Expression profiles of stress biomarkers during foetotomy in dromedary camels

Twenty camels subjected to partial foetotomy and 5 camels with spontaneous vaginal delivery (eutocia) were included in this study. All camels with eutocia gave birth to live foetuses. Jugular blood was taken before and after eutocia and foetotomy. Heat shock protein 70 A1 (HSP 70 A1), nitric oxide synthases (NOS), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and cortisol were determined in the sera using ELISA. Results showed that before foetal expulsion/removal, GSH-PX concentration was higher (P = 0.0001) in the eutocia (185.47 ± 42.5 IU/mL) than in the foetotomy group (13.98 ± 7.1 IU/mL). Similarly, cortisol concentration was greater (P = 0.001) in the eutocia (148.68 ± 2.7 ng/mL) than in the foetotomy group (39.92 ± 12.5 ng/mL). A positive correlation was found between GSH-PX and cortisol concentrations (r = 0.47, P = 0.02). After foetal expulsion/removal, GSH-PX remained higher (P = 0.04) in the eutocia (251.65 ± 112.9 IU/mL) than in the foetotomic (82.06 ± 30.1 IU/mL) cases. Likewise, cortisol concentration was greater (P = 0.00001) in the eutocia (142.30 ± 8.2 ng/mL) than in the foetotomy (30.63 ± 10 ng/mL) group. The other biomarkers did not differ between the 2 groups. Therefore, GSH-PX was the most indicative biomarker for the stress of labour, dystocia and foetotomy in dromedary camels. Expression of cortisol was greater in camels experiencing eutocia than in those suffering dystocia or after foetotomy.