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[Salivary cortisol as a stress parameter in piglets].
S Schönreiter1, H Huber, V Lohmüller
1Institut für Tierhygiene, Verhaltenskunde und Tierschutz, Tierärztlichen Fakultät, LMU, München.
Tierarztliche Praxis. Ausgabe G, Grosstiere/Nutztiere
|June 29, 1999
Summary
Castration significantly increases cortisol levels in piglets. Salivary cortisol measurements accurately reflect plasma cortisol concentrations, offering a less invasive monitoring method for stress in young pigs.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Veterinary Medicine
- Animal Physiology
Background:
- Cortisol is a key stress hormone.
- Measuring plasma cortisol is invasive.
- Salivary cortisol offers a potential non-invasive alternative.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between salivary and plasma cortisol levels in piglets undergoing castration.
- To assess the impact of castration on cortisol concentrations.
- To determine if salivary cortisol can reliably indicate plasma cortisol levels in piglets.
Main Methods:
- 97 male piglets aged 2-4 weeks were studied, with 17 in a control group.
- Saliva and blood samples were collected pre- and post-castration at multiple time points.
- Cortisol levels were measured using radioimmunoassay (RIA).
Main Results:
- Castration caused a significant increase in total, free, and salivary cortisol within 4 hours.
- Free plasma cortisol showed the highest percentage increase one hour post-castration.
- Salivary cortisol concentrations correlated significantly with both total and free plasma cortisol levels.
Conclusions:
- Salivary cortisol measurement is a viable, non-invasive method to monitor plasma cortisol in piglets.
- This finding supports using salivary cortisol for assessing stress responses in young pigs.
- The study validates salivary cortisol as a reliable biomarker in this animal model.