Acupuncture Affects Autonomic and Endocrine but Not Behavioural Responses Induced by Startle in Horses
Startle is a fast response elicited by sudden acoustic, tactile, or visual stimuli in a variety of animals and in humans. As the magnitude of startle response can be modulated by external and internal variables, it can be a useful tool to study reaction to stress. Our study evaluated whether acupunc...
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doaj-5940cf7ad48a493cbb8b9d0c8cadf8892020-11-25T00:07:55ZengHindawi LimitedEvidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine1741-427X1741-42882015-01-01201510.1155/2015/219579219579Acupuncture Affects Autonomic and Endocrine but Not Behavioural Responses Induced by Startle in HorsesJulia Dias Villas-Boas0Daniel Penteado Martins Dias1Pablo Ignacio Trigo2Norma Aparecida dos Santos Almeida3Fernando Queiroz de Almeida4Magda Alves de Medeiros5Department of Physiological Sciences, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, BR 465, KM 7, 23890 000 Seropédica, RJ, BrazilDepartment of Physiology, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, 14049-900 Ribeirão Preto, SP, BrazilVeterinary Institute, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, BR 465, KM 7, 23890 000 Seropédica, RJ, BrazilDepartment of Physiological Sciences, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, BR 465, KM 7, 23890 000 Seropédica, RJ, BrazilVeterinary Institute, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, BR 465, KM 7, 23890 000 Seropédica, RJ, BrazilDepartment of Physiological Sciences, Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, BR 465, KM 7, 23890 000 Seropédica, RJ, BrazilStartle is a fast response elicited by sudden acoustic, tactile, or visual stimuli in a variety of animals and in humans. As the magnitude of startle response can be modulated by external and internal variables, it can be a useful tool to study reaction to stress. Our study evaluated whether acupuncture can change cardiac autonomic modulation (heart rate variability); and behavioural (reactivity) and endocrine (cortisol levels) parameters in response to startle. Brazilian Sport horses (n=6) were subjected to a model of startle in which an umbrella was abruptly opened near the horse. Before startle, the horses were subjected to a 20-minute session of acupuncture in acupoints GV1, HT7, GV20, and BL52 (ACUP) and in nonpoints (NP) or left undisturbed (CTL). For analysis of the heart rate variability, ultrashort-term (64 s) heart rate series were interpolated (4 Hz) and divided into 256-point segments and the spectra integrated into low (LF; 0.01–0.07 Hz; index of sympathetic modulation) and high (HF; 0.07–0.50 Hz; index of parasympathetic modulation) frequency bands. Acupuncture (ACUP) changed the sympathovagal balance with a shift towards parasympathetic modulation, reducing the prompt startle-induced increase in LF/HF and reducing cortisol levels 30 min after startle. However, acupuncture elicited no changes in behavioural parameters.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/219579 |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Julia Dias Villas-Boas Daniel Penteado Martins Dias Pablo Ignacio Trigo Norma Aparecida dos Santos Almeida Fernando Queiroz de Almeida Magda Alves de Medeiros |
spellingShingle |
Julia Dias Villas-Boas Daniel Penteado Martins Dias Pablo Ignacio Trigo Norma Aparecida dos Santos Almeida Fernando Queiroz de Almeida Magda Alves de Medeiros Acupuncture Affects Autonomic and Endocrine but Not Behavioural Responses Induced by Startle in Horses Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine |
author_facet |
Julia Dias Villas-Boas Daniel Penteado Martins Dias Pablo Ignacio Trigo Norma Aparecida dos Santos Almeida Fernando Queiroz de Almeida Magda Alves de Medeiros |
author_sort |
Julia Dias Villas-Boas |
title |
Acupuncture Affects Autonomic and Endocrine but Not Behavioural Responses Induced by Startle in Horses |
title_short |
Acupuncture Affects Autonomic and Endocrine but Not Behavioural Responses Induced by Startle in Horses |
title_full |
Acupuncture Affects Autonomic and Endocrine but Not Behavioural Responses Induced by Startle in Horses |
title_fullStr |
Acupuncture Affects Autonomic and Endocrine but Not Behavioural Responses Induced by Startle in Horses |
title_full_unstemmed |
Acupuncture Affects Autonomic and Endocrine but Not Behavioural Responses Induced by Startle in Horses |
title_sort |
acupuncture affects autonomic and endocrine but not behavioural responses induced by startle in horses |
publisher |
Hindawi Limited |
series |
Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine |
issn |
1741-427X 1741-4288 |
publishDate |
2015-01-01 |
description |
Startle is a fast response elicited by sudden acoustic, tactile, or visual stimuli in a variety of animals and in humans. As the magnitude of startle response can be modulated by external and internal variables, it can be a useful tool to study reaction to stress. Our study evaluated whether acupuncture can change cardiac autonomic modulation (heart rate variability); and behavioural (reactivity) and endocrine (cortisol levels) parameters in response to startle. Brazilian Sport horses (n=6) were subjected to a model of startle in which an umbrella was abruptly opened near the horse. Before startle, the horses were subjected to a 20-minute session of acupuncture in acupoints GV1, HT7, GV20, and BL52 (ACUP) and in nonpoints (NP) or left undisturbed (CTL). For analysis of the heart rate variability, ultrashort-term (64 s) heart rate series were interpolated (4 Hz) and divided into 256-point segments and the spectra integrated into low (LF; 0.01–0.07 Hz; index of sympathetic modulation) and high (HF; 0.07–0.50 Hz; index of parasympathetic modulation) frequency bands. Acupuncture (ACUP) changed the sympathovagal balance with a shift towards parasympathetic modulation, reducing the prompt startle-induced increase in LF/HF and reducing cortisol levels 30 min after startle. However, acupuncture elicited no changes in behavioural parameters. |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/219579 |
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