An enriched maternal environment and stereotypies of sows differentially affect the neuro-epigenome of brain regions related to emotionality in their piglets

Epigenetic mechanisms are important modulators of neurodevelopmental outcomes in the offspring of animals challenged during pregnancy. Pregnant sows living in a confined environment are challenged with stress and lack of stimulation which may result in the expression of stereotypies (repetitive behaviours without an apparent function). Little attention has been devoted to the postnatal effects of maternal stereotypies in the offspring. We investigated how the environment and stereotypies of pregnant sows affected the neuro-epigenome of their piglets. We focused on the amygdala, frontal cortex, and hippocampus, brain regions related to emotionality, learning, memory, and stress response. Differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were investigated in these brain regions of male piglets born from sows kept in an enriched vs a barren environment. Within the latter group of piglets, we compared the brain methylomes of piglets born from sows expressing stereotypies vs sows not expressing stereotypies. DMRs emerged in each comparison. While the epigenome of the hippocampus and frontal cortex of piglets is mainly affected by the maternal environment, the epigenome of the amygdala is mainly affected by maternal stereotypies. The molecular pathways and mechanisms triggered in the brains of piglets by maternal environment or stereotypies are different, which is reflected on the differential gene function associated to the DMRs found in each piglets' brain region . The present study is the first to investigate the neuro-epigenomic effects of maternal enrichment in pigs' offspring and the first to investigate the neuro-epigenomic effects of maternal stereotypies in the offspring of a mammal

How Epigenetics Can Enhance Pig Welfare?

Simple Summary In the pig industry, new market trends and consumer demands have emerged over the past decades, which includes increased concerns about how animals are raised on farms. As a consequence of consumers concerns, technologies capable of predicting animal welfare on farms have been explored. One of the technologies that are permeating the frontier of knowledge in this area are epigenetic biomarkers. Epigenetic biomarkers are biochemical markers surrounding the genome, which may be able to predict the exposures that individuals had during their lifetime. These markers represent an advance in the molecular level accuracy to support the current welfare indicators. In this literature review focused on pigs, we show some studies already carried out, we performed an integrative analysis of the already reported genes surrounding epi-biomarkers, and we highlight the benefits of investing efforts in this research field to enhance animal welfare and consumers trust. Epigenetics works as an interface between the individual and its environment to provide phenotypic plasticity to increase individual adaptation capabilities. Recently, a wide variety of epi-genetic findings have indicated evidence for its application in the development of putative epi-biomarkers of stress in farm animals. The purpose of this study was to evaluate previously reported stress epi-biomarkers in swine and encourage researchers to investigate potential paths for the development of a robust molecular tool for animal welfare certification. In this literature review, we report on the scientific concerns in the swine production chain, the management carried out on the farms, and the potential implications of these practices for the animals welfare and their epigenome. To assess reported epi-biomarkers, we identified, from previous studies, potentially stress-related genes surrounding epi-biomarkers. With those genes, we carried out a functional enrichment analysis of differentially methylated regions (DMRs) of the DNA of swine subjected to different stress-related conditions (e.g., heat stress, intrauterine insult, and sanitary challenges). We identified potential epi-biomarkers for target analysis, which could be added to the current guidelines and certification schemes to guarantee and certify animal welfare on farms. We believe that this technology may have the power to increase consumers trust in animal welfare.Funding Agencies|Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP) [2018/01082-04]; Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior-Brasil (CAPES)Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES) [88887.509167/2020-00]; Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences (BKV) from University of Linkoeping, Campus US; [2016/20440-3]; [2018/13600-0]; [2018-01074]</p

Comportamento de suínos submetidos a diferentes sistemas de pastejo em pastagem de trevo-branco

Este trabalho foi realizado com o objetivo de estudar o comportamento de suínos submetidos a diferentes sistemas de pastejo (contínuo, alternado e rotativo) em pastagem de trevo-branco (Trifolium repens L.) com livre acesso à ração. Foram utilizados 36 suínos machos, castrados, em fase de terminação, com peso médio de 80 kg. As atividades comportamentais (ingerir ração, pastejar, beber água, ficar em pé, deitar, sentar, caminhar, urinar, defecar, brincar, coçar, fuçar e cavar o solo) foram registradas por meio de observações visuais durante três dias consecutivos, das 7 às 18h. As observações foram feitas a cada 10 minutos, registrando-se o número de animais e suas respectivas atividades em cada sistema de pastejo. O delineamento experimental foi de blocos ao acaso, com três tratamentos e três repetições. Deitar, beber água, ingerir ração, pastejar e caminhar foram as atividades mais freqüentes, independentemente dos sistemas de pastejo estudados. Suínos criados em pastejo alternado ingeriram ração com maior freqüência que os criados em pastejo contínuo e rotativo. No primeiro dia de observação, suínos em pastejo contínuo e rotativo apresentaram maior freqüência de pastejo que aqueles em pastejo alternado. Suínos em pastejo contínuo e rotativo apresentaram atividades comportamentais semelhantes. O comportamento de suínos em fase de terminação foi influenciado pelo sistema de pastejo.This work aimed to study the behaviour of pigs submitted to different grazing systems (continuous, alternated or rotational) in white-clover (Trifolium repens L.) pasture and fed ad libitum. Thirty-six finishing pigs, castrated males, averaging 80 kg were used. The behaviour activities (feeding, grazing, drinking, standing, laying, sitting, walking, urinating, defecating, playing, itching, rooting, and digging) were recorded by visual observations during three consecutive days, from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The experiment was analyzed as a complete randomized blocks, with three treatments and three replicates. The observations were made every 10 minutes and the number of animals and the respective activities on each grazing system were recorded. Lying, drinking, feed intake, grazing and walking were the activities that showed higher frequencies, regardless of the grazing system. Pigs on alternated grazing system showed higher frequency feed intake activity than pigs on continuous or rotational grazing systems. During the first day of observation, pigs on continuous or rotational grazing systems showed higher frequency grazing activity than pigs on alternated system. The pigs on continuous and rotational grazing systems showed similar behaviour activities. The behaviour of growing pigs was affected by the grazing system

Comportamento de suínos submetidos a diferentes sistemas de pastejo em pastagem de trevo-branco

Este trabalho foi realizado com o objetivo de estudar o comportamento de suínos submetidos a diferentes sistemas de pastejo (contínuo, alternado e rotativo) em pastagem de trevo-branco (Trifolium repens L.) com livre acesso à ração. Foram utilizados 36 suínos machos, castrados, em fase de terminação, com peso médio de 80 kg. As atividades comportamentais (ingerir ração, pastejar, beber água, ficar em pé, deitar, sentar, caminhar, urinar, defecar, brincar, coçar, fuçar e cavar o solo) foram registradas por meio de observações visuais durante três dias consecutivos, das 7 às 18h. As observações foram feitas a cada 10 minutos, registrando-se o número de animais e suas respectivas atividades em cada sistema de pastejo. O delineamento experimental foi de blocos ao acaso, com três tratamentos e três repetições. Deitar, beber água, ingerir ração, pastejar e caminhar foram as atividades mais freqüentes, independentemente dos sistemas de pastejo estudados. Suínos criados em pastejo alternado ingeriram ração com maior freqüência que os criados em pastejo contínuo e rotativo. No primeiro dia de observação, suínos em pastejo contínuo e rotativo apresentaram maior freqüência de pastejo que aqueles em pastejo alternado. Suínos em pastejo contínuo e rotativo apresentaram atividades comportamentais semelhantes. O comportamento de suínos em fase de terminação foi influenciado pelo sistema de pastejo.This work aimed to study the behaviour of pigs submitted to different grazing systems (continuous, alternated or rotational) in white-clover (Trifolium repens L.) pasture and fed ad libitum. Thirty-six finishing pigs, castrated males, averaging 80 kg were used. The behaviour activities (feeding, grazing, drinking, standing, laying, sitting, walking, urinating, defecating, playing, itching, rooting, and digging) were recorded by visual observations during three consecutive days, from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The experiment was analyzed as a complete randomized blocks, with three treatments and three replicates. The observations were made every 10 minutes and the number of animals and the respective activities on each grazing system were recorded. Lying, drinking, feed intake, grazing and walking were the activities that showed higher frequencies, regardless of the grazing system. Pigs on alternated grazing system showed higher frequency feed intake activity than pigs on continuous or rotational grazing systems. During the first day of observation, pigs on continuous or rotational grazing systems showed higher frequency grazing activity than pigs on alternated system. The pigs on continuous and rotational grazing systems showed similar behaviour activities. The behaviour of growing pigs was affected by the grazing system

Use of lipopolysaccharide (E. coli) as stress inducing in sheep in intermediate stage of pregnancy

To analyze stress during the intermediate stage of gestation, 43 multiparous, crossbred Santa Inês, pregnant ewes, with a average age of 5 and average body weight (BW) of 60kg, were challenged with a intravenous administration of 0.8µg.kg-1 of LPS (lipopolysaccharide E. coli - outer membrane cell of gram-negative bacteria), diluted in physiological saline solution - simulating an immune stressor. The females were placed in individual cages at feedlot, with adaptation period of 5 days before the begin of sampling, with free access to good water quality, shade and food in the trough (corn silage and mineral supplementation). The ewes were divided into three groups, with a completely randomized design (CRD): CG - control group, with 15 animals that were not subjected to stress; IG - intermediate group stage, with 14 animals undergoing stress at 70 days of gestation; FG – final group, made up of 14 animals undergoing stress at 120 days of gestation. The variables used to investigate stress were measured during the intermediate stages of pregnancy in a 24 hour sampling, with this was possible to observe the change in rectal temperature (RT) and blood levels of cortisol by its circadian rhythm. Shortly after the baseline sampling, the treatment corresponding to the intermediate stage of gestation was submitted to stress, with the sampling interval of one hour each, from the first to the third samplings and after it the samplings was taken from two to two hours till the end of 24h sampling. At the same time, a dose of placebo was administered in the animals that didn’t receive LPS, equalizing the effect of the invasive needle. The study was approved by Ethics Committee of FZEA/USP (13.1.2109.74.8). Variance analysis was performed with multiple comparisons of means by Tukey test with 5%. Significant difference in RT between IG and the other treatments at 07:00 h, 09:00 h, 11:00 h, 23:00 h, 01:00 h, 03:00 h and 05:00 h were observed, with no difference (P>0.05) between CG and FG in those times. As cortisol levels during the circadian rhythm, the figures for IG were higher than the CG and FG to 06:00 h, 07:00 h, 09:00 h, 11:00 h, 13:00 h, 15:00 h, 01:00 h and 03:00 h. No significant differences (P>0.05) were observed between CG and FG in any of the crops of cortisol. The highest RT for IG was observed at 21:00 h, with a range of 1.26°C basal RT, but there was no significant difference within treatments at 9:00, a time that had the highest the amount of cortisol. As the values of RT the three treatments differed at 9:00 h, where it was found the highest value of serum cortisol in time for IG, with a difference of basal crop of 12.4225 µg d/L (P<0.05). The use of LPS to induce stress in sheep at the intermediate stage of pregnancy promotes interference in the values of rectal temperature and blood cortisol levels when measured during the circadian rhythm

Estresse gestacional em ovelhas e cordeiros no momento do parto

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