Oxidative stress associated with road transportation in ewes

The influence of road transportation on reactive oxygen species (dROMs), antioxidant barrier (Oxy-adsorbent) and thiol antioxidant barrier (SHp) was evaluated in 20 healthy Comisana ewes. The animals were divided into two groups: A (n = 10), the experimental group, was transported by road for 6 h over a distance about 490 km with an average speed of 80 km/h, and B (n = 10), the control group, was not subject to road transportation. Blood samples were collected via jugular venepuncture before and after the road transportation as well as after 8, 12, 24 and 48 h post-transport. Two-way repeated measure analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to determine the effects of sampling time, the differences between treatments, and the interaction between Time and Treatment. There was a significant Time x Treatment interaction for all oxidative stress parameters (P < 0.05), indicating that time course of the studied parameters differed across the treatment Groups. In Group A, there was an increase due to the effect of sampling time on dROMs (P < 0.05), Oxy-adsorbent (P < 0.05) and SHp (P < 0.05). Road transport caused an increase in catabolic reactions, which may cause an increase in reactive oxygen species and anti-oxidant substances. In conclusion, the transport has negatively affected the oxidant/antioxidant status in ewes showing that is very stressful and constitutes a crucial welfare and economic problem to animals and farmers. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.