stress. A statistically significant shorter time to perform infiltrative anaesthesia technique for the anterior superior alveolar nerve was observed in students using the AR technique (28.91±9.06seconds in the study group and 39.80±9.29seconds in the control group). The level of cortisol before and after anaesthesia was statistically significant in all subjects (cortisol concentration was 0.53μg/dL before anaesthesia and 2.44μg/dL after the procedure); however, there was no statistically significant difference between the groups. The AR concept may influence better manipulation and control of the syringe in students administering their first anaesthetic injection to paediatric patients, but may not reduce acute stress.

A new approach of stress evaluation in fish using β-d-Glucose measurement in fish holding-water

Abstract In general, the well-being of aquatic ecosystems is a key parameter reflecting ecosystem wealth. To avoid negative influences on fish physiology, the stress state of species must be monitored. β- d -glucose level is one of the key indicators of acute stress in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) juveniles and has been associated with different environmental conditions, including different amounts of chemicals. In the present study, we explore the possibility of assessing the β- d -glucose level in water as a reliable indicator of acute stress in the fish exposed to chemical contaminants. Amperometric biosensor utilizing immobilized into membrane glucose oxidase Aspergillus niger (GOx) for the measurement of low concentration of β- d -glucose in fish holding water was developed and described. Specific layers of the enzymatic membrane allowed to eliminate interfering signals and the biosensor have been fitted for β- d -glucose measurements in fish-holding water. Besides that, the biosensor exhibited several advantageous functional properties, i.e. a wide linear range (0.005–30 mM), high sensitivity (1.07 ± 0.01 µA mM-1cm−2), good selectivity and long-term stability. It was the combination of these biosensor properties that made the simultaneous measurement of β- d -glucose both at low (in water) and high (in fish blood) concentrations and operating in non-pretreated turbid media feasible. Fish were exposed to the primary complex metal (Zn – 0.1, Cu – 0.01, Cd – 0.0015, Ni – 0.034, Pb – 0.014 and Cr – 0.01 mg·L−1, respectively) mixture (MIX) (prepared at maximum-permissible-concentrations for inland waters in European Union (EU)) and MIX5↓ (5-fold reduced (↓) concentration of each metal in the mixture). The obtained results revealed that the blood-glucose level in fish did not change over time significantly, while the level of β- d -glucose released into water by the fish after 3 h exposure to MIX was found to have significantly increased. However, potential stress was observed in the fish exposed to both MIX and MIX5↓ metal mixtures revealing fish sensitivity and proving suitability of the glucose measurement procedure. No significant relationship was found to exist between blood-glucose and water β- d -glucose levels. The results showed that in contrast to blood-glucose measurements, the proposed non-invasive measurement of β- d -glucose in water was beneficial. Thus, this study provides a new approach for the development of a method for stress indication in fish using the measurement of glucose in holding water. Moreover, this glucose measurement procedure can prove to be another valuable tool for stress evaluation method in aquaculture, fish welfare and toxicological research, especially for studying short-term stress responses induced by chemicals.

Pacing behaviour in laboratory macaques is an unreliable indicator of acute stress

Pacing behaviour, the most frequent stereotypic behaviour displayed by laboratory rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) is often used as an indicator of stress. In this study, we investigated how reliable this welfare indicator is at detecting acute stress by testing the reaction of macaques to the stressful event of being exposed to an agonistic interaction between conspecifics housed in the same room but in a different cage. Pacing, agitated locomotion, and stress-related displacement behaviours were quantified before, during and after agonistic interaction exposure, based on video recordings of 13 socially-housed macaques in their home cage. Displacement behaviours increased after agonistic interaction exposure, confirming that the events were experienced as stressful by the focal individuals. The occurrence of pacing did not increase during or after the agonistic interactions. Instead, agitated locomotion increased during the agonistic interactions. These results suggest either, that pacing as an indicator of acute stress is prone to false negative results, increasing in some stressful situations but not others, or that agitated locomotion has been mistaken for pacing in previous studies and that pacing is in fact unrelated to current acute stress. Both interpretations lead to the conclusion that pacing is unreliable as an indicator of acute stress in laboratory rhesus macaques.

The impact of dental anxiety on the salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase levels of children undergoing dental treatment

Background and Aim: The purpose of this study was to assess the salivary cortisol and salivary alpha-amylase levels in children aged between 6 and 9 years immediately prior to dental treatment. Methodology: A total of 183 patients aged between 6 and 9 years who were awaiting dental treatment were administered the Arabic version of the Children's fear survey – dental subscale and accordingly allocated to one of three groups: phobic patients, anxious patients, and control group. Patients' heart rate in the waiting area, salivary cortisol, and salivary amylase were compared among the groups. Results: The results of the study showed that amylase and cortisol levels had a significant association with the level of dental fear. The phobic patients had the highest levels of salivary amylase and salivary cortisol levels with no significant associations observed with either heart rate. Control and anxious patients had significantly lower amylase levels when compared to phobic patients. There was no significant difference between the salivary cortisol levels of anxious and phobic patients. Conclusions: Within the limitations of this study, we can conclude that salivary amylase is a good indicator of acute stress that can differentiate between anxiety and dental fear, while salivary cortisol is a good indicator of the phobia induced by a flight or fight response.

Timing of Coping Instruction Presentation for Real-time Acute Stress Management: Potential Implications for Improved Surgical Performance.

Individual performance on complex healthcare tasks can be influenced by acutely stressful situations. Real-time biofeedback using passive physiological monitoring may help to better understand an individual's progression towards acute stress-induced performance decrement. Providing biofeedback at an appropriate time may provide learners within an indicator that their current performance is susceptible to a decrement, and offer the opportunity to intervene. We explored the presentation timing of coping instructions during an acutely stressful task. In this pilot study, we recorded and analyzed electrocardiography data surrounding coping instruction presentation on various time schedules while participants played a first-person shooter computer game. Around times of significantly elevated heart rate, an indicator of acute stress, presenting a coping instruction tended to result in an increase in heart rate variability (HRV) following its presentation, with a more marked effect in high-stress conditions; not presenting a coping instruction at this time tended to result in a decrease in HRV in high-stress conditions, and no change in low-stress conditions. HRV following instruction presentation tended to increase in both high- and low-stress conditions when the instruction was presented at times of elevated heart rate; there was very little change in HRV when instruction presentation was not bound to physiology. Performance data showed that better performance was associated with greater adherence to coping instructions, compared to when zero instructions were followed. Implications for healthcare are significant, as acute stress is constant and it is necessary for providers to maintain a high level of performance.

Systematic Assessment of Well-Being in Mice for Procedures Using General Anesthesia.

In keeping with the 3R Principle (Replacement, Reduction, Refinement) developed by Russel and Burch, scientific research should use alternatives to animal experimentation whenever possible. When there is no alternative to animal experimentation, the total number of laboratory animals used should be the minimum needed to obtain valuable data. Moreover, appropriate refinement measures should be applied to minimize pain, suffering, and distress accompanying the experimental procedure. The categories used to classify the degree of pain, suffering, and distress are non-recovery, mild, moderate, or severe (EU Directive 2010/63). To determine which categories apply in individual cases, it is crucial to use scientifically sound tools. The well-being-assessment protocol presented here is designed for procedures during which general anesthesia is used. The protocol focuses on home cage activity, the Mouse Grimace Scale, and luxury behaviors such as burrowing and nest building behavior as indicators of well-being. It also uses the free exploratory paradigm for trait anxiety-related behavior. Fecal corticosterone metabolites as indicators of acute stress are measured over the 24-h post-anesthetic period. The protocol provides scientifically solid information on the well-being of mice following general anesthesia. Due to its simplicity, the protocol can easily be adapted and integrated in a planned study. Although it does not provide a scale to classify distress in categories according to the EU Directive 2010/63, it can help researchers estimate the degree of severity of a procedure using scientifically sound data. It provides a way to improve the assessment of well-being in a scientific, animal-centered manner.

Systematic Assessment of Well-Being in Mice for Procedures Using General Anesthesia

In keeping with the 3R Principle (Replacement, Reduction, Refinement) developed by Russel and Burch, scientific research should use alternatives to animal experimentation whenever possible. When there is no alternative to animal experimentation, the total number of laboratory animals used should be the minimum needed to obtain valuable data. Moreover, appropriate refinement measures should be applied to minimize pain, suffering, and distress accompanying the experimental procedure. The categories used to classify the degree of pain, suffering, and distress are non-recovery, mild, moderate, or severe (EU Directive 2010/63). To determine which categories apply in individual cases, it is crucial to use scientifically sound tools. The well-being-assessment protocol presented here is designed for procedures during which general anesthesia is used. The protocol focuses on home cage activity, the Mouse Grimace Scale, and luxury behaviors such as burrowing and nest building behavior as indicators of well-being. It also uses the free exploratory paradigm for trait anxiety-related behavior. Fecal corticosterone metabolites as indicators of acute stress are measured over the 24-h post-anesthetic period. The protocol provides scientifically solid information on the well-being of mice following general anesthesia. Due to its simplicity, the protocol can easily be adapted and integrated in a planned study. Although it does not provide a scale to classify distress in categories according to the EU Directive 2010/63, it can help researchers estimate the degree of severity of a procedure using scientifically sound data. It provides a way to improve the assessment of well-being in a scientific, animal-centered manner.

Evaluation of visible eye white and maximum eye temperature as non-invasive indicators of stress in dairy cows

The aim of this study was to investigate if visible eye white and eye temperature measurements are feasible non-invasive physiological indicators of acute stress in cows when they are exposed to cattle crush treatment for claw trimming.In the experimental setting, 30 cows of two breeds (Red Holstein and Brown Swiss) were exposed to a non-stressful (feeding) and a stressful situation (claw trimming in a cattle crush) for 10min each. We took pictures of the eyes at 0, 5 and 10min after starting of exposure to measure the percentage of visible eye white (from photographs) and the maximum eye temperature (from thermographs). Heart rate and heart rate variability parameters were recorded continuously throughout both situations. Twenty minutes after the beginning of each situation, saliva samples were taken to determine the cortisol concentration.As expected, sympathetic activity and cortisol concentration were higher in the claw trimming than in the feeding situation. However, neither maximum eye temperature nor percentage of visible eye white differed between treatments. Instead, the results of these measurements differed between the breeds. The maximum eye temperature increased during and after both situations in Brown Swiss cows, whereas in Red Holstein cows, it increased after (but not during) both situations. Furthermore, we found that Red Holstein cows had a lower percentage of visible eye white than Brown Swiss in general. This finding might be due to differences in eye coloration patterns, with Red Holstein cows having more contrast between eye white and iris and Brown Swiss having less contrast because of their darker eye white. This breed effect might have masked potential treatment effects.

Long-term effects of good handling practices during the pre-weaning period of crossbred dairy heifer calves.

The aim of this study was to determine whether applying good practices of handling during the pre-weaning period have long-term effects on behavioral and physiological indicators, health status, and average daily gain (ADG) of crossbred Bos taurus × Bos indicus heifer calves. During the pre-weaning period, 98 crossbred of Holstein × Gir heifer calves were allotted into three treatments: (1) good practices of handling + brushing (GPB; n = 25), (2) good practices of handling (GP; n = 25), and (3) control (n = 48). Every 2months, four evaluation periods (EV1 to EV4) were conducted to record data. Behavioral indicators comprised time to drive (TD), flight speed (FS), flight distance (FD), and composite reactivity score (CRS). Physiological indicators of acute stress during handling comprised respiratory and heart rates. Health status comprised data regarding occurrence of most common diseases (i.e., pneumonia and anaplasmosis). Collected data were analyzed by using a linear mixed model for repeated measures, Tukey's test, and chi-squared procedures. Treatment influenced (P < 0.05) TD, FS, and FD but not CRS (P = 0.78). From EV1 to EV3, the control calves had the lowest TD. The GPB group had lower FS than the control but did not differ from GP. The GPB group had lower FD means than the other two groups in EV2, EV3, and EV4. No differences (P > 0.05) due to treatment were observed on heart and respiratory rates, ADG, or occurrence of pneumonia and anaplasmosis. It was concluded that adoption of good practices of handling during pre-weaning period may lead to long-term positive effects.

Fish growth, physiological stress, and tissue condition in response to rate of temperature change during cool or warm diel thermal cycles

The effect of the rate of temperature change on fish was studied by exposing a variety of North American fish species to diel temperature cycles containing rates of change of 0.8, 1.1, 2.2, or 4.4 °C·h−1. During a simulated cool season (3.9–11.7 °C), bluntnose minnow (Pimephales notatus), spotfin shiner (Cyprinella spiloptera), and white sucker (Catostomus commersonii), but not smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu), gained mass in response to 0.8, 1.1, or 2.2 °C·h−1but not constant mean temperature. White sucker did not grow under 4.4 °C·h−1, which was slower than expected based upon bioenergetics models. Physiological indicators of acute stress (day 1 cortisol), chronic stress (day 44 cortisol and triglycerides), and histomorphological measures suggested no effect of treatment. During a simulated warm season (20.0–27.8 °C), growth by channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), rosyside dace (Clinostomus funduloides), smallmouth bass, and spotfin shiner was not altered by any rate of temperature change; however, walleye (Sander vitreus) and white sucker grew slower than expected under 4.4 °C·h−1. Physiological indicators of acute stress (day 1 cortisol), chronic stress (day 29 cortisol and triglycerides), and histomorphological measures suggested no effect of treatment. Chronic exposure to temperature change of 4.4 °C·h−1may not induce an acute or chronic stress response but may slightly impair growth for some species.

Cortisol and secretory immunoglobulin A response to stress in German shepherd dogs.

The aim of the study was to determine whether cortisol and secretory Immunoglobulin A (sIgA) could be used as an indicator of acute stress in both young and adult dogs. Seventeen German shepherd puppies were exposed to the Puppy test (challenge test) at the age of seven weeks. This test has been routinely used to assess the future working ability of potential police dogs. In addition, ten adult females were subjected to 4 minutes of defense training under stressful conditions. Saliva was collected from the puppies and adult females before testing and 20 minutes after the start of testing, using a cotton swab held for 1–2 minutes in each dog's mouth. Cortisol concentrations increased after the test compared to the control sample both in puppies and the adult females. However adult females showed a significant decrease in sIgA after defense training while puppies showed a tendency of increase in sIgA. We propose that salivary cortisol could be used as an indicator of stress in puppies during early ontogeny. It is not yet clear whether sIgA could be used as a useful indicator of short-term stress in dogs.

Reprint of: Effects of growth hormone transgene expression and triploidy on acute stress indicators in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.)

Abstract Transgenic Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar ) expressing an opAFP-csGH transgene exhibit 3–6-fold growth rate acceleration in the first years of life. Transgenics intended for production likely will be triploids for purposes of reproductive confinement. Growth hormone (GH) transgene expression and triploidy may affect physiological traits with bearing on fitness, animal welfare, and aquaculture production. The goal of our study was to determine the responses of juvenile GH-transgenic and triploid Atlantic salmon to stress. Groups of one-year old conventionally bred (termed wild-type), GH-transgenic, and triploid Atlantic salmon were subjected to no stress (control), one-week of fasting, or low dissolved oxygen (1.5–2.0 ppm) in triplicated tanks. Blood samples were taken from anesthetized fish, and nine markers of primary and secondary stress response were quantified. In addition, these stress-response markers were monitored over a time-course of 0, 1, 3, 6, and 24 h after handling and air exposure stress. For fish subject to no stress, parameters measured did not differ among genotypes, except that blood pH was higher and p O 2 and potassium levels lower in wild-type than in triploid or transgenic salmon. Immediately after one week of fasting, transgenic fish exhibited higher levels of sodium and chloride than other genotypes, suggesting osmoregulatory difficulty. Immediately after anoxic challenge, transgenic fish exhibited higher hematocrit, p CO 2 , glucose and sodium levels than other genotypes. In the time-course study, levels of stress-response indicators tended to peak at higher levels in GH-transgenic than in triploid than in wild-type salmon, and to not return to baseline levels through 24 h. Results of the experiments collectively demonstrated that wild-type fish maintained homeostasis more effectively than transgenic or triploid fish, exhibiting smaller changes in all measured stress-response parameters. Poor stress response may affect aquaculture performance of transgenic or triploid Atlantic salmon and hence the aquaculture practices needed for their production and maintenance of welfare, and also may reduce their fitness in the wild.