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Succinylcholine and halothane as a field test for the heterozygote at the halothane locus in pigs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

A. J. Webb ,
P. Imlah  and
A. E. Carden
A. J. Webb
Affiliation:
AFRC Animal Breeding Research Organisation, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JQ
P. Imlah
Affiliation:
Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Roslin, Midlothian
A. E. Carden
Affiliation:
AFRC Animal Breeding Research Organisation, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JQ
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Abstract

Reaction to the muscle relaxant succinylcholine was investigated as a possible method of distinguishing the heterozygote from the normal homozygote at the halothane locus. Totals of 54 assumed heterozygotes and 67 assumed homozygotes received intravenous succinylcholine during halothane anaesthesia at 6 to 10 weeks of age. Three separate measures of the duration and severity of the muscular reaction to succinylcholine were all significantly increased in heterozygotes compared with homozygotes. The genotypic difference for one of the three reaction traits was significantly influenced by the day of testing. Due to overlapping distributions for the two genotypes, succinylcholine reactions did not offer a precise method of identifying individual heterozygotes. Although test mating to recessive homozygotes would still be required to be certain of eliminating the halothane gene, the gene frequency among prosepective parents for test mating could be substantially reduced by succinylcholine screening. Due to the expertise and time required, succinylcholine testing would probably only be worthwhile for the production of specialized homozygous lines at nucleus level.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 42 , Issue 2 , April 1986 , pp. 275 - 279
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1986

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References

REFERENCES

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