Veterinary Archives, Vol. 71 No. 3, 2001.
Original scientific paper
Plasma cortisol levels in gilts treated with Parapoxvirus ovis - based immunostimulator in the late phase of gravidity.
Željko Pavičić
; Department of Animal Hygiene, Environment and Ethology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Boris Krsnik
; Department of Animal Hygiene, Environment and Ethology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Dalibor Potočnjak
; Clinic for Internal Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Irena Petak
; Department of Animal Hygiene, Environment and Ethology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
The goal of these investigations was to check if two-time treatment of gilts by Baypamun® before transferring from the pre-farrowing to farrowing unit can activate natural killer cells, stimulate leukocyte production and lymphocyte proliferation, and decrease the rise in plasma cortisol caused by stress. The investigation comprised 30 one year-old Swedish Landrace gilts in the late phase of gravidity, which were divided into three groups. Group 1 formed a control group, from blood which was taken in the the pre-farrowing unit in order to enable comparison of the results of plasma cortisol with results obtained in the other two groups. In group 2, Baypamun in a dose of 2 ml i/m at days 7 and 5 was applied, and in group 3 at days 3 and 1 prior to transferral from the pre-farrowing to farrowing unit. After gilts in groups 2 and 3 had been transferred four days prior to farrowing, blood was taken from them at days 1, 3 and 5 of their stay in the farrowing unit. Plasma cortisol was analyzed by the radioimmunochemical (RIA) method. The obtained results by groups were compared with each other using one-way analysis of variance. According to the obtained results an average level of plasma cortisol of the gilts in groups 2 and 3 throughout the research was higher than in control group 1. A significant statistical difference (P < 0.05) appeared between control group 1 and group 3 at day 1 of the stay of gilts in the farrowing unit. Therefore, an anti-stress effect of Baypamun occurred between days 1 and 3 of the stay in the farrowing unit, i.e. by the day of farrowing, when the level of plasma cortisol again began to rise due to stress caused by partus.
Keywords
gravid gilts; Baypamun; plasma cortisol; stress; farrowing unit
Hrčak ID:
84922
URI
Publication date:
19.6.2001.
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