Pain in cattle: relationship between levels of plasma interleukin-6 and scoring of lamenesses in cattle

• Grant number: 11/22759-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2012
• End date: December 31, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Clinics and Surgery
• Principal Investigator: Denise Tabacchi Fantoni
• Grantee: Bianca Gonçalves da Costa
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Brazil is one of the biggest producers of milk. The podal disorders are the most common causes of losses in milk productivity. These disorders are very painful processes so the animals present lameness, don't show reproductive behavior, and are more predisposed to mastitis because remain for long periods in decubitus and walk slowly, which increases worker stress and aggression against the animals. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a proinflammatory cytokine implicated in the physiology of nociception and the pathophysiology of pain. IL-6 has been used in studies on pain in humans and rats. In order to assess whether interleukin-6 is a physiological indicator for the analysis of systemic pain in dairy cows, 50 Holstein cows will be evaluated, and selected according to physical examination of the musculoskeletal and cardiovascular system. The animals will be separated by the degree of lameness into five groups, each containing 10 animals. The levels of interleukin-6 will be measured from plasma by the method Enzyme Linked Immuno Sorbent Assay (ELISA). It is intended to correlate levels of interleukin-6 with the level of lameness of the animals.(AU)