title: Stress and pain response after oligofructose induced-lameness in dairy heifers.
abstract: Lameness is one of the most painful conditions that affects dairy cattle. This study was conducted to evaluate clinical signs and plasma concentration of several pain and stress biomarkers after oligofructose-induced lameness in dairy heifers. Lameness was induced using an oligofructose overload model in 12 non-pregnant heifers. Clinical parameters and blood samples were obtained at 48 and 24 h and at 6, 12, 24, 36 and 48 h after induction of lameness. Clinical parameters included heart rate, respiratory rate, ruminal frequency and lameness score. Plasma biomarkers included cortisol, haptoglobin, norepinephrine, beta-endorphin and substance P. Differences were observed in all parameters between control and treated heifers. The plasma concentration of biomarkers increased significantly in treated animals starting 6 h after induction of lameness, reaching maximum levels at 24 h for cortisol, 48 h for haptoglobin, 6 h for norepinephrine, 12 h for substance P and at 24 h for beta-endorphin. Overall, our results confirm that lameness associated pain induced using the oligofructose model induced changes in clinical parameters and plasma biomarkers of pain and stress in dairy heifers.
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Clinical Sciences Institute, School of Veterinary Sciences, Austral University of Chile, Valdivia 5110566, Chile.
authors.forename: Hedie A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Bustamante
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Clinical Sciences Institute, School of Veterinary Sciences, Austral University of Chile, Valdivia 5110566, Chile.
authors.forename: Alfredo R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Clinical Sciences Department, School of Veterinary Sciences, University of Concepcion, Concepcion 4070374, Chile.
authors.forename: Daniel E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Herzberg
authors.affiliation: Animal Science Institute, School of Veterinary Sciences, Austral University of Chile, Valdivia 5110566, Chile.
authors.forename: Marianne P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Werner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D007794:Lameness, Animal / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009844:Oligosaccharides / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D010146:Pain / Q000097:blood / Q000662:veterinary*; D013312:Stress, Physiological
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D009844:Oligosaccharides; C120489:oligofructose
keywords: biomarkers; clinical parameters; heifers; lameness; pain