title: Identification of serum stress biomarkers in pigs housed at different stocking densities.
abstract: Eight Duroc×(Landrace×Large White) male pigs housed at a stocking rate of 0.50m(2)/pig were subjected to a higher stocking rate of 0.25m(2)/pig (higher density, HD) for two 4-day periods over 26 days. Using biochemical and proteomic techniques serum and plasma samples were examined to identify potential biomarkers for monitoring stress due to HD housing. HD housed pigs showed significant differences (P<0.001) in total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein-associated cholesterol, as well as in concentrations of the pig-major acute phase protein (Pig-MAP) (P=0.002). No differences were observed in serum cortisol or other acute phase proteins such as haptoglobin, C-reactive protein or apolipoprotein A-I. HD-individuals also showed an imbalance in redox homeostasis, detected as an increase in the level of oxidized proteins measured as the total plasma carbonyl protein content (P<0.001) with a compensatory increase in the activity of the antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase (P=0.012). Comparison of the serum proteome yielded a new potential stress biomarker, identified as actin by mass spectrometry. Cluster analysis of the results indicated that individuals segregated into two groups, with different response patterns, suggesting that the stress response depended on individual susceptibility.
authors.affiliation: Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Veterinària, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marco-Ramell
authors.affiliation: Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Veterinària, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pato
authors.affiliation: Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Veterinària, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Peña
authors.affiliation: Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Veterinària, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Saco
authors.affiliation: Departament de Ciència Animal i dels Aliments, Facultat de Veterinària, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Manteca
authors.affiliation: Departament de Ciència Animal i dels Aliments, Facultat de Veterinària, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Ruiz de la Torre
authors.affiliation: Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Veterinària, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: anna.bassols@uab.cat.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bassols
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000097:blood*; D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003441:Crowding; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000097:blood; D006799:Housing, Animal; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D015151:Immunoblotting / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000662:veterinary; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D050050:Protein Carbonylation; D020543:Proteome / Q000378:metabolism; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000502:physiology*; D034421:Sus scrofa / Q000097:blood* / Q000502:physiology; D057825:Two-Dimensional Difference Gel Electrophoresis / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D015415:Biomarkers; D002784:Cholesterol; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D006854:Hydrocortisone; D020543:Proteome; C095815:ITIH4 protein, Sus scrofa