Physiology and behavior of pigs before and after castration: effects of two topical anesthetics

Surgical castration of male piglets is a common management practice conducted on commercial swine farms to prevent the occurrence of boar taint and aggressive behavior. However, the procedure of surgical castration causes acute pain-induced distress, which is an animal welfare concern. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of two topical anesthetics to alleviate the pain caused by castration in piglets as measured by physiological and behavior indices of stress. At 3 days of age, 40 weight-matched piglets were allocated to one of four treatment groups. Treatments included: (i) sham castration (CON), (ii) surgical castration (CAS), (iii) castration and short-acting local anesthetic applied topically to the castration wound (SHORT) and (iv) castration and long-acting local anesthetic applied topically to the castration wound (LONG). Blood samples were collected from piglets before and 30, 60, 120 and 180 min after castration to measure leukocyte and differential counts and cortisol concentrations. The above experiment was repeated without blood collection and behavior was recorded for 30 min before and 180 min after castration or handling. Stress vocalizations were recorded during castration and handling. All piglets were weighed before and 24 h after castration and wound healing was recorded daily for the first 14 days after castration. Leukocyte counts and differentials did not differ (P > 0.05) among any of the treatments. Cortisol concentrations were elevated (P < 0.06) in CAS, SHORT and LONG piglets compared with controls 30 and 60 min after castration. The percentage of stress vocalizations was greater (P < 0.05) among castrated piglets compared with CON piglets, regardless of anesthetic treatment. Piglets that were castrated and not given a topical anesthetic spent more time (P < 0.05) lying without contact compared with piglets castrated and given a topical anesthetic, regardless of the topical anesthetic administered. Body weight change did not differ (P > 0.05) among treatments 24 h after castration or control handling and wound healing scores were greater (P < 0.05) in SHORT compared with CAS and LONG piglets 9 to 14 days after castration. In this study, the use of a short- or long-acting topical anesthetic was not effective in reducing the pain-induced distress caused by castration in piglets. Further research is needed to evaluate alternative practical methods to reduce the pain caused by the on-farm castration of piglets.     

Social transmission of physiological and behavioural responses to castration in suckling Merino lambs

In social species like sheep, social context can modify both physiological and behavioural responses to stressors and normal behavioural patterns. Presence of conspecifics can ameliorate responses to noxious stimuli, an effect termed social buffering, whereas the presence of a distressed conspecific can invoke a distress response in an observer animal not receiving a noxious organic insult, an effect termed social contagion. Furthermore, synchrony of normal behaviours can occur within a group. Here a range of social contexts were created by grouping suckling lambs undergoing knife, ring or sham castration treatments either homogeneously or heterogeneously by castration treatment in pens within an animal house. The impact of social grouping on cortisol, rectal temperature, pain avoidance behaviours, postural behaviours and synchrony of behaviour in the first 12 h following castration treatment was examined. Irrespective of castration treatment, lambs grouped homogeneously by castration treatment had higher cortisol concentrations across the four time points measured than lambs grouped heterogeneously. They also spent 1.9% more of the time in restless behaviour in the first 1 h following castration, and in the 12 h following castration spent 6.7% more of their time lying ventrally, 4.9% less time standing normally, 1.6% more time walking normally, and 4.9% less time in total standing postures. Interactions between social grouping and castration treatment were not significant for physiological variables, pain related behaviours or postures with the exception of lateral lying which was decreased in knife castrated lambs grouped heterogeneously with other castration treatments from 1.9% (homogeneous grouping) to 0.4% (heterogeneous group). Synchronisation of behaviour was seen for walking in lambs grouped heterogeneously by castration treatment and for feeding at the trough in lambs grouped homogenously by ring and sham castration treatments. Lying and standing respectively, were negatively synchronised (occurred less frequently than predicted by chance alone) in ring and knife castrated lambs grouped homogeneously. The results indicate that mixing lambs that received the three castration treatments within a pen modified the activity profile of the lambs but did not substantially modify the behavioural or physiological changes that are stigmatic of responses to the specific castration treatments. The social contexts contrasted in the study did not result in marked contagion or social buffering between lambs of the measured responses and did not confound comparison of castration treatments. None-the-less, the comparability of responses observed in castration treatment groups penned homogenously or heterogeneously might not necessarily occur in other classes of sheep or in other social contexts. The absence of social transmission of behavioural and physiological responses indicates that grouping non-castrated lambs with castrated lambs did not compromise the welfare of the non-castrated lambs when their mothers were present.     

The effect of providing shredded paper or ropes to piglets in farrowing crates on their behaviour and health and the behaviour and health of their dams

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of providing paper or rope, alternative enriching substrates to straw, to piglets in farrowing crates on piglet and sow welfare.Sixty multiparous sows and their litters were housed in crates that were either barren (BARREN), enriched with shredded paper (PAPER) or natural fibre rope (ROPE). Enriching substrates were introduced when piglets were 10 days old. The proportion of sows with udder and teat lesions before parturition and at weaning was recorded. Piglet facial lesions were scored according to severity on days 11, 18 and 27. Sow and piglet behaviour was recorded using scan sampling on days 14, 18, 22 and 26. Furthermore, the behaviour of one male and one female focal piglet per litter was recorded continuously for 10 min twice per day on days 14, 18, 22 and 26. On day 27 post-partum, focal piglets were observed for 5 min in a novel arena and for a further 5 min after a novel object was introduced.On day 27, there was a tendency for more BARREN sows to have teat lesions (P = 0.07). PAPER litters tended to have a smaller proportion of piglets with facial lesions (P = 0.06). ROPE piglets were active in the enriched area of the crate in more observations than BARREN and PAPER piglets (P < 0.01). PAPER piglets spent less time inactive (P < 0.01), less time exploring the pen-fittings (P < 0.01) and more time interacting with the enriching substrate (P < 0.001) than piglets in the other two treatments. In the first 5 min in the novel arena BARREN piglets froze more than PAPER and ROPE piglets (P = 0.05).In conclusion, shredded paper improved piglet welfare and was easily incorporated into the farrowing crates.     

Effects of a local anaesthetic and NSAID in castration of piglets,on the acute pain responses,growth and mortality

The present study addresses the questions whether on-farm use of local anaesthesia with lidocaine leads to a reduction in pain responses during castration, and whether the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug meloxicam improves technical performance after castration of piglets. Five treatments were included in the study: (1) castration without anaesthesia or analgesia (CAST), (2) castration after local anaesthesia with lidocaine (LIDO), (3) castration after administration of meloxicam (MELO), (4) castration after lidocaine and meloxicam (L + M) and (5) sham castration (SHAM). To reduce litter influences, each treatment was present in each of the 32 litters (n = 32 per treatment). During castration, vocalizations were recorded continuously. Blood samples were collected 15 min before and 20 min after castration for determination of plasma levels of total cortisol, glucose, lactate and creatine kinase (CK). Mortality was registered and piglets were weighed several times to calculate growth. Several aspects of vocalizations during castration showed consistent and significantly different levels in CAST compared with LIDO, L + M and SHAM. CAST piglets squealed longer, louder and higher. Vocalizations of MELO piglets most resembled those of CAST. An increase in cortisol was seen in all treatments. However, in SHAM piglets this increase was significantly lower than in the other treatments. LIDO piglets showed a significantly smaller increase in plasma cortisol levels compared with CAST and MELO. L + M piglets differed significantly only from the SHAM group. Lactate levels differed significantly between LIDO and MELO, the level in LIDO being decreased after castration. In the other treatments an increase was measured. No treatment effects were found in plasma glucose and CK levels, nor in growth and mortality of the piglets. In conclusion, on the basis of vocalizations and plasma cortisol, local anaesthesia with lidocaine reduces pain responses in piglets during castration. A positive effect of meloxicam on technical performance was not found.     

Pain behaviour after castration of piglets; effect of pain relief with lidocaine and/or meloxicam

Behavioural responses and the effect of lidocaine and meloxicam on behaviour of piglets after castration were studied. A total of 144 piglets of 2 to 5 days of age were allocated to one of six treatments: castration (CAST), castration with lidocaine (LIDO), castration with meloxicam (MELO), castration with lidocaine and meloxicam (L + M), handling (SHAM) and no handling (NONE). Behaviour was observed for 5 days after the procedure, growth until weaning was recorded and characteristics of the castration wound noted. MELO piglets showed significantly (P < 0.05) more no pain-related behaviour than CAST and LIDO at the afternoon after castration, and were not significantly different from SHAM and NONE. LIDO piglets showed an increase (P < 0.001) in tail wagging, lasting for 3 days. This increase was not seen in L + M piglets. The occurrence of several behaviours changed with age, independent of treatment. A treatment effect on growth was not found. Wound healing was rapid in all treatments, but thickening of the heal was observed in several piglets, suggesting perturbation in the cicatrization process. Our study showed a pain-relieving effect of meloxicam after castration. Local anaesthesia resulted in piglets performing more tail wagging during the first few days after castration, which was prevented by administering meloxicam in combination with local anaesthesia.     

Animal welfare implications of surgical castration and its alternatives in pigs

This paper constitutes a review on the welfare aspects of piglet castration that considers the scientific literature published after 2004. Castrating during the neonatal period (1 to 3 days of age) is clearly painful. In addition, inflammatory processes may take place at the sites of incision, thus adding further pain to the procedure. Surgical castration with general and local anaesthesia, in combination with long-term analgesia, has been shown to reduce pain but the additional handling and injection of the anaesthetic, the effectiveness and limited safety margins have to be thoroughly evaluated. Raising entire males during the whole fattening period or immunocastration of males towards the end of the fattening period are other alternatives with welfare benefits in young pigs compared to current surgical castration, but with some potential welfare drawbacks regarding handling stress and behaviour during fattening. Based on the current knowledge, it can be concluded that sperm sexing and raising entire males after genetic control of boar taint are potentially preferable alternatives to current practices, but need further research, as these methods are not yet available.     

Can novel methods be useful for pain assessment of castrated piglets?

Given that surgical castration is a painful practice performed on millions of pigs every year, a need to identify novel reliable pain assessment tools exists in order to test anaesthetic and analgesic protocols that may reduce related pain. Two treatments were considered: handling (H) and surgical castration (C). Physiological (cortisol, lactate, glycaemia, rectal and eye temperature) and behavioural variables (latency to move after treatment and alterations in posture and walking) were analysed. Cortisol showed the greatest level in C piglets within 20 min after the surgical procedure and a positive correlation with glucose concentration. Eye temperature was higher in C piglets, and the same difference was detected for rectal temperature 3 h after castration. Behavioural parameters revealed that C piglets had longer latency to move and a higher percentage of them showed alterations in posture and walking. Results of this study showed that, in castrated piglets behavioural and physiological alterations occur mainly in the first 3 h from treatment. Latency to move, alterations in posture and walking, and eye temperature appear to give additional and useful information in piglet pain assessment. However, differently from the behavioural parameters considered, eye temperature involves several manipulations of the animals and a long process to acquire the data.     

Early piglet mortality in loose-housed sows related to sow and piglet behaviour and to the progress of parturition

The aim of the present study was to identify characteristics of sow behaviour and parturition related to early piglet mortality in loose-housed farrowing sows. Data from 152 farrowings that originated from three different herds with loose-housed sows during parturition were used. Graphical chain models were used to model the relationships between perinatal behaviour, periparturient individual conditions (time of day of parturition, rectal temperature 1–3 days postpartum) and causes of early piglet mortality. Modelling was based on the correlation between variables within herd and farrowing batch.The analysis showed that different causes of mortality were linked to different behavioural variables during the periparturient period and that they grouped into three independent categories. The first category was associated with stillbirth and death due to other causes. Stillbirth was positively related to the variation of the inter-birth interval and negatively related to the percentage of piglets that suckled during the first 8 h after birth of first piglet (BFP). Death due to other causes was negatively related to the suckling activity during the post-partal period (9–24 h after BFP). The second category was associated with piglet crushing, which was positively related to much lateral lying the last 4 h before BFP. Finally, the third category was associated with death due to lack of colostrums ingestion of colostrum, which was linked to the time of parturition and sow rectal temperature on days 1 and 2 after farrowing. Sows that gave birth during the morning compared to evening/night had more dead piglets due to lack of colostrums ingestion. Death due to lack of colostrums ingestion was also higher in sows with high rectal temperature on the day after BFP. The results further showed that litter size not only influenced mortality but also behavioural variables. High litter size was related to high nest building activity before BFP, low but more variable inter-birth intervals, and much lateral lying after BFP. The study points towards several areas of interest for further research that can help understand early piglet mortality. These include causes of variation in the progress of parturition, causes of individual differences in sow activity and responsiveness to piglets, and early management of farrowing. In addition, the study suggests possible indicators of problematic farrowings rendering liveborn piglets at risk. These include prepartum lateral lying in the sow, low suckling activity and rate of stillbirth.     

Behavioural responses of piglets to castration: the effect of piglet age

It has long been assumed that neonatal animals are less sensitive than older animals to pain, and this reasoning has been used to recommend that routine surgical procedures be performed at an early age. In this study we tested if vocal and other behavioural responses to castration increase with piglet age. Piglets (n=84) from 14 litters were assigned to one of six treatment groups: castration or sham castration at 3, 10 or 17 days of age. During the procedure castrated piglets produced high-frequency calls (>1000Hz) at more than three times the rate of piglets in the sham-castrate group. The rate of low-frequency (<1000Hz) calls was also higher for piglets in the castrate group. The rate of high-frequency calling was lower for the youngest pigs but there was no relationship between age and the effect of treatment for any of the vocal responses measured (i.e. no age by treatment interaction). During the first 2h after castration, castrated piglets spent more time sitting or standing and less time lying. During the subsequent 22h, castrated piglets spent marginally more time at the udder and less time lying down. Older piglets missed more nursings. However, the effect of castration did not vary with the age of the piglet for any measure. We conclude that while the factors affecting both the shams and the castrates (e.g. distress due to restraint) may vary with age, the pain of castration is not affected by age within the range of ages that we tested.     

Mixing aggression intensity is associated with age at first service and floor type during gestation,with implications for sow reproductive performance

Aggression resulting from mixing to establish a dominance hierarchy is a major welfare concern for group-housed sows. The associated stress can negatively impact aspects of reproductive performance. Objectives of this study were to investigate associations between 1) age at first service (AFS) and mixing aggression intensity in first parity sows, 2) mixing aggression intensity and reproductive performance within and between parity one and parity two, and 3) mixing aggression intensity, floor type during gestation and reproductive performance. Gilts (n = 160, hereafter referred to as sows) were mixed into stable groups of eight unfamiliar individuals approximately 4 days after artificial insemination, housed on fully slatted concrete (CON; n = 80) floor uncovered or covered with rubber slat mats (RUB; n = 80), and followed through two parities. Skin lesions (SLMIX; a proxy for the intensity of mixing aggression), were scored post mixing in each parity according to severity (0 = no lesions to 5 = severe lesions) on five body regions (ear, neck, hindquarter, rump, and belly) on the left and right sides, and at the tail/anogenital region. Total SLMIX score was calculated for each sow. Data on reproductive performance traits were acquired retrospectively from farm records for both parities. Two analyses were performed: 1) data from each parity were analysed separately and 2) SLMIX score in parity one was used to predict reproductive performance in parity two. Lower AFS was associated with a lower SLMIX score in parity one (P = 0.031). There was no association between SLMIX score and reproductive performance in parity one, while sows with higher SLMIX score in parity two had a higher proportion of piglets dead during lactation (P = 0.027) and a longer cycle length (P = 0.003) in parity two. Sows with higher SLMIX scores in parity one had more non-productive days (P < 0.001) in parity two. Concrete sows had a higher SLMIX score than RUB sows in parity one (P = 0.015), but not in parity two. In addition, CON sows had a higher proportion of piglets born dead (P = 0.013) compared with RUB sows in parity two. Mixing aggression has a negative influence on reproductive performance within parities, and it may also have a long-term negative carry-over effect on reproductive performance in subsequent parities. Serving gilts at younger ages could help to minimize the intensity of aggression at mixing, while housing on rubber flooring has beneficial implications for their reproductive performance.     

Determination of puerarin by capillary electrophoresis with chemiluminescence detection

A new analytical method for puerarin using capillary electrophoretic (CE) separation and chemiluminescence (CL) detection has been developed. The detection was based on the enhanced CL intensity of the reaction between luminol and potassium ferricyanide by puerarin in alkaline solution. A laboratory-built CE–CL apparatus was deployed for the puerarin detection. Under the optimal conditions, a linear range from 5.0 × 10^?8 to 2.5 × 10^?6 M and a detection limit of 1.0 × 10^?8 M (S/N = 3) for puerarin were achieved. The determination of puerarin was achieved in less than 5 min, and the proposed method was applied to the determination of puerarin in pharmaceutical, human urine and human plasma samples.     

Neuromuscular adaptations predict functional disability independently of clinical pain and psychological factors in patients with chronic non-specific low back pain

Patients with chronic low back pain exhibit characteristics such as clinical pain, psychological symptoms and neuromuscular adaptations. The purpose of this study was to determine the independent contribution of clinical pain, psychological factors and neuromuscular adaptations to disability in patients with chronic low back pain. Clinical pain intensity, pain catastrophizing, fear-avoidance beliefs, anxiety, neuromuscular adaptations to chronic pain and neuromuscular responses to experimental pain were assessed in 52 patients with chronic low back pain. Lumbar muscle electromyographic activity was assessed during a flexion–extension task (flexion relaxation phenomenon) to assess both chronic neuromuscular adaptations and neuromuscular responses to experimental pain during the task. Multiple regressions showed that independent predictors of disability included neuromuscular adaptations to chronic pain (β = 0.25, p = 0.006, sr² = 0.06), neuromuscular responses to experimental pain (β = −0.24, p = 0.011, sr² = 0.05), clinical pain intensity (β = 0.28, p = 0.002, sr² = 0.08) and psychological factors (β = 0.58, p < 0.001, sr² = 0.32). Together, these predictors accounted for 65% of variance in disability (R² = 0.65 p < 0.001). The current investigation revealed that neuromuscular adaptations are independent from clinical pain intensity and psychological factors, and contribute to inter-individual differences in patients’ disability. This suggests that disability, in chronic low back pain patients, is determined by a combination of factors, including clinical pain, psychological factors and neuromuscular adaptations.     

Previous handling and gentle interactions affect behaviour and heart rate of dairy cows during a veterinary procedure

Veterinary and management procedures often are aversive to the animals, resulting in physiological and behavioural stress reactions, which increase the risk of accidents and might lower performance. We investigated the effects of previous positive handling and of gentle interactions during the procedure on behaviour and heart rate in dairy cows during rectal palpation with sham insemination. Twenty cows were allocated randomly into two groups of 10 animals: handling, received additional positive handling over a period of four weeks by one person (handler); control, only routine handling by different caretakers. The week after the handling period, tests lasting 9 min, including 4 min rectal palpation, were carried out with each animal on four successive days in four situations in a balanced order: cow is alone during the test, with the handler, with an usual caretaker, or with an unknown person. Behaviour and heart rate were recorded.Previously handled animals had lower heart rate during tests (P≤0.05, n=19), kicked less when alone (P≤0.05, n=19) and tended to show less restless behaviour (P≤0.1, n=19). Cows were further calmed by gentle interactions during the test, but people differed remarkably. Cows showed less restless behaviour when gentled by the handler, both in the 4 min of rectal palpation and in the 9 min test period (each: P≤0.001, n=19). No significant stress reducing effect was found for the other two persons.In conclusion, stress reactions of cows during rectal palpation/insemination can be reduced by previous positive handling as well as by a person providing positive, gentle interactions during the procedure. The results underline the importance of positive, gentle interactions with the animals to enhance animal welfare and reduce the risk of accidents. They also show that people differ in the success to calm down the animals in aversive situations and indicate the need to investigate the characteristics responsible for the differences and identify the preconditions for a stress reducing effect in future research.     

Expression of aromatase,androgen and estrogen receptors in peripheral target tissues in diabetes

Our previous studies have shown that diabetes in the male streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rat is characterized by a decrease in circulating testosterone and concomitant increase in estradiol levels. Interestingly, this increase in estradiol levels persists even after castration, suggesting extra-testicular origins of estradiol in diabetes. The aim of the present study was to examine whether other target organs of diabetes may be sources of estradiol. The study was performed in male Sprague–Dawley non-diabetic (ND), STZ-induced diabetic (D) and STZ-induced diabetic castrated (Dcas) rats (n = 8–9/group). 14 weeks of diabetes was associated with decreased testicular (ND, 26.3 ± 4.19; D, 18.4 ± 1.54; P < 0.05), but increased renal (ND, 1.83 ± 0.92; D, 7.85 ± 1.38; P < 0.05) and ocular (D, 23.4 ± 3.66; D, 87.1 ± 28.1; P < 0.05) aromatase activity. This increase in renal (Dcas, 6.30 ± 1.25) and ocular (Dcas, 62.7 ± 11.9) aromatase activity persisted after castration. The diabetic kidney also had increased levels of tissue estrogen (ND, 0.31 ± 0.01; D, 0.51 ± 0.11; Dcas, 0.45 ± 0.08) as well as estrogen receptor alpha protein expression (ND, 0.63 ± 0.09; D, 1.62 ± 0.28; Dcas, 1.38 ± 0.20). These data suggest that in male STZ-induced diabetic rats, tissues other than the testis may become sources of estradiol. In particular, the diabetic kidney appears to produce estradiol following castration, a state that is associated with a high degree or renal injury. Overall, our data provides evidence for the extra-testicular source of estradiol that in males, through an intracrine mechanism, may contribute to the development and/or progression of end-organ damage associated with diabetes.     

Impact of general injection anaesthesia and analgesia on post-castration behaviour and teat order of piglets

Injection anaesthesia with a combination of ketamine and azaperone (K/A) is discussed as a painless alternative to commonly used non-anaesthetized castration. To protect anaesthetized piglets from being crushed, they have to be separated from the sow for 3 h following castration. The aim of this study was to test if this separation and the different treatments would affect short-term behaviour after castration (3 to 6 h after castration) as well as weight gain. Piglets were 5 to 7 days old. Treatment Group 1 received a combination of anaesthesia and analgesia (n = 29, ketamine: 25 mg/kg BW; azaperone: 2 mg/kg BW; meloxicam: 0.4 mg/kg BW), Group 2 received only analgesia (n = 24) and Group 3 received no medication (n = 29). Behaviour and suckling order were compared for a 3 h period the day before castration and after castration. A significantly higher number of teats used by anaesthetized piglets (P = 0.004) suggests a decrease in suckling order stability. There were significant treatment effects between all three groups in the time spent at the sow's teat, with an increase in Group 2 (+69%), decrease in Group 1 (−28%), whereas the control Group 3 (+2%) almost remained unchanged. The anaesthetized piglets showed an increase in the time spent active away from the sow after castration of almost 200% (Groups 2 and 3: ∼50%, P < 0.001). However, no significant treatment effect was seen for weight gain. The results suggest that analgesia has an effect on behaviour, perhaps due to less post-castration pain. This advantage is not apparent for animals receiving additional anaesthesia, probably because of impaired coordination. Although the behavioural changes did not affect weight gain significantly, a decrease in suckling order stability indicates a certain degree of stress due to fighting over teat positions as a consequence of separation. Thus, post-castration behaviour must be taken into account when evaluating alternative castration methods.     

The relationship of corticospinal excitability with pain,motor performance and disability in subjects with chronic wrist/hand pain

There is a growing body of evidence of changes in corticospinal excitability associated with musculoskeletal disorders, however there is a lack of knowledge of how these changes relate to measures of pain, motor performance and disability. An exploratory study was performed utilizing Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to investigate differences in corticospinal excitability in the Abductor Pollicis Brevis (APB) between 15 pain-free subjects and 15 subjects with chronic wrist/hand pain and to determine how corticospinal excitability was associated with measures of pain (visual analog scale, AUSCAN™), hand motor performance (isometric and key pinch strength, Purdue Pegboard Test), disability (AUSCAN™), and spinal motoneuronal excitability. Input–output curves demonstrated increased corticospinal excitability of the APB in the affected hand of subjects with chronic pain (p < 0.01). Changes in corticospinal excitability were significantly correlated with pain intensity (r = 0.77), disability (r = 0.58), and negatively correlated with motoneuronal excitability (r = −0.57). Corticospinal excitability in subjects with heterogeneous injuries of the wrist/hand was associated with disability and pain.     

Piglet- and stockperson-directed sow aggression after farrowing and the relationship with a pre-farrowing,human approach test

The aims of the experiment were to determine the incidence and severity of piglet- and stockperson-directed aggression in two different farrowing systems and to determine whether either could be predicted using behavioural and physiological measures recorded previously during a standard human approach test. Sixty-two gilts, permanently housed in groups of 4–5, were approach tested at 6–8 weeks prior to parturition. Gilts were moved to a handling area, fitted with a heart rate monitor and moved to a square test arena. After 2 min familiarisation, an unfamiliar human entered the pen and stood for 3 min against one wall. Then, the human approached the gilt and touched her snout. Behaviour and heart rate were recorded continuously. Social rank was determined for each gilt using pair-wise food competition tests. At farrowing, gilts were randomly assigned to either open pens or conventional crates. At parturition, litter size and piglet weights were recorded and causes of any deaths ascertained, with emphasis on those piglets dying due to savaging. The aggression directed at the stockperson during piglet weighing at birth, 7 days and 14 days of age was scored on a scale of 1–5 (non-aggressive to extremely aggressive). Five gilts savaged their piglets and five other gilts were particularly aggressive towards the stockperson. Savaging of piglets and levels of stockperson-directed aggression were higher in the open pen system than in farrowing crates. Gilts that savaged piglets were more likely to show ‘shy’ behaviour during the human approach test, whereas gilts that were highly aggressive towards the stockperson were more likely to show ‘bold’ behaviour in the same test. Stockperson-directed aggression was displayed consistently, both within the same lactation and between subsequent lactations. Stockperson-directed aggression was unrelated to piglet survival but did confer advantages in piglet growth rate between birth and 7 days of age.     

Comparable amounts of sex steroids are made outside the gonads in men and women: Strong lesson for hormone therapy of prostate and breast cancer

The objective of this study was comparison of circulating androgens and their metabolites as well as estrogens measured for the first time by a validated mass spectrometry technology in 60–80-year-old men and women of comparable age.Castration in men (n = 34) reduces the total androgen pool by only about 60% as indicated by the decrease in the serum levels of the glucuronide metabolites of androgens compared to intact men (n = 1302). Such data are in agreement with the 50 to 75% decrease in intraprostatic dihydrotestosterone (DHT) concentration after castration. Most interestingly, the same amounts of androgens and estrogens are found in postmenopausal women (n = 369) and castrated men of comparable age.The most significant therapeutic implication of these findings is the absolute need to add a pure (nonsteroidal) antiandrogen to castration in men with prostate cancer in order to block the action of the 25 to 50% DHT left in the prostate after castration. Not adding an antiandrogen to castration in men treated for prostate cancer is equivalent to not prescribing a blocker of estrogens in women suffering from breast cancer because they are postmenopausal and have low circulating estradiol.     

Acute physiological responses to castration-related pain in piglets: the effect of two local anesthetics with or without meloxicam

Methods to reduce castration-related pain in piglets are still issues of concern and interest for authorities and producers. Our objectives were to estimate the effectiveness of two protocols of local anesthesia (lidocaine and the combination of lidocaine+bupivacaine) as well as the use of meloxicam as a postoperative analgesic in alleviating castration-related pain, measured by acute physiological responses. Eight groups (15 piglets/group) were included in the study: (1) castration without anesthesia or analgesia, without meloxicam (TRAD WITHOUT), (2) castration without anesthesia or analgesia, but with meloxicam (TRAD WITH), (3) handling without meloxicam (SHAM WITHOUT), (4) handling with meloxicam (SHAM WITH), (5) castration after local anesthesia with lidocaine but without meloxicam (LIDO WITHOUT), (6) castration after local anesthesia with lidocaine and meloxicam (LIDO WITH), (7) castration after local anesthesia with lidocaine+bupivacaine without meloxicam (LIDO+BUPI WITHOUT), (8) castration after local anesthesia with lidocaine+bupivacaine and meloxicam (LIDO+BUPI WITH). Acute physiological responses measured included skin surface temperature and serum glucose and cortisol concentrations. On days 4 and 11 post-castration BW was recorded and average daily gain was calculated over this period. Furthermore, piglet mortality was recorded over the 11-day post-castration period. Administration of local anesthetic or meloxicam did not prevent the decrease in skin surface temperature associated with castration. Lidocaine reduced the increase in glucose concentration associated with castration. For castrated pigs, the joint use of lidocaine and meloxicam caused a significant decrease in cortisol concentration; the combination of intratesticular lidocaine and bupivacaine did not seem to be more effective than lidocaine alone. No effect of treatments on mortality and growth were detected.