Institute of Animal Breeding, Wrocław University of Enviromental and Life Sciences, Chełmońskiego St. 38C, 51-630, Wrocław, Poland.
Chair for Fish Diseases and Fisheries Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, 80539, Munich, Germany.
BMC Vet Res. 2022 Mar 18;18(1):107. doi: 10.1186/s12917-022-03201-y.
During parturition, animals exhibit variation in hormone levels, homeostasis disturbance and dysfunction of the immune system as a result of stress. Glutathione S-transferase (GST) is responsible for the occurrence of oxidative stress in the cells. Cortisol is known as the stress hormone, but it is also involved in the metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates and metabolism processes led by adipose tissue. The aim of the this study was to determine how the levels of GST and cortisol change depending on the parity. Additionally, the influence of lambing on the microbiological composition of the digestive system and placenta in Olkuska sheep was investigated.
Eighteen ewes were selected for the experiment - primiparas (n = 9) and multiparas (n = 9), they were kept in the same environmental conditions, had the same diet and did not show any disease symptoms. Fecal samples were collected individually from each ewe (n = 18) and then bacterial DNA isolation was made, then qPCR analysis for Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria phyla and Lactobacillaceae family bacteria levels was performed. These samples were also used to analyze cortisol levels by ELISA test. In addition, placenta fragments were collected during delivery, and then the GST level from the tissue was tested.
The analysis of the results showed a higher level of cortisol in primiparous sheep than in multiparous ones, as in the case of glutathione transferase. There were differences between both studied groups in the microbiological composition of the digestive system. In primiparous sheep, the levels of the tested microorganisms were significantly lower than in multiparous ones. A similar relationship occurred in the study of the placental microbiome.
The results show that sheep microbiome, cortisol and GST levels are different in primiparas and multiparas. The study conducted may constitute an introduction to further analyzes that would help positively affect the welfare and homeostasis of the female organism.
在分娩过程中，动物由于应激会表现出激素水平变化、内稳态紊乱和免疫系统功能障碍。谷胱甘肽 S-转移酶 (GST) 负责细胞中氧化应激的发生。皮质醇是已知的应激激素，但它也参与蛋白质、碳水化合物和脂肪组织代谢过程的代谢。本研究旨在确定 GST 和皮质醇水平如何根据胎次而变化。此外，还研究了羔羊对 Olkuska 绵羊消化系统和胎盘微生物组成的影响。
选择了 18 只母羊进行实验——初产母羊（n=9）和经产母羊（n=9），它们处于相同的环境条件下，饮食相同，没有任何疾病症状。从每只母羊（n=18）中单独收集粪便样本，然后进行细菌 DNA 分离，然后进行 qPCR 分析，以确定厚壁菌门、拟杆菌门、放线菌门、变形菌门和乳杆菌科细菌的水平。这些样本还用于通过 ELISA 测试分析皮质醇水平。此外，在分娩期间收集胎盘碎片，然后测试组织中的 GST 水平。
结果分析表明，初产母羊的皮质醇水平高于经产母羊，谷胱甘肽转移酶也是如此。在这两个研究组中，消化系统的微生物组成存在差异。在初产母羊中，测试微生物的水平明显低于经产母羊。在胎盘微生物组的研究中也出现了类似的关系。
结果表明，绵羊微生物组、皮质醇和 GST 水平在初产母羊和经产母羊中存在差异。进行的研究可能构成进一步分析的介绍，这将有助于积极影响雌性动物的福利和内稳态。
