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The effects of halothane sensitivity on carcass composition and meat quality in HAL-1843-normal pigs1,2

2005; Oxford University Press; Volume: 83; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.2527/2005.833671x

1544-7847

C. P. Allison, R.C. Johnson, M. E. Doumit,

Animal Nutrition and Physiology

Objectives of this study were to determine the incidence of halothane sensitivity in pigs that are homozygous normal at the ryanodine receptor nucleotide 1843 (HAL-1843-normal) and the relationships between halothane sensitivity and carcass composition or meat quality. In Exp. 1, piglets (Lines A, B, C, and D; n = 168, 170, 168, and 169, respectively) were obtained from mating a HAL-1843-normal sire line to four HAL-1843-normal dam lines. In Exp. 2, piglets from Lines A and B (n = 87 and 90, respectively) were included with piglets (Lines E, F, G, and H; n = 94, 92, 89, and 89, respectively) obtained from mating four HAL-1843-normal sire lines to a single HAL-1843-normal dam line. Pigs were subjected to 3% halothane at approximately 9 wk of age. In Exp. 1, limb rigidity, blotching of the skin, and muscle tremors were visually assessed, and based on these criteria, halothane sensitivity (HS) was observed in 48% of the pigs. To better characterize this response, a scoring system was developed and used in Exp. 2. Using this system, 25, 42, and 33% of the pigs in E and 40, 33, and 27% of the pigs in Line G were categorized as HS-low (HS-L), HS-intermediate (HS-I), and HS-high (HS-H), respectively. In Lines F and H, 13 and 18% of the pigs were HS-I, and 0 and 2% were HS-H, respectively. No consistent effects due to HS were observed in carcass composition or meat quality; however, when a subset of pigs from Exp. 2 were subjected to more extensive handling and transportation before slaughter, ultimate pH was lower and drip loss was higher in LM from HS-H compared with HS-L pigs (P < 0.05; n = 71). These results demonstrate that some pigs are sensitive to halothane anesthesia even in the absence of the known HAL-1843 polymorphism. Additionally, halothane sensitivity may be associated with inferior pork quality under adverse antemortem conditions.