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Effect of transport stress on neutrophil activation in wild
badgers
Journal
Animal
Welfare ,
Volume 13 ,
Issue 3 , August 2004 , pp. 355 - 359 DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0962728600028475
Authors
I Montes ,
GW McLaren ,
DW Macdonald and
R Mian
Abstract
Wild badgers (Meles meles) in Wytham woods,
Oxfordshire, are routinely trapped, transported to a central field
laboratory, studied and released as part of an on-going population study.
These procedures have been carefully developed to minimise impact on the
badgers' welfare; however they are potentially stressful, and, as part of
our on-going welfare refinements, and our exploration to develop methods
for quantifying stress in wild mammals, we studied the effects of
transport stress on neutrophil activation in wild trapped badgers. Blood
samples were obtained from 28 badgers. We compared three transport
regimes: transported (n = 9), transported and rested for at least 30 mins
(n = 11), and not transported (n = 8). Total and differential white cell
counts were carried out and neutrophil activation was measured by the
nitroblue tetrazolium test. Our goal was primarily to validate neutrophil
activity as an indicator of stress, on the basis that the transport
treatment was expected to be more stressful than the non-transport
treatment. There were significant increases in % activated circulating
neutrophils in response to transport. This study supports the proposition
that stress affects circulating neutrophil numbers and the state of their
activation, as determined by the nitroblue tetrazolium reduction assay,
and therefore adds weight to the idea that neutrophil activation is a
potential measure of stress in wild animals.
Keywords
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