Influence of Circadian Rhythm on the Surgical Stress Response in Bitches Undergoing Elective Ovariohysterectomy

Mar 14, 2026Animals : an open access journal from MDPI

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Abstract

No significant changes in cortisol levels were detected following elective ovariohysterectomy (OVH) in healthy bitches.

Circadian rhythm may influence the surgical stress response, with notable differences observed between morning and night surgeries.
In the group that underwent surgery at night, significant alterations in respiratory rate and rectal temperature were noted.
Time to first urine was longer in the group undergoing night surgery compared to the morning group.
Increased lipid peroxidation was observed in the night surgery group, indicating potential disturbances in homeostasis.
The study highlights that surgeries performed at night could be associated with greater physiological stress compared to those performed in the morning.

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Circadian rhythm regulates several physiological functions, and influences endocrine and metabolic responses in mammals, with cortisol acting as important modulator of this mechanism. Cortisol secretion is affected by both internal and external factors and is intensified under stress conditions. The response to surgical stress is consistently observed after surgical procedures, such as ovariohysterectomy (OVH). Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the influence of the circadian rhythm on the surgical stress response following elective OVH in healthy bitches. Twenty patients weighing between 10 and 20 kg were hospitalized 48 h before surgery and remained hospitalized for 48 h postoperative. The animals were randomly allocated into two groups and underwent OVH either in the morning (6-8 h-a.m., GAM) or at night (18-20 h-p.m., GPM). Surgical procedures were standardized with respect to the surgical team, technique applied and duration; this was carried out in order to induce a comparable level of surgical stress. Physical parameters (systolic blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate and rectal temperature) and laboratorial analyses (cortisol, leukogram, protein thiols, no protein thiols, vitamin C, ferric reducing ability of plasma and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances) were assessed immediately before surgery and at 2, 4, 6, 12, 24 and 48 h, as well as 14 days postoperatively. No significant changes in cortisol profile were detected. However, significant alteration in the respiratory rate, rectal temperature, time to first urine, and lipid peroxidation were observed in the GPM group, suggesting that surgeries performed at night induce greater disturbances in homeostasis than those performed in the morning.

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Influence of Circadian Rhythm on the Surgical Stress Response in Bitches Undergoing Elective Ovariohysterectomy

Abstract

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