Stress-related hormones in horses before and after stunning by captive bolt gun.
In this work the slaughter-linked plasma modifications of some stress-related hormones in horses subject to standardized butchering procedures were investigated in order to highlight the compromised animal welfare during pre-slaughter handling. During pre-slaughter, animals show strong hardship behavioural patterns, probably due to being under life-threatening conditions. Blood samples from 12 male horses, ageing from 3 to 5 years, were collected before slaughtering in lairage, and during exsanguination after stunning. Catecholamines, cortisol and beta-endorphin concentrations were assessed in plasma samples by EIA. Results show that plasma beta-endorphin concentration did not increase significantly after stunning, while cortisol (P<0.05) and catecholamines (P<0.001) increased significantly. The ratio between the plasma level of norepinephrine and epinephrine decreased significantly (P<0.001) during the time considered for observation underlining a greater involvement of adrenal medulla in the stress response. Moreover these results suggest that, under stress, the release of beta-endorphin could be different from that of ACTH.
Micera
Elisabetta
E
Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Italy. dudevan@libero.it
Albrizio
Maria
M
Surdo
Nicoletta C
NC
Moramarco
Angela M
AM
Zarrilli
Antonia
A
D000003:Abattoirs; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D000827:Animal Welfare; D000818:Animals; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000097:blood; D006736:Horses / Q000097:blood*; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000502:physiology*; D001615:beta-Endorphin / Q000097:blood
D002395:Catecholamines; D001615:beta-Endorphin; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D006854:Hydrocortisone