J Appl Biomed 11:41-45, 2013 | DOI: 10.2478/v10136-012-0028-5

Constant darkness disrupt daily rhythm of adrenocorticotrophin in horses

Claudia Giannetto, Francesco Fazio, Daniela Alberghina, Michele Panzera, Giuseppe Piccione*
Department in Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, Messina, Italy

Cortisol and other adrenal steroids are typically secreted in a pulsate fashion and plasma concentrations can vary widely during a 24-hour period. To investigate daily rhythmicity of plasma adrenocorticotrophin (ACTH) concentration, as well as rectal temperature (RT), sample collections were performed in five Quarter Horses housed in individual boxes under natural light/dark (L/D) cycle followed by constant darkness. The two variables exhibited 24-h rhythmicity under the L/D cycle. Whereas rhythmicity of RT persisted in constant darkness, rhythmicity of ACTH concentration did not. These findings strongly suggested that ACTH secretion in the horse is not under circadian control and is modulated only by environmental light.

Keywords: circadian rhythm; adrenocorticotrophin; photoperiod; horses

Received: November 6, 2012; Revised: November 27, 2012; Published: March 31, 2013  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago Chicago Notes IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Giannetto C, Fazio F, Alberghina D, Panzera M, Piccione G. Constant darkness disrupt daily rhythm of adrenocorticotrophin in horses. J Appl Biomed. 2013;11(1):41-45. doi: 10.2478/v10136-012-0028-5.
Share...
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. Berger J. Advances in chronohaematology. J Appl Biomed. 6: 65-72, 2008. Go to original source...
    2. Carbonaro DA, Friend TH, Dellmeier GR. Behavioral and Physiological Responses of Dairy Goats to Isolation. Physiol Behav. 51: 297-301, 1992. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    3. Federman D. The endocrine patient. In Kronenberg H, Melmed S, Polonsky K, Larsen P (eds.). Williams Textbook of Endocrinology, 11th ed., Sauders Elsevier, Philadelphia, p. 12-17, 2008.
    4. Giannetto C, Fazio F, Vazzana I, Panzera M, Piccione G. Comparison of cortisol and rectal temperature circadian rhythms in horses: the role of light/dark cycle and constant darkness. Biol Rhythm Res. 43: 681-687, 2012. Go to original source...
    5. Griffith MK, Minton JE. Free-running rhythms of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), cortisol and melatonin in pigs. Dom Anim Endocrinol. 8: 201-208, 1991. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    6. Hodgson NP, Wright JA, Hunt J The sympatho-adrenal system and plasma levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone, cortisol and catecholamines in equine grass sickness. Vet Rec. 118: 148-150, 1986. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    7. Kalsbeek A, Ruiter M, la Fleur SE, Van Heijningen C, Buijs RM. The diurnal modulation of hormonal responses in the rat varies with different stimuli. J Neuroendocrinol. 15: 1144-1155, 2003. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    8. Lee ZY, Zylstra R, Haritou SJ. The use of adrenocorticotrophic hormone as a potential biomarker of pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction in horses. Vet J. 185: 58-61, 2010. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    9. Murphy BA, Martin AM, Furney P, Elliot JA. Absence of a serum melatonin rhythm under acutely extended darkness in the horse. J Circadian Rhyhms. 9: 3-10, 2011. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    10. Nelson W, Tong YL, Lee JK, Halberg F. Methods for cosinor rhythmometry. Chronobiologia. 6: 305-323, 1979. Go to PubMed...
    11. Perkins GA, Lamb S, Erb HN, Schanbacher B, Nydam DV, Divers TJ. Plasma adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) concentrations and clinical response in horses treated for equine Cushing's disease with cyproheptadine or pergolide. Equine Vet J. 34: 679-685, 2002. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    12. Piccione G, Fazio F, Giudice E, Grasso F, Morgante M. Nycthemeral change of some haematological parameters in horses. J Appl Biomed. 3: 123-128, 2005. Go to original source...
    13. Piccione G, Giannetto C, Fazio F, Giudice E. Daily rhythm of tear production in normal horse. Vet Ophthalmol. 11(Suppl. 1):57-60, 2008. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    14. Piccione G, Giannetto C, Fazio F, Casella S, Caola G. A comparison of daily rhythm of creatinine and creatine kinase in the sedentary and athlete horse. J Equine Vet Science. 29: 575-580, 2009. Go to original source...
    15. Piccione G, Giannetto C, Casella S, Marafioti S, Messina V, Assenza A, Faggio C, Fazio F. Nycthemeral rhythms of total locomotor activity and oxidative markers in horse. J Appl Biomed. 9: 43-48, 2011a. Go to original source...
    16. Piccione G, Giannetto C, Marafioti S, Casella S, Assenza A, Fazio F. Comparison of daily rhythm of rectal and auricular temperatures in horses kept under a natural photoperiod and constant darkness. J Therm Biol. 36: 245-249, 2011b. Go to original source...
    17. Piccione G, Marafioti S, Giannetto C, Faggio C, Panzera M, Fazio F. The role of the light/dark cycle in the daily rhythm of serum proteins in equus caballus. J Appl Biomed. 10: 29-34, 2012a. Go to original source...
    18. Piccione G, Giannetto C, Bertolucci C, Refinetti R. Daily rhythmicity of circulating melatonin is not endogenously generated in the horse. Biol Rhythm Res. in press, 2012b. Go to original source...
    19. Refinetti R. Non-stationary time series and the robustness of circadian rhythms. J Theoretic Biol. 227: 571-581, 2004. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    20. Refinetti R. The circadian rhythm of body temperature. Frontiere Biosci. 15: 564-594, 2010. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    21. Sage D, Maurel D, Bosler O. Corticosterone-dependent driving influence of the suprachiasmatic nucleus on adrenal sensitivity to ACTH. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 282: E458-E465, 2002. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    22. Stewart P. The adrenal cortex. In Kronenberg H, Melmed S, Polonsky K, Larsen P (eds.). Williams Textbook of Endocrinology, 11th ed., Sauders Elsevier, Philadelphia, p. 445-503, 2008.

    Return to the content