EFFECTS OF TRANSPORT AND INDOMETHACIN ON TELEMETERED BODY-TEMPERATUREAND RELEASE OF CORTISOL AND PROLACTIN IN PRE-PUBERTAL PIGS

Previous research indicates that acute physical stress (restraint) rai ses core temperature in growing pigs via a prostaglandin-dependent mec hanism. This study investigated whether transport stress affects body temperature in pigs and whether any such changes might involve endogen ous prostaglandins. Pre-pubertal boars (n = 7) were implanted with ven ous catheters and biotelemetry devices for the measurement of core tem perature. They were transported for two hours, with and without indome thacin (IND) pretreatment, and blood samples were taken at 15 minute i ntervals for the determination of plasma cortisol and prolactin concen trations. The results indicated that, contrary to predictions, body te mperature tended to fall during transport and that the effect was exag gerated by IND. By contrast, cortisol concentrations increased during transport and were unaffected by IND whereas the tendency for transpor t to stimulate prolactin release was reversed by IND.