Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rcrh6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-30T14:35:13.910Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Genetic variation in reaction time to halothane exposure

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

A. Blasco  and
A. J. Webb
A. Blasco
Affiliation:
AFRC Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics Research, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JQ
A. J. Webb
Affiliation:
AFRC Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics Research, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JQ
Get access

Abstract

The inheritance of the time taken to react to halothane anaesthesia was examined as a possible quantitative measure of penetrance, which might allow the advantage of the halothane gene in lean content to be separated from its disadvantage of stress susceptibility. Restricted maximum-likelihood analyses were conducted on a total of 2207 pigs from 118 sire families in British Landrace and Pietrain-Hampshire lines selected for a high frequency of positive halothane reaction over 6 years. Reaction time averaged 94 s with a CV of 0·53, and was significantly influenced by line, season and live weight, but not sex. Estimated heritabilities averaged 0·07 (s.e. 0·06) and 0·16 (s.e. 0·12) in the two lines respectively, giving a pooled estimate of 0·09 (s.e. 0·05). Due to the high CV, family selection with a heritability of around 0-1 could be expected to give a rapid genetic change in reaction time. It is therefore concluded that selection for slower reaction to halothane could provide a means for reducing the incidence of stress susceptibility while retaining the advantage of the gene in lean content. However, further evidence is required on the correlation of reaction time with stress susceptibility and lean content.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 49 , Issue 1 , August 1989 , pp. 117 - 121
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1989

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Avalos, E. and Smith, C. 1987. Genetic improvement of litter size in pigs. Animal Production 44: 153–163.Google Scholar
Bulmer, M. G. 1980. The Mathematical Theory of Quantitative Genetics. Clarendon Press, Oxford.Google Scholar
Carden, A. E., Hill, W. G. and Webb, A. J. 1983.The inheritance of halothane susceptibility in pigs. Génétique Sélection Evolution 15: 65–82.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Carden, A. E. and Webb, A. J. 1984. The effect of age on halothane susceptibility in pigs. Animal Production 38: 469–475.Google Scholar
Henderson, C. R. Jr and Henderson, C. R. 1979. Analysis of covariance in mixed models with unequal subclass numbers. Communications in Statistical and Theoretical Mathematics 18: 751–787.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jensen, P. and Barton-gade, P. A. 1985. Performance and carcass characteristics of pigs with known genotypes for halothane susceptibility. In Stress Susceptibility and Meat Quality in Pigs (ed. Ludvigsen, J. B.), Publication, European Association of Animal Production, No. 33, pp. 80–81.Google Scholar
Lampo, P. H. 1978. Quantification of the halothane anaesthesia test for stress susceptibility diagnosis in pigs. Proceedings of the 5th World Congress of the International Pig Veterinary Society, Zagreb, Paper KA28.Google Scholar
Patterson, H. D. and Thompson, R. 1971. Recovery in inter-block information when block sizes are unequal. Biometrika 58: 545–554.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reik, T. R., Rempel, W. E., McGrath, C. J. and Addis, P. B. 1983. Further evidence on the inheritance of halothane reaction in pigs. Journal of Animal Science 57: £826–831.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schmidt, U. and Kallweit, E. 1979. Measurement of physiological characteristics of halothane-tested pigs on the conveyor belt and after slaughter. Proceedings of the 30th Meeting of the European Association for Animal Production, Harrogate, Paper MP 2.7.Google Scholar
Smith, C. and Bampton, P. R. 1977. Inheritance of reaction to halothane anaesthesia in pigs. Genetical Research 29: 287–292.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Southwood, O. I. 1986. Studies on the genetics and dynamics of the halothane gene in pigs. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Edinburgh.Google Scholar
Southwood, O. I., Simpson, S. P. and Webb, A. J. 1986. Incomplete recessive inheritance and maternal effects on halothane sensitivity in British Landrace Pigs. Proceedings of the 3rd World Congress on Genetics Applied to the Livestock Production, Lincoln, Nebraska, Vol. XI, pp. 401–406.Google Scholar
Storey, E. A. 1983. Genetics of reaction time to halothane exposure in pigs. M.Sc. Dissertation, University of Edinburgh.Google Scholar
Webb, A. J. and Jordan, C. H. C. 1978. Halothane sensitivity as a field test for stress-susceptibility in the pig. Animal Production 26: 157–168.Google Scholar
Webb, A. J., Southwood, O. I. and Simpson, S. P. 1987. The halothane test in improving meat quality. In Evaluation and Control of Meat Quality in Pigs (ed. Tarrant, P. V., Eikelenboom, G., Monin, G.), pp. 297–315. Martinus Nijhoff, Dordrecht.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Webb, A. J., Southwood, O. I., Simpson, S. P. and Carden, A. E. 1985. Genetics of porcine stress syndrome. In Stress Susceptibility and Meat Quality in Pigs (ed. Ludvigsen, J. B.), Publication, European Association of Animal Production, No. 33, pp. 9–30.Google Scholar