"Investigation macro-anatomique de l'encةphale et la réponse neuroendocrine devant une situation de stress aigu provoqué chez le cheval et le bovin "

Abstract

"Our study is divided in two parts. The first part is a literature review in which we based on four mains axis, neural control of organism and behavior, neuroanatomy of brain, social behavior in horses and cattle and finally physiology of stress. The second part is a practical study . Our experimental work consist on the dissection of two horse’s and two cattle’s brains, aims to search the presence of macro-anatomic structural differences, the second part is a measures of plasma Cortisol levels. Blood was sampled via jugular venipuncture from five horses of Arab barb breeds and three groups of different cattle’s strains, five animals per group to measure reactions and sensitivity to stress in these two species. We exposed them to tests in order to create an acute stress. We have found some structural particularities in the brain, mainly in the vasculature, weight, volume and some structures well developed. In the other we found some differences in the eye, represented by the big volume of ocular glob and a large lens in horses. The response of the HPA-axis to the used tests was negative. Cortisol levels at rest were elevated in horses and they were the highest ones in cattle’s group who had a negative handling experiences."