Evaluation of inflammation, oxidative stress and digital blood flow in the development of laminitis in sheep with subacute ruminal acidosis

• Grant number: 16/16631-8
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: February 01, 2017
• End date: January 31, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Clinics and Surgery
• Principal Investigator: Luiz Carlos Marques
• Grantee: Luiz Carlos Marques
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Jaboticabal. Jaboticabal , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Regarding the subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) and laminitis implications on welfare and productive rates of ruminants, in addition to the lack of information about the systemic inflammatory state during these conditions, this study aims to evaluate the relationship between blood concentrations of agents involved in the acute phase response and in the triggering of laminitis. Eight Santa Inês ewes will be used, separated into treated group (TG, five animals which will receive high percentage of concentrate feed in the diet) and control group (CG, three animals fed hay). For the induction of SARA, sheep of GT will receive a diet in which 10% of the daily roughage will be replaced with concentrate feed, until 80%, percentage that will be maintained to the end of 30 experimental days. The evaluation of systemic acidosis will be performed by ruminal, fecal and urinary pH, as well as blood gas analysis. On blood serum, it will be analyzed levels of LPS, histamine, pro-inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin 1 beta), acute phase proteins (serum amyloid A and lipopolysaccharide binding protein), oxidative stress, metalloproteinases 2 to 9 and their inhibitors. The digital blood flow will be studied by spectral Doppler ultrasound of digital arteries and infrared thermography of the foot region. (AU)