Effect of Salt Stress on Some Biochemical and Hormonal Parameters of Pregnant Shami Goats and Their Growing Kids under Semi-Arid Conditions (original) (raw)
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This study was conducted to investigate the effects of feeding salt tolerant fodder crops to Shami goats during pregnancy and lactation on some blood minerals as well as kidney and liver functions under the arid conditions of Southern Sinai, Egypt. Twenty-four of Shami goats were divided into two groups. The first group was fed wheat straw whereas the second one was fed salt tolerant plants (Sorghum vulgare and Pearl millet). Both groups were offered concentrate feed mixture. The levels of some macro and trace elements; sodium (Na), potassium (K), calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), molybdenum (Mo), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) were measured in blood serum throughout the different physiological status. Moreover, urea and creatinine (Crea) concentrations in addition to the activity of liver enzymes: alanine (ALT) and aspartate (AST) aminotransferase were determined. The results demonstrated that feeding salt tolerant plants resulted in increasing levels of serum K (P<0.01) and decreasing Ca (P<0.05) compared to the control group while Na and Mg concentrations increased insignificantly. Moreover, animals of G2 achieved higher values of Mo, Pb and Zn while they had lower values of Cd and Cr than their counterparts of the control group. There was obvious effect of physiological status on blood electrolytes assessment. The concentrations of Ca, K, Mg, Cd, Cr, Mo, Pb and Zn tended to decrease in advanced of pregnancy and lactation which might be attributed to the accumulative need of these elements to foetus growth and milk production. Na levels showed an adverse trend. Feeding salt tolerant plants elevated (P<0.01) the activity liver enzymes but decreased both creatinine (P<0.05) and urea levels. Pregnancy and lactation stages increased the ALT, AST, urea and creatinine concentrations. It could be concluded that introducing salt tolerant plants to Shami goats could be an avenue to minimize the feedstuff shortage under arid conditions of Southern Sinai. However, feeding such salt tolerant plants during pregnancy and lactation periods may have adverse effects on blood minerals in addition to liver enzymes activities but not kidney function. These effects might be amplified due to the stress of pregnancy and lactation.
Salt intake and reproductive function in sheep
animal, 2011
Producers have the possibility to combat human-induced dryland salinity by planting salt-tolerant plants such as saltbush. Saltbush has the potential to be used as a source of food for livestock at a time and place where pasture is not viable. However, saltbush contains high concentrations of sodium chloride salt and some other anti-nutritional factors that have the potential to affect feed and water intake and, directly or indirectly, the reproductive capacity of sheep. High-salt diet during gestation induces a small modification of the activity of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) that has an important role in the maintenance of the salt-water balance in non-pregnant and pregnant sheep. In contrast, the main effect of salt ingestion during pregnancy is observed on the biology of the offspring, with changes in the response of the RAS to salt ingestion and altered thirst threshold in response to an oral salt ingestion. These changes, observed later in life, are the result of fetal programming following the ingestion of salt by the mother. It seems that the exposure to salt during pregnancy could provide an advantage to the offspring because of this adaptive response. The response may be particularly useful, for example, when grazing herbivores are fed halophytic forages adapted to saline soils.
Responses to saline drinking water in offspring born to ewes fed high salt during pregnancy
Small Ruminant Research, 2010
We have studied the fetal programming of lambs born to ewes exposed to high salt during pregnancy. In the present study, we hypothesise that salt-programmed lambs may not need to drink as much saline water as control lambs and that voluntary feed intake of salt-programmed lambs would be reduced. We used two groups of lambs born to ewes fed either a high salt (13% NaCl) diet during pregnancy (S-lambs; n = 12) or control animals born to ewes fed a conventional (0.5% NaCl) diet during pregnancy (C-lambs; n = 12). Animals were offered ad libitum amounts of saline drinking water containing 1.5% NaCl for 2 days. Results indicated that there was a significant difference between fetal origin of the lamb (i.e. between C and S-lambs) and time (day 1 and 2) on water intake (P = 0.055), urinary output (P = 0.002), and sodium excretion (P = 0.002). There was an interaction between fetal origin of the lambs and time (day 1 and 2) on the area under the curve (AUC) for the plasma concentration of aldosterone (P = 0.017). Aldosterone concentration for C-lambs ranged from 167 to 196 pg/ml over days 1 and 2, whilst S-lambs reduced their aldosterone by two-thirds from day 1 to 2, from 214 ± 24 to 74 ± 8 pg/ml. A novel result was a marked difference in feed intake between C and S-lambs, where S-lambs consumed approximately 0.5 kg DM/day (35%) less than C-lambs which was associated with a decrease in insulin secretion with time in both S and C-lambs. In conclusion, feeding a high salt diet to pregnant ewes affected the physiological responses of their offspring to the consumption of saline water during a period of 2 days illustrating that fetal programming changed the temporal pattern of how the offspring adapt to a load of ingested salt.
Veterinary World, 2022
Background and Aim: The high salinity of drinking water has been a significant problem of the Mekong Rivers Delta. Animals drinking high salinity water altered feed and water intake (WI), urinary electrolytes excretion, and productivity. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of high salinity in drinking water on drinking and eating behaviors and kidney function in crossbred goats. Materials and Methods: The experiment was completely randomized with two treatments: freshwater (0%, seawater [SW0]) and water high in salinity (1.5%, SW1.5) from diluted SW, with five replicates (five animals per treatment). This experiment lasted 3 weeks: the 1st week for the pre-treatment period and the 2nd-3rd weeks for the post-treatment. Dry matter intake (DMI) and WI were recorded every day, while urine volume (UV) was determined from day 8 to day 21. Blood and urinary samples were collected on days 6, 14, and 21 of the study for electrolytes and creatinine analysis. Results: The results demonstrated that both DMI and WI were affected by SW1.5 (p<0.05). Goats drinking from SW1.5 had lower DMI during D19–21, and the ratio of DMI/WI was significantly different during D16–21 (p<0.05). Interestingly, the UV from SW1.5 was higher than that from SW0 during D13–21 (p<0.05). Although the body weights (BW) of both groups were similar (p>0.05), the weight gain observed in the SW1.5 group tended to decrease (p=0.056) at the 2nd week. The concentration of electrolytes in blood did not differ between the groups (p>0.05). In contrast, the concentration and excretion of Na+ and Cl- in urine increased in SW1.5 goats at D14 (p<0.05), while creatinine levels in the blood remained normal (p>0.05). Conclusion: The study concluded that crossbred male goats can tolerate 1.5% saline water from diluted SW for 2 weeks. The high salinity in water influences drinking and eating behavior in growing goats. However, the adaptive mechanism by increasing urine output and reducing the reabsorption of Na+ and Cl- in the kidney is the key function and works faster than behavioral responses. The kidney apparently drives drinking behavior during high salinity water consumption.
Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences
Global climatic changes are contaminating ground and surface water sources around the world, resulting in increased salinity. Knowing the animals' typical physiological capability for salinity tolerance without compromising their health is a necessity. The research was undertaken to determine the impacts of drinking water salinity on hemato-biochemical parameters of Black Bengal goats. A total of 40 Black Bengal goats (20 male and 20 female), age ranging from 1 to 5 years, were randomly selected and divided into 2 groups. The animals of group 1 received higher saline water (12 ppt) and those in group 2 received lower saline water (1 ppt) as regular drinking water. Blood parameters of all selected goats were measured. Serum creatinine, uric acid, urea, potassium, sodium, and chloride were significantly higher (P< 0.05) in the animals of group 1 compared with group 2, although serum phosphorous was significantly lower (P < 0.05) in group 1 compared with group 2. There were no significant differences in serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), glucose, magnesium, and calcium between the animals of group 1 and 2. AST and magnesium differed significantly (P < 0.05) between young and adult goats in group 1. Glucose and urea levels were slightly higher (P < 0.05) in young goats. In both groups, male goats had significantly higher (P < 0.05) serum potassium and urea levels than female goats. The results suggest that Black Bengal goats of the coastal areas have different salt tolerance capacities based on their age and sex, and adapt to higher salinity by changing kidney functions.
Reproductive capacity of Merino ewes fed a high-salt diet
animal, 2008
An option to increase the productivity of saline land is to graze sheep on salt-tolerant plants, which, during the summer/ autumn period, can contain 20% to 25% of their dry matter as salt. This study assessed the impact of coping with high dietary salt loads on the reproductive performance of grazing ewes. From the time of artificial insemination until parturition, 2-year-old maiden Merino ewes were fed either a high-salt diet (NaCl 13% of dry matter) or control diet (NaCl 0.5% of dry matter). Pregnancy rates, lamb birth weights, milk composition and the plasma concentrations of hormones related to salt and water balance, and energy metabolism were measured. Leptin and insulin concentrations were lower (1.4 6 0.09 v. 1.5 6 0.12 ng/ml; (P , 0.05) and 7.2 6 0.55 v. 8.2 6 0.83 ng/ml; P , 0.02) in response to high-salt ingestion as was aldosterone concentration (27 6 2.7 v. 49 6 5.4 pg/ml; P , 0.05), presumably to achieve salt and water homeostasis. Arginine vasopressin concentration was not significantly affected by the diets, but plasma concentration of T 3 differed during gestation (P , 0.02), resulting in lower concentrations in the high-salt group in the first third of gestation (1.2 6 0.18 v. 1.3 6 0.14 pmol/ml) and higher concentrations in the final third of gestation (0.8 6 0.16 v. 0.6 6 0.06 pmol/ml). T 4 concentration was lower in ewes ingesting high salt for the first two-thirds of pregnancy (162 6 8.6 v. 212 6 13 ng/ml; P , 0.001). No substantial effects of high salt ingestion on pregnancy rates, lamb birth weights or milk composition were detected.
Offspring born to ewes fed high salt during pregnancy have altered responses to oral salt loads
animal, 2010
Prenatal growth is sensitive to the direct and indirect effects of maternal dietary intake; manipulation can lead to behavioural and physiological changes of the offspring later in life. Here, we report on three aspects of how a high-salt diet during pregnancy (conception to parturition) may affect the offspring's response to high oral salt loads: (i) dietary preferences for salt; (ii) response to salt and water balance and aldosterone and arginine vasopressin (AVP) concentrations after an oral salt challenge; (iii) concentrations of insulin and leptin after an oral salt challenge. We used two groups of lambs born to ewes fed either a high-salt (13% NaCl) diet during pregnancy (S lambs; n 5 12) or control animals born to ewes fed a conventional (0.5% NaCl) diet during pregnancy (C lambs; n 5 12). Lambs were subjected to short-(5 min) and long-term (24 h) preference tests for a high-salt (13% NaCl) or control diet, and the response to an oral challenge with either water or 25% NaCl solution were also carried out. Weaned lambs born to ewes fed high salt during pregnancy did not differ in their preference for dietary salt, but they did differ in their physiological responses to an oral salt challenge. Results indicate that these differences reflect an alteration in the regulation of water and salt balance as the metabolic hormones, insulin and leptin, were not affected. During the first 2 h after a single salt dose, S lambs had a 25% lower water intake compared to the C lambs. S lambs had, on average, a 13% lower AVP concentration than the C lambs (P 5 0.014). The plasma concentration of aldosterone was higher in the S lambs than in the C lambs (P 5 0.013). Results suggest that lambs born to ewes that ingest high amounts of salt during pregnancy are programmed to have an altered thirst threshold, and blunted response in aldosterone to oral salt loads.
Dietary exposure of pregnant ewes to salt dictates how their offspring respond to salt
Physiology & behavior, 2009
We investigated changes in salt preference, food and water intake, renin activity and salt excretion in adult offspring from ewes that were fed a high-salt diet (14% NaCl, high-salt offsrping) or grazed saltbush (saltbush offspring) from day 60 of pregnancy until day 21 of lactation. High-salt offspring were compared to offspring born to ewes consuming a control diet (2% NaCl) and saltbush offspring were compared to offspring from ewes which grazed a control diet of dry pasture. All offspring were weaned at 3 months of age and grazed the same clover-based pasture until testing started at 8 months of age. The preference for a low-salt diet (0.5% NaCl) when offered with an alternative (7% NaCl) did not differ between the offspring groups. High-salt offspring and saltbush offspring had a lower food intake (14% and 27% respectively) and lower water intake (35% and 20% respectively) than their control offspring. Both high-salt offspring and saltbush offspring had lower basal renin activi...
High Salt Diet Affects the Reproductive Health in Animals: An Overview
Animals
Salinity is a reliable issue of crop productivity loss in the world and in certain tropical and subtropical zones. However, tremendous progress in the genetic improvement of plants for salinity tolerance has been made over several decades. In light of this, halophytic plants can be used as animal feeds and have promising features because they are a good feed resource. However, the main constraint of saline pasture systems is the extreme concentration of NaCl salt in drinking water and forage plants for grazing animals. Ecological reports revealed that excess diet salt causes mortality and morbidity worldwide. Animal fed halophytic forages may have adverse effects on growth performance and reproductive function in males and females due to inducing reductions in hormone regulation, such as testosterone, FSH, LH, and leptin. It was indicated that high salt intake promotes circulating inflammatory factors in the placenta and is associated with adversative effects on pregnancy. This revi...