Effects of transport stress on pathological injury and expression of main heat shock proteins in the caprine stomach

Abstract

Background: Transportation is necessary to introduce new breeds of goats to the farm and move the adult meat goat from the farm to the slaughterhouse. However, these actions may give rise to transport stress. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are playing some important regulate roles during transport stress. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of transport stress on the pathological injury and HSPs expression in the stomach of goats. A total of three batches of Ganxi goats from western Jiangxi province were enrolled in this study. For each batch, twelve healthy adult male goats were randomly divided into three groups (four goats per batch and per group): Control group, stress group transported during 2 h and stress group transported during 6 h.

Results: Our results showed that the different degrees of stomach walls damage, with the change of expression levels of heat shock protein 27 (HSP27), heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) and heat shock protein 90 (HSP90), occurred after goats transportation. In rumen, the mRNA and protein expressions of HSP27 and HSP70 were increased after transport stress, but not HSP90. In reticulum, all three HSPs mRNA and protein levels were upregulated after 2 h transport, but decreased after 6 h transport. In omasum, HSP27 and HSP70 mRNA and protein were increased after transport stress, however, HSP90 mRNA level only had a slightly enhancement after transport stress. In abomasum, HSP70 and HSP90 mRNA and protein levels were increased after transport stress, but HSP27 was decreased after transport stress.

Conclusions: Taken together, these results revealed that the pathological changes in the gastric tissues and the stomach HSPs expression in goats are related to transport stress and duration. Moreover, this study also provides some new data to advocate reducing transport stress of goats and improving animal welfare.

Keywords: Goat; Heat shock proteins; Pathological injury; Stomach; Transport stress.

Fig. 1

The effects of transportation-induced transport stress on rumen of goats. a Hematoxylin and eosin stained-rumen sections from control and transportation-induced transport stress goats. Scale bar 100 μm. b Immunohistochemical staining showing the expression of HSP27, HSP70 and HSP90 in rumen of goats from control group and transported groups. NC, negative control. Scale bar 50 μm. c Western blot of the HSP27, HSP70 and HSP90 proteins in the rumen of 2 h and 6 h transportation-treated goats. β-Actin was used as loading control. d Quantitative analysis of western blot using Image Pro Plus 6.0. e Real-time PCR analysis of the HSP27, HSP70 and HSP90 mRNA levels in the rumen of 2 h and 6 h transportation-treated goats. f ELISA analysis of the HSP27, HSP70 and HSP90 concentrations in the rumen of 2 h and 6 h transportation-treated goats. Data are presented as the means ± SD; *p < 0.05

Fig. 2

The effects of transportation-induced transport stress on reticulum of goats. a Hematoxylin and eosin stained-reticulum sections from control and transportation-induced transport stress goats. Scale bar 100 μm. b Immunohistochemical staining showing the expression of HSP27, HSP70 and HSP90 in reticulum of goats from control group and transported groups. NC, negative control. Scale bar 50 μm. c Western blot of the HSP27, HSP70 and HSP90 proteins in the reticulum of 2 h and 6 h transportation-treated goats. β-Actin was used as loading control. d Quantitative analysis of western blot using Image Pro Plus 6.0. e Real-time PCR analysis of the HSP27, HSP70 and HSP90 mRNA levels in the reticulum of 2 h and 6 h transportation-treated goats. f ELISA analysis of the HSP27, HSP70 and HSP90 concentrations in the reticulum of 2 h and 6 h transportation-treated goats. Data are presented as the means ± SD; *p < 0.05

Fig. 3

The effects of transportation-induced transport stress on omasum of goats. a Hematoxylin and eosin stained-omasum sections from control and transportation-induced transport stress goats. Scale bar 100 μm. b Immunohistochemical staining showing the expression of HSP27, HSP70 and HSP90 in omasum of goats from control group and transported groups. NC, negative control. Scale bar 50 μm. c Western blot of the HSP27, HSP70 and HSP90 proteins in the omasum of 2 h and 6 h transportation-treated goats. β-Actin was used as loading control. d Quantitative analysis of western blot using Image Pro Plus 6.0. e Real-time PCR analysis of the HSP27, HSP70 and HSP90 mRNA levels in the omasum of 2 h and 6 h transportation-treated goats. f ELISA analysis of the HSP27, HSP70 and HSP90 concentrations in the omasum of 2 h and 6 h transportation-treated goats. Data are presented the means ± SD; *p < 0.05

Fig. 4

The effects of transportation-induced transport stress on abomasum of goats. a Hematoxylin and eosin stained-abomasum sections from control and transportation-induced transport stress goats. Scale bar 100 μm. b Immunohistochemical staining showing the expression of HSP27, HSP70 and HSP90 in abomasum of goats from control group and transported groups. NC, negative control. Scale bar 50 μm. c Western blot of the HSP27, HSP70 and HSP90 proteins in the abomasum of 2 h and 6 h transportation-treated goats. β-Actin was used as loading control. d Quantitative analysis of western blot using Image Pro Plus 6.0. e Real-time PCR analysis of the HSP27, HSP70 and HSP90 mRNA levels in the abomasum of 2 h and 6 h transportation-treated goats. f ELISA analysis of the HSP27, HSP70 and HSP90 concentrations in the abomasum of 2 h and 6 h transportation-treated goats. Data are presented as the means ± SD; *p < 0.05