Effect of restraint stress on hormonal levels, some blood constituents and immunological response of rams

ABSTRACT

10 rams were used to evaluate the effect of restraint stress on plasma levels of cortisol, ACTH and changes in some blood constituents as glucose, urea, creatinine, total proteins, albumen, globulin, GOT and GPT as well as immunological response including total, differential leukocytic count and lymphocytes blastogenic response to nitrogen. The animals were divided into two groups The first [G I] unstressed served as control and the second [G II] was restrained by securing their legs with tape for 5 hours daily on 3 successive days. Blood samples were taken at 0 time, 5 hours and 10 hours. The results indicated significant increase in cortisol and ACTH which parallel with the time of exposure reaching maximum levels at 5 hours, significant increase in glucose, GOT and GPT, especially at 5 hours. Total protein, albumen and urea were significantly decreased, while creatinine and globulin fractions were not changed. Total leukocytic count showed significant increase at 5 and 10 hours which was more clear in 3rd day of exposure to stress. Significant increase in neutrophils, eosinophils appeared and significant decrease in lymphocytes number starting at 0 time, decreasing more at 5 hours especially 3rd day of the experiment. Nonsignificant changes appeared on monocytes number. The lymphocytes blastogenic response to mitogen showed that phytohemoagglutinin [PHA] increased significantly at 0 time reaching highest level at 5 hours, then decreased slightly at 10 hours but was higher than control. Concavalin A [Con. A] decreased significantly at 5 and 10 hours, especially after 3 days, Pokeweed [PW] decreased significantly at 0 time reaching lower level at 5 hours, then increased at 10 hours reaching control level