Background and Aim: Stress significantly affects health and productivity of animals. There is need for affordable and easy-to-assay markers of physiological stress in broilers. This study evaluated hematological and serum biochemical markers of physiologic stress in broiler chickens. Materials and Methods: Thirty day-old broiler chickens were assigned to three groups of ten broilers each during the 56-day study. Group 1 broilers served as the control and were not exposed to any stressors; Group 2 broilers were stocked at the stress density of 50 kg BW m–2 from day 49 to 56 while Group 3 broilers had their feed withdrawn 36 h before blood collection on day 56. Blood samples were collected on day 49 (pre-stress sample) and day 56 (post-stress sample) from all the birds and subjected to hematological and serum biochemical analysis. Results: The parameters did not vary significantly (p>0.05) pre-stress. Post-stress, there were significant variations in the heterophil, lymphocyte, and eosinophil counts and in the heterophil to lymphocyte ratio across the three groups. The concentrations of the plasma fibrinogen and serum albumins, sodium, and sodium to potassium ratio of the broilers varied significantly across the groups. Conclusion: Heterophil, eosinophil, and lymphocyte counts, the heterophil to lymphocyte ratio, plasma fibrinogen, serum albumin, sodium, and sodium to potassium ratio are significant markers of physiological stress in broilers.

The Haematological Profile Of The Sprague-Dawley Outbred Albino Rat In Nsukka, Nigeria

This study evaluated the changes that occurred in the serum levels of calcium and phosphorus in laying hens infected with velogenic Newcastle disease (ND) virus (vNDV), and their relationship to the decrease in egg production usually associated with ND. Two hundred and forty laying hens (32 weeks old) were randomly assigned into four groups of 60 each viz: VAI – vaccinated with ND vaccines and intramuscularly inoculated with vNDV, VAU – vaccinated uninfected, UNI – unvaccinated infected and UNU – unvaccinated uninfected. At weekly intervals blood was collected from six randomly selected hens in each group for serum calcium and phosphorus assays. Groups VAI and UNI showed a significant (p < .05) drop in egg production. Serum phosphorus levels of groups VAI and UNI were significantly (p < .05) lower than those of groups VAU and UNU. There was a highly positive correlation between serum phosphorus levels and egg production which was highly significant (r = .74; p < .01). The changes in serum calcium levels of infected groups were only slight, and the relationship between serum calcium levels and egg production was low, positive and not significant (r = .26; p > .05). Drop in egg production that occurred in the ND-infected laying hens was positively strongly correlated with the drop in serum phosphorus levels.

This study investigated the effects of administration of monosodium L-glutamate (MSG) on serum gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH), luteinising hormone (LH), testosterone and total cholesterol (TC), cauda epididymal sperm reserves (CESR) and testicular histomorphology of adult male albino rats. Eighty-four rats, randomly assigned to 7 groups of 12 rats each, were used for the study. Varying low doses (0.25, 0.50 or 1.00 g/kg body weight) of MSG were administered orally or subcutaneously at 48-h intervals for six weeks. Serum GnRH, LH, testosterone and TC, and CESR were evaluated on days 14, 28 and 42 of MSG administration. Testicular histomorphology was evaluated on day 42. The results showed that the mean serum GnRH, LH and testosterone levels, and the CESR of all the treated groups were significantly (P < 0.05) lower than those of the untreated control on days 14, 28 and 42 of MSG administration. The mean serum TC levels of all the treated groups were also significantly (P < 0.05) lower than those of the control group on days 14 and 28. No lesions were observed on sections of the testes. It was concluded that MSG administration for 14, 28 and 42 days led to significantly lower serum levels of GnRH, LH, testosterone and TC, and significantly lower CESR.