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Redox Status and Hematological Variables in Melatonin-Treated Ewes during Early Pregnancy under Heat Stress

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Heat stress induces oxidative stress that negatively affects the fertility rate in farm animals, as it may disrupt normal follicular development and preimplantation embryogenesis. Although indigenous sheep breeds may exhibit adaptation to a certain level in high summer temperatures,...

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Autores principales: Bouroutzika, Efterpi V., Theodosiadou, Ekaterini K., Barbagianni, Mariana S., Papadopoulos, Serafeim, Kalogiannis, Dimitrios, Chadio, Stella, Skaperda, Zoi, Kouretas, Demetrios, Katsogiannou, Eleni G., Valasi, Irene
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: MDPI 2022
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Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9505195/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/36136715
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/vetsci9090499
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author Bouroutzika, Efterpi V.
Theodosiadou, Ekaterini K.
Barbagianni, Mariana S.
Papadopoulos, Serafeim
Kalogiannis, Dimitrios
Chadio, Stella
Skaperda, Zoi
Kouretas, Demetrios
Katsogiannou, Eleni G.
Valasi, Irene
author_facet Bouroutzika, Efterpi V.
Theodosiadou, Ekaterini K.
Barbagianni, Mariana S.
Papadopoulos, Serafeim
Kalogiannis, Dimitrios
Chadio, Stella
Skaperda, Zoi
Kouretas, Demetrios
Katsogiannou, Eleni G.
Valasi, Irene
author_sort Bouroutzika, Efterpi V.
collection PubMed
description SIMPLE SUMMARY: Heat stress induces oxidative stress that negatively affects the fertility rate in farm animals, as it may disrupt normal follicular development and preimplantation embryogenesis. Although indigenous sheep breeds may exhibit adaptation to a certain level in high summer temperatures, their reproductive competence is still compromised under extreme severe heat stress conditions. Thus, the administration of melatonin is suggested, as an antioxidant regime, for improving the fertility rate and redox balance in heat-stressed ewes. The influence of environmental thermal stress in conjunction with melatonin treatment on hematological variables and cortisol secretion was also investigated. In this respect, melatonin seems to enhance the progressive adaptation of indigenous-breed ewes to environmental heat stress. ABSTRACT: The preovulatory follicles and preimplantation stage embryos are found to be rather sensitive to heat stress due to their low potential for scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS). The aim of the present study was to assess the impact of melatonin administration on redox status and hematological variables during the preovulatory period and early stages of embryogenesis in heat-stressed ewes in vivo. Forty Karagouniko-breed ewes were divided in two groups, the melatonin (M, n = 20) group and control (C, n = 20) one. All animals were subjected to heat stress throughout the study, which lasted forty days (D0 to D40). In M group, melatonin implants were administered on D0. Then, oestrous synchronization was applied (D19-D33). On D34, six rams were introduced into the ewe flock for mating. Ultrasonographic examination was conducted on D73 for pregnancy diagnosis. The temperature humidity index (THI), the rectal temperature (RT), and the number of breaths per minute (BR) were evaluated twice daily. Redox biomarkers, namely total antioxidant capacity (TAC), reduced glutathione (GSH), and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), were assayed in blood samples collected on D0, D33, and D40. In addition, packed cell volume (PCV), white blood cells (WBCs), leukocyte differential count, and cortisol assessment were conducted in blood samples on D33 and D40. The results indicated improved fertility rate and mean number of lambs born per ewe due to improved redox status (p < 0.05) in ewes that received melatonin implants 34 days approximately before the onset of oestrus. The PCV decreased in both groups between the two time-points (p < 0.05). However, the NEU/LYMPH ratio decreased (p < 0.05) only in group M. The low cortisol levels and the decreased NEU/LYMPH ratio in both groups support the hypothesis that ewes of the indigenous Karagouniko breed may exhibit adaptation to environmental thermal stress. The administration of melatonin as an antioxidant regime may improve the reproductive competence of heat stressed ewes and may also enhance their ability to adapt at high ambient temperatures.
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spelling pubmed-95051952022-09-24 Redox Status and Hematological Variables in Melatonin-Treated Ewes during Early Pregnancy under Heat Stress Bouroutzika, Efterpi V. Theodosiadou, Ekaterini K. Barbagianni, Mariana S. Papadopoulos, Serafeim Kalogiannis, Dimitrios Chadio, Stella Skaperda, Zoi Kouretas, Demetrios Katsogiannou, Eleni G. Valasi, Irene Vet Sci Article SIMPLE SUMMARY: Heat stress induces oxidative stress that negatively affects the fertility rate in farm animals, as it may disrupt normal follicular development and preimplantation embryogenesis. Although indigenous sheep breeds may exhibit adaptation to a certain level in high summer temperatures, their reproductive competence is still compromised under extreme severe heat stress conditions. Thus, the administration of melatonin is suggested, as an antioxidant regime, for improving the fertility rate and redox balance in heat-stressed ewes. The influence of environmental thermal stress in conjunction with melatonin treatment on hematological variables and cortisol secretion was also investigated. In this respect, melatonin seems to enhance the progressive adaptation of indigenous-breed ewes to environmental heat stress. ABSTRACT: The preovulatory follicles and preimplantation stage embryos are found to be rather sensitive to heat stress due to their low potential for scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS). The aim of the present study was to assess the impact of melatonin administration on redox status and hematological variables during the preovulatory period and early stages of embryogenesis in heat-stressed ewes in vivo. Forty Karagouniko-breed ewes were divided in two groups, the melatonin (M, n = 20) group and control (C, n = 20) one. All animals were subjected to heat stress throughout the study, which lasted forty days (D0 to D40). In M group, melatonin implants were administered on D0. Then, oestrous synchronization was applied (D19-D33). On D34, six rams were introduced into the ewe flock for mating. Ultrasonographic examination was conducted on D73 for pregnancy diagnosis. The temperature humidity index (THI), the rectal temperature (RT), and the number of breaths per minute (BR) were evaluated twice daily. Redox biomarkers, namely total antioxidant capacity (TAC), reduced glutathione (GSH), and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), were assayed in blood samples collected on D0, D33, and D40. In addition, packed cell volume (PCV), white blood cells (WBCs), leukocyte differential count, and cortisol assessment were conducted in blood samples on D33 and D40. The results indicated improved fertility rate and mean number of lambs born per ewe due to improved redox status (p < 0.05) in ewes that received melatonin implants 34 days approximately before the onset of oestrus. The PCV decreased in both groups between the two time-points (p < 0.05). However, the NEU/LYMPH ratio decreased (p < 0.05) only in group M. The low cortisol levels and the decreased NEU/LYMPH ratio in both groups support the hypothesis that ewes of the indigenous Karagouniko breed may exhibit adaptation to environmental thermal stress. The administration of melatonin as an antioxidant regime may improve the reproductive competence of heat stressed ewes and may also enhance their ability to adapt at high ambient temperatures. MDPI 2022-09-13 /pmc/articles/PMC9505195/ /pubmed/36136715 http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/vetsci9090499 Text en © 2022 by the authors. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
spellingShingle Article
Bouroutzika, Efterpi V.
Theodosiadou, Ekaterini K.
Barbagianni, Mariana S.
Papadopoulos, Serafeim
Kalogiannis, Dimitrios
Chadio, Stella
Skaperda, Zoi
Kouretas, Demetrios
Katsogiannou, Eleni G.
Valasi, Irene
Redox Status and Hematological Variables in Melatonin-Treated Ewes during Early Pregnancy under Heat Stress
title Redox Status and Hematological Variables in Melatonin-Treated Ewes during Early Pregnancy under Heat Stress
title_full Redox Status and Hematological Variables in Melatonin-Treated Ewes during Early Pregnancy under Heat Stress
title_fullStr Redox Status and Hematological Variables in Melatonin-Treated Ewes during Early Pregnancy under Heat Stress
title_full_unstemmed Redox Status and Hematological Variables in Melatonin-Treated Ewes during Early Pregnancy under Heat Stress
title_short Redox Status and Hematological Variables in Melatonin-Treated Ewes during Early Pregnancy under Heat Stress
title_sort redox status and hematological variables in melatonin-treated ewes during early pregnancy under heat stress
topic Article
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9505195/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/36136715
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/vetsci9090499
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