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Changes in alpha-amylase activity, concentration and isoforms in pigs after an experimental acute stress model: an exploratory study

Overview of attention for article published in BMC Veterinary Research, August 2018
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Title
Changes in alpha-amylase activity, concentration and isoforms in pigs after an experimental acute stress model: an exploratory study
Published in
BMC Veterinary Research, August 2018
DOI 10.1186/s12917-018-1581-2
Pubmed ID
Authors

María Dolores Contreras-Aguilar, Damián Escribano, Silvia Martínez-Subiela, Silvia Martínez-Miró, Jose Joaquín Cerón, Fernando Tecles

Abstract

Salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) is considered a non-invasive biomarker of acute stress that can be evaluated by changes in activity and concentration, and also by changes in its isoforms, although this last way of evaluation has never been used in veterinary medicine. This research evaluated the changes of sAA by three different ways in which sAA can be evaluated in an experimental acute stress model in six pigs based in a technique of temporarily restraining. These ways of evaluation were 1) activity by a spectrophotometric assay, 2) concentration by a fluorometric assay, and 3) isoforms of the enzyme by a Western blot. Although salivary cortisol significantly increased due to the stimulus of stress and all the pigs manifested signs of stress by high-pitched vocalization, sAA activity showed an increase of different degree in the six pigs after the stress stimulus, while sAA concentration showed decreases in four of the six pigs. sAA activity did not correlate with sAA concentration or salivary cortisol, and a low correlation was observed between sAA concentration and salivary cortisol (r = 0.48, p = 0.003). The inter-individual variability was higher in sAA activity than in sAA concentration and salivary cortisol. Finally, three possible isoforms of sAA at 154-160 kDa, 65-66 kDa and 59-60 kDa were observed that showed different dynamics after the stress induction. Although this pilot study's results should be taken with caution due to the low sample size, it reveals a different behavior between sAA activity and concentration in pig after an acute stressful stimulus leading to evident external signs of stress by high-pitched vocalization, and opens a new field for the evaluation of possible selected isoforms of sAA as potential biomarkers of stress.

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Mendeley readers

Mendeley readers

The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 45 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.

Geographical breakdown

Country Count As %
Unknown 45 100%

Demographic breakdown

Readers by professional status Count As %
Student > Bachelor 9 20%
Researcher 6 13%
Student > Master 5 11%
Student > Postgraduate 4 9%
Student > Doctoral Student 2 4%
Other 8 18%
Unknown 11 24%
Readers by discipline Count As %
Veterinary Science and Veterinary Medicine 12 27%
Agricultural and Biological Sciences 6 13%
Psychology 2 4%
Medicine and Dentistry 2 4%
Neuroscience 2 4%
Other 5 11%
Unknown 16 36%
Attention Score in Context

Attention Score in Context

This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 1. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 31 August 2018.
All research outputs
#17,989,170
of 23,102,082 outputs
Outputs from BMC Veterinary Research
#1,703
of 3,083 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#240,550
of 335,220 outputs
Outputs of similar age from BMC Veterinary Research
#44
of 71 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 23,102,082 research outputs across all sources so far. This one is in the 19th percentile – i.e., 19% of other outputs scored the same or lower than it.
So far Altmetric has tracked 3,083 research outputs from this source. They receive a mean Attention Score of 3.9. This one is in the 36th percentile – i.e., 36% of its peers scored the same or lower than it.
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We're also able to compare this research output to 71 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one is in the 25th percentile – i.e., 25% of its contemporaries scored the same or lower than it.