Eloranta, E.

Lapinlampi, T.

Leppäluoto, J.

Nieminen, M.

Saukko, P.

Soppela, P.

Timisjärvi, J.

English

Septentrio Academic Publishing

Handling stress in reindeer. Preliminary report. J. Timisjärvi 1, M . Nieminen2, J . Leppäluoto 1, T. Lapinlampi3, P. Saukko3, E . Eloranta2 and P. Soppela2 1 Department of Physiology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland 2 Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute, Reindeer Research, Rovaniemi, Finland 3 Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland Reindeer are regularly forced to run long dis-tances when they are collected for round-ups and subsequently may be immobilized or trans-p o r t e d in lorries. As a result, certain metabo-lites may accumulate in the blood or in muscles. We investigated stress and recovery from stress in reindeer associated with commercial slaughtering. Material and methods We studied 40 free-living animals divided into 5 subgroups with 8 in each. The groups were se-lected to be as homogenous as possible. A l l the animals were in good condition. A l l trials were carried out on December 16 - 17, 1986. Ambi-ent temperature varied from -26° to -28°C; the wind speed was less than 2 m«s '. The control animals (group I) were slaughte-red immediately after capture. The animals in group II were forced to run at 15 kiruh - 1 for 4 h before slaughter. In group III the animals ran for 8 h before slaughter. Group IV ran for 8 h and then were allowed to rest 16 h before slaughter. Animals in group V were immobili-zed and transported in a lorry for 4 h before-being slaughtered. Blood haemoglobin was determined by spec-trophotometry. Red and white cells were coun-ted under microscope. Serum iron was determi-ned by the ferrozine method. Norepinephrine and epinephrine concentratiaons were determi-ned by liquid chromatography. Sodium and po-tassium concentrations were measured by flame emission photometry. Calcium and magnesium were measured by atomic absorption photom-etry and inorganic phosphorus by the phosph-omolybdate method ( U V ) . Blood glucose was determined by the ortotoluidine method. Blood lactate, serum total lipids, free fatty acids and cholesterol were assayed enzymatically. Serum enzyme activities of A S A T , A L A T , alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, amylase, lipase and creatine phosphokinase were analy-sed by the methods recommended by The Com-mittee on Enzymes of the Scandinavian Society for Clinical Chemistry. Total serum protein concentrations were determined by the biuret method. Serum urea was measured by nessleri-zation and creatinine by Jaffe's reaction. Serum ammonia w as determined colorimetrically. Results The animals appeared to be in relatively good condition after the 4 h exercise. After the 8 h exercise they appeared to be tired and stopped moving if allowed. The body (rectal) tempera-ture increased by 0,5 C in group III. The hig-hest haemoglobin concentration was found in group IV and the lowest in group V (range 171 -192 g/1). The red cell count did not vary between groups. Serum protein concentration was hig-hest in group IV (66 g/1). The catecholamines showed relatively minor changes. Norepinephrine was highest in group Rangifer Special issue No. 2. 1988 II and lowest in group V (range 0.9 to - 2.1 ng/ml). Sodium and magnesium showed slightly higher values in groups I V and V than in the other groups. Potassium was highest in group I. Serum calcium or inorganic phosphorus did not change. Blood glucose was lower in groups II and III (4.5 mmol/1) than in the control group (5.4) and it was clearly increased in groups IV (8.1) and V (6.5). Free fatty acids were lowest in group V . Triglycerides were highest in group IV . A S A T and A L A T increased in the exercised groups, showed a tendency to recover in group I V and increased in group V . Alkaline phospha-tase increased in all test groups as well as H B D . The increment was greatest in group V . Amyla-se increased in the excercise groups/ Creatine phosphokinase increased in groups II (1426 IU/1), III (1944) and V (1555). It was lo-west in group IV (392). Creatinine increased in all groups. The changes in creatine were small. Urea increased in the test groups. The ammonia concentration was lowest in group V . Lactate was highest in group I V and V . Discussion Body temperature only increased after pro-longed (8 h) physical exercise because the weat-her was cold. The small differences between the groups in norepinephrine levels may be explai-ned by low ambient temperature. In other spe-cies catecholamines react rapidly when the ani-mals are disturbed. The blood glucose concentrations were lowest in the exercised groups. Nevertheless, neither exercised group was hypoglycaemic which indi-cates that the animals' energy stores were not depleted. The high glucose concentration in t he control group may partly result from sympathe-tic activity during the sampling. This may also have been the case in group V . The high value in group I V (recovery group) requires more in-vestigation. The liver enzymes increased during exercise. Immobilization also caused an increase of the concentrations of these enzymes. Creatine kina-se ( C K ) , creatinine and creatine are indicators for muscle metabolism. The changes in C K were most prominent and returned to normal during the recovery period. The changes in creatinine were smaller and remained elevated after the recovery period. Lactate did not accu-mulate in the blood. This indicates aerobic met-abolism during the running periods. 78 Rangifer Special Issue No. 2, 1988 

Handling stress in reindeer. Preliminary report

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Septentrio Academic Publishing

Directory of Open Access Journals