Cj. Cook et al., CHANGES IN THE RELEASE OF AMINO-ACID NEUROTRANSMITTERS IN THE BRAINS OF CALVES AND SHEEP AFTER HEAD-ONLY ELECTRICAL STUNNING AND THROAT CUTTING, Research in Veterinary Science, 60(3), 1996, pp. 255-261
In calves aged two to five months, throat cutting resulted in an incre
ase in the concentration of the amino acid neurotransmitters glutamate
and aspartate in the brain. Electrical head-only stunning by itself a
lso increased the concentrations of these two neurotransmitters. The l
evels induced by stunning resulted in a seizure state characterised by
epileptiform-like activity in the electroencephalograph. Combing head
-only stunning with throat cutting within 10 seconds of the stun had a
synergistic effect upon glutamate and aspartate, increasing their con
centration by a greater amount and more quickly than either procedure
on its own. An irreversible loss of brain function also occurred more
quickly than after throat cutting alone. The administration of glutama
te and aspartate receptor antagonists before the throat cutting length
ened the time to the loss of brain function in a dose dependent manner
. Similar changes were observed in sheep but they occurred much more q
uickly than in cattle.