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ARS Home » Plains Area » Lubbock, Texas » Cropping Systems Research Laboratory » Livestock Issues Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #363038
Research Project: Nutritional Intervention and Management Strategies to Reduce Stress and Improve Health and Well-being in Cattle and Swine

Location: Livestock Issues Research

Title: Effects of pre-mortem stress on heat shock protein expression in the longissimus lumborum following harvest

Author
item BRIGGS, REGANNE - Utah State University
item LEGAKO, JERRAD - Texas Tech University
item Broadway, Paul
item Carroll, Jeffery - Jeff Carroll
item Sanchez, Nicole
item SMITH, ZACHARY - South Dakota State University
item THORNTON, KARA - Utah State University

Submitted to: Journal of Animal Science Supplement
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/15/2019
Publication Date: 12/5/2019
Citation: Briggs, R.K., Legako, J.F., Broadway, P.R., Carroll, J.A., Sanchez, N.C., Smith, Z.K., Thornton, K.J. 2019. Effects of pre-mortem stress on heat shock protein expression in the longissimus lumborum following harvest. Journal of Animal Science Supplement. 97(Suppl 3):107.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Despite similar production practices, meat products from beef cattle exhibit undesirable variation in tenderness and stability of flavor and color. The objective of this study was to determine whether pre-mortem stress impacts expression of heat shock proteins (HSP) in the skeletal muscle following harvest. In this study, 40 Holstein steers underwent a 6 h adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) challenge designed to emulate pre-mortem stress prior to harvest. Skeletal muscle biopsies from the longissimus lumborum were taken prior to the ACTH challenge. During the challenge, complete blood counts (CBC) were collected every 2 h and serum cortisol every 0.5 h from -2 to 6 h of the ACTH challenge. Following the 6 h ACTH challenge, skeletal muscle and blood samples were collected from 10 animals each harvested at 2, 12, 24 and 48 h post-challenge. Immediately following harvest, samples were collected from the longissimus lumborum and again after 14 d of aging. Protein expression of HSPß1 was analyzed in skeletal muscle samples taken prior to the ACTH challenge, at harvest, and after 14 d of aging. Protein expression of HSPß1 was different (P < 0.05) at harvest between animals that were harvested at different points following induction of stress where steers that were harvested at 12 h had decreased expression when compared to those harvested at 48 h. In addition, time of harvest had an effect (P < 0.01) on cortisol concentrations, hemoglobin, hematocrit, white blood cells, neutrophils, monocytes, and eosinophils. Number of platelets, lymphocytes, and basophils did not differ (P > 0.05) between animals harvested at different time points. These data demonstrate that HSPß1 expression in the longissimus lumborum after harvest may be related to pre-mortem stress.