Development of methodology and evaluation of sheep sweat gland characteristics from different genetic groups

• Grant number: 14/12229-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2014
• End date: August 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Genetics and Improvement of Domestic Animals
• Principal Investigator: Maurício Mello de Alencar
• Grantee: Záfia Cristina Pottmaier Caetano
• Host Institution: Embrapa Pecuária Sudeste. Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (EMBRAPA). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 11/51564-6 - Crossbreeding and management strategies to optimize maternal and reproductive performance of female sheep, for the production of high quality sheep meat and leather, in the Southeast region of Brazil, AP.TEM

Abstract

Under heat stress conditions, increases in respiratory frequency is the more important mechanism used by sheep to dissipate heat, especially in wool-on breeds. However, non-wool or semi-wool sheeps have more possibilities to exchange heat by skin, mainly by increasing the sweating rate. Thus, the objective of this study is to evaluate characteristics and types of sweat glands found in different genetic groups of sheep identifying those more adapted to heat stress conditions. During the summer of 2014 one skin sample of 10 animals purebred Santa Inês, Ile de France, Texel and Dorper and their crossbreds ½ Dorper + ½ Satnta Inês, ½ Texel + ½ Santa Inês and ½ Ilê de France + ½ Santa Inês will be collected at Embrapa and processed and analysed in the histology laboratory of the Faculdades Metropolitas Unidas - FMU. Type, size and quantity of the glands will be evaluated, according to a methodology adapted from Ribeiro et al. (2009) for cattle. This methodology will be used in other genetic groups in subsequent years of the project. (AU)