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Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2025; 15(24); 3551; doi: 10.3390/ani15243551

Monitoring Weaning Stress in Fillies and Colts on a Thoroughbred Breeding Farm by Cortisol and Blood Inflammatory Markers: The Benefits of Gradual Separation and Social Support.

Abstract: Weaning represents a major developmental milestone for foals, especially when 4- to 7-month-old foals are abruptly separated from their dams. Studies have shown that the post-weaning period is associated with physiological and psychological stress, which may affect immune function. The present study aimed to describe and analyze the pattern of blood inflammatory biomarkers related to the innate immune system. A gradual foal-dam separation procedure was chosen, which included post-weaning social buffering by a familiar adult horse. Twelve Thoroughbred foals (six fillies, six colts) aged 4-6 months were enrolled and divided into a colt and a filly group, and after weaning, were kept as such. Blood samples were collected before and up to 7 days after weaning. Serum cortisol and cytokines (IL-2, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α, IFN-γ) were quantified using equine-specific ELISA kits. Routine descriptive statistics were used to present the data, and inferences were drawn using a two-way repeated measures ANOVA. The level of significance was set at < 0.05. Results showed significant differences in the concentrations of IL-10 ( < 0.001), IFN-γ ( < 0.01), and TNF-α ( < 0.01) on various days post-weaning. An apparent significant sex effect was not shown, but IL-10 peaked on day 3 in fillies. IFN-γ decreased significantly by day 5 in both sexes. Conversely, TNF-α levels increased significantly by day 5. No significant changes were observed for cortisol.
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Publication Date: 2025-12-10 PubMed ID: 41463836PubMed Central: PMC12729675DOI: 10.3390/ani15243551Google Scholar: Lookup
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APA
Deniz Ö, Erol HS, van den Hoven R, Onmaz AC, Aragona F, Fazio F. (2025). Monitoring Weaning Stress in Fillies and Colts on a Thoroughbred Breeding Farm by Cortisol and Blood Inflammatory Markers: The Benefits of Gradual Separation and Social Support. Animals (Basel), 15(24), 3551. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15243551

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 15
Issue: 24
PII: 3551

Researcher Affiliations

Deniz, Ömer
  • Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kastamonu University, Kastamonu 37150, Türkiye.
Erol, Hüseyin Serkan
  • Department of Biochemistry Balıkesir Türkiye, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Balıkesir University, Balıkesir 10100, Türkiye.
van den Hoven, René
  • Department of Companion Animals and Horses, Equine University Clinic for Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Veterinary University of Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, A-1210 Vienna, Austria.
Onmaz, Ali Cesur
  • Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri 38280, Türkiye.
Aragona, Francesca
  • Department of Veterinary Science, University of Messina, Via Giovanni Palatucci, 98168 Messina, Italy.
Fazio, Francesco
  • Department of Veterinary Science, University of Messina, Via Giovanni Palatucci, 98168 Messina, Italy.

Grant Funding

  • KUBAP-01/2024-29 / Kastamonu University

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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