Influence of lamb presence on daily rhythm in lactating ewes |
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| Authors: | M Morgante C Stelletta M Gianesella C Cannizzo A Sfefani C Giannetto |
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| Institution: | 1. Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche Veterinarie, Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria , Università degli Studi di Padova , Agripolis, Legnaro, Italy;2. Istituto Zooprofilattico delle Venezie , Padova, Italy;3. Dipartimento di Scienze Sperimentali e Biotecnologie Applicate, Laboratorio di Cronofisiologia Veterinaria, Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria , Università di Messina Polo Universitario dell'Annunziata , Messina, Italy |
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| Abstract: | Abstract To determine the influence of lamb presence on the dairy ewes circadian system we monitored simultaneously 16 different parameters (insulin, glucose, total protein, urea, cholesterol, triglycerides, total bilirubine, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride, rectal temperature, respiratory rate and heart rate). Sixteen clinically healthy Sarda breed dairy ewes, divided into two groups, group A with their lambs and group B without their lambs, were used. Data collection was done at 3 hourly intervals over a 24-h period. Our results indicate that lamb presence influences ewes metabolism, inducing modifications of the acrophase and robustness of the rhythm of some physiological variables. Most variables lost the rhythmicity that they show in not pregnant and not lactating ewes. Lamb presence also influenced urea circadian rhythm: the time of urea peak was shifted from 16:00 to 12:24±00:35 when ewes were housed with lambs, and on triglycerides circadian rhythm. |
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| Keywords: | body temperature daily rhythm ewes physiological parameters |
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