Tame the Flame: Inflammation Is a Targetable Physiological Mechanism Underlying Poor Outcomes of Heat Stress in Finishing Sheep

Authors

Pablo C. Grijalva, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

First Advisor

Dustin Yates

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Department

Animal Science

Date of this Version

12-4-2023

Document Type

Dissertation

Comments

Copyright 2023, Pablo C. Grijalva

Abstract

This research focused on health management through the identification of suitable interventions in stressed livestock. For this investigation, we conducted two experiments. First, we determined whether administration of dexamethasone or fish oil to heat-stressed livestock to reduce systemic inflammation would mitigate metabolic deficits, enhance nutrient utilization, and improve health. We found that these interventions helped to reduce circulating inflammatory cytokines and improve respiration, muscle glucose metabolism, lipid homeostasis, cardiovascular function, and organ pathology in lambs exposed to 30 days of heat stress. In our second experiment, we performed transcriptomic analyses to identify the underlying mechanisms affecting young offspring following prenatal heat stress. Our primary objective was to determine gene expression changes in the left ventricular cardiac tissue of juvenile lambs affected by intrauterine stress. Through these analyses, we identified differences in gene expression affecting physiological pathways related primarily to elevated inflammatory signaling and disruption of growth regulation. The findings from these data will inform the development of strategies to mitigate the adverse consequences associated with inflammation-inducing events in livestock species.

Recommended Citation

Grijalva, Pablo C., "Tame the Flame: Inflammation Is a Targetable Physiological Mechanism Underlying Poor Outcomes of Heat Stress in Finishing Sheep" (2023). Dissertations and Doctoral Documents from University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–. 35.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissunl/35