title: Pineal-adrenal-immune system relationship under thermal stress: effect on physiological, endocrine, and non-specific immune response in goats.
abstract: The purpose of the investigation was to observe the pineal-adrenal-immune system relationships and their influence on non-specific immune response in female goats under short-term thermal stress. Six female goats had been exposed to 40°C and 60% relative humidity in the psychrometric chamber for 17 days. Blood samples were obtained on days 0 and 10 to establish control and thermal stress effects, respectively. Chemical adrenalectomy was achieved by injecting metyrapone (100 mg/kg body weight) followed by exogenous melatonin treatment (0.1 mg/kg body weight) from 11th to 17th day of experiment. Thermal stress significantly (P≤0.05) altered the physiological responses. Metyrapone and melatonin treatment significantly (P≤0.05) reduced the thermal-stress-induced increase in plasma concentrations of cortisol and corticosterone while significantly (P≤0.05) increased the plasma melatonin on days 11 and 17. Furthermore, these treatments significantly (P<0.05) increased the phagocytic activity of neutrophils as compared to both control and thermal exposure values from 11-17 days of experiment. The data generated from this study help us to understand the functional relationship between pineal, adrenal, and immune system, and how this relationship modifies the non-specific immune response for the well being of goats during thermal stress.
authors: Neurophysiology Laboratory, Division of Physiology and Climatology, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, 243122, India. drsejian@gmail.com
authors: Veerasamy
authors: V
authors: Sejian
authors: Rajendra Swaroop
authors: RS
authors: Srivastava
mesh_terms: D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000473:pathology*; D000818:Animals; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000378:metabolism; D004703:Endocrine System / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006041:Goats; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism; D007107:Immune System / Q000502:physiology*; D008550:Melatonin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D008797:Metyrapone / Q000494:pharmacology; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000378:metabolism; D010587:Phagocytosis; D010870:Pineal Gland / Q000473:pathology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D008550:Melatonin; D003345:Corticosterone; D006854:Hydrocortisone; D008797:Metyrapone