Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-jbqgn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-16T23:49:54.463Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

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
Get access

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

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Carden, A. E., Hill, W. G. and Webb, A. J. 1983. The inheritance of halothane susceptibility in pigs. Génét. Sél. Evol. 15: 65–81.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gronert, G. A. 1980. Malignant hyperthermia. Anaesthesiology 53: 395–424.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Harvey, W. R. 1977. User's Guide for LSML76. Mixed model least-squares and maximum likelihood computer program. Ohio State Univ., Columbus, (Mimeograph).Google Scholar
Imlah, P. 1982. Linkage studies between the halothane (Hal), phosphohexose isomerase (Phi) and the S(A-O) and H red blood cell loci of Pietrain/Hampshire and Landrace pigs. Anim. Bid Grps Biochem. Genet. 13: 245–262.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lucre, J. N., Hall, G. M. and Lister, D. 1976. Porcine malignant hyperthermia. I: Metabolic and physiological changes. Br. J. Anaesth. 48: 297–304.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Webb, A. J. 1980. The incidence of halothane sensitivity in British pigs. Anim Prod. 31: 101–105.Google Scholar
Webb, A. J., Carden, A. E., Smith, C. and Imlah, P. 1982. Porcine stress syndrome in pig breeding. Proc. 2nd Wld Congr. Genet. Appl. Livest. Prod., Madrid. Vol. 5, pp. 588–608. Editorial Garsi, Madrid.Google Scholar
Webb, A. J. and Jordan, C. H. C. 1978. Halothane sensitivity as a field test for stress-susceptibility in the pig. Anim. Prod. 26: 157–168.Google Scholar