title: Physiological changes in the peri-partum period and colostral IgG transfer in prolific D'man sheep: effects of parity and litter size.
abstract: The aim of this work was to assess maternal and neonatal changes in plasma proteins, glucose and cortisol and to quantify the colostral immunoglobulin G (IgG) transfer in the peri-partum period in D'man sheep, a prolific breed, taking into account the parity of the ewe. The concentrations of proteins and glucose were high in the ewes on day 7 and at lambing before decreasing. Likewise, cortisol plasma concentration was maximal during the 6 h following lambing and dropped at 12 h. Protein and glucose concentrations were low in lambs at 1 h of birth after which they increased. By contrast, cortisol level was the highest during the first 12 h of birth and then decreased. The colostral IgG level was high at lambing and dropped by over 87 % from 1 to 48 h post-partum. In the newborn, the plasma IgG concentration was lowest at birth and increased rapidly during the first 24 h of birth. Parity influenced maternal physiology with multiparous ewes having the lowest concentrations of proteins, glucose, IgG and cortisol, but the highest colostrum IgG level. Accordingly, lambs born from primiparous ewes had lower protein, glucose and plasma IgG concentrations than lambs born from multiparous ewes. The main outcome of this study was that lambs born from primiparous ewes are characterized by the lowest physiological indices and this may influence their survival chance.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Elevage & Faune Sauvage, Institut des Régions Arides, 4119, Médenine, Tunisia. Chniter2005@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chniter
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Elevage & Faune Sauvage, Institut des Régions Arides, 4119, Médenine, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Imed
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Salhi
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Elevage & Faune Sauvage, Institut des Régions Arides, 4119, Médenine, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Hager
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Harrabi
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Elevage & Faune Sauvage, Institut des Régions Arides, 4119, Médenine, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Touhami
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Khorchani
authors.affiliation: INRA, UMR85 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, F-37380, Nouzilly, France.|CNRS, UMR7247 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, F-37380, Nouzilly, France.|Université François Rabelais de Tours, F-37041, Tours, France.|Institut Français du Cheval et de l'Equitation, F-37380, Nouzilly, France.
authors.forename: Anne-Lyse
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Lainé
authors.affiliation: INRA, UMR85 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, F-37380, Nouzilly, France.|CNRS, UMR7247 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, F-37380, Nouzilly, France.|Université François Rabelais de Tours, F-37041, Tours, France.|Institut Français du Cheval et de l'Equitation, F-37380, Nouzilly, France.
authors.forename: Raymond
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nowak
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Elevage & Faune Sauvage, Institut des Régions Arides, 4119, Médenine, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hammadi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D003126:Colostrum / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D008098:Litter Size; D008297:Male; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D012756:Sheep / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D006854:Hydrocortisone
keywords: Dam parity; D’man sheep; Peri-partum; Physiological changes