PONE-D-23-42577Cooling lactating sows exposed to acute summer heat wave alters circadian patterns of behavior and rhythms of respiration, rectal temperature, and saliva melatoninPLOS ONE

Dear Dr. Casey,

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 [This research was supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA) grant 2021-07097 The impact of moringa on milk quality and quantity and piglet health in heat stressed swine. ].  

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Reviewers' comments:

Reviewer's Responses to Questions

Comments to the Author

1. Is the manuscript technically sound, and do the data support the conclusions?

The manuscript must describe a technically sound piece of scientific research with data that supports the conclusions. Experiments must have been conducted rigorously, with appropriate controls, replication, and sample sizes. The conclusions must be drawn appropriately based on the data presented.

Reviewer #1: Partly

Reviewer #2: Yes

Reviewer #3: Yes

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2. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously?

Reviewer #1: N/A

Reviewer #2: Yes

Reviewer #3: Yes

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3. Have the authors made all data underlying the findings in their manuscript fully available?

The PLOS Data policy requires authors to make all data underlying the findings described in their manuscript fully available without restriction, with rare exception (please refer to the Data Availability Statement in the manuscript PDF file). The data should be provided as part of the manuscript or its supporting information, or deposited to a public repository. For example, in addition to summary statistics, the data points behind means, medians and variance measures should be available. If there are restrictions on publicly sharing data—e.g. participant privacy or use of data from a third party—those must be specified.

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

Reviewer #3: Yes

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4. Is the manuscript presented in an intelligible fashion and written in standard English?

PLOS ONE does not copyedit accepted manuscripts, so the language in submitted articles must be clear, correct, and unambiguous. Any typographical or grammatical errors should be corrected at revision, so please note any specific errors here.

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

Reviewer #3: Yes

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5. Review Comments to the Author

Please use the space provided to explain your answers to the questions above. You may also include additional comments for the author, including concerns about dual publication, research ethics, or publication ethics. (Please upload your review as an attachment if it exceeds 20,000 characters)

Reviewer #1: This MS was poorly designed to measure the effect of HS on early lactating sows. In order to achieve HS environmental conditions should be controlled and approve the existence of chronic or acute HS in the animals by physiological parameters. The cytokines saliva measurements are not applicable. During overall the MS there is not clear idea of Pro or anti-inflammatory reaction of the immune system to keep hemostasis.

Line comment

48 The word inflammation is mentioned in the reference only once and its results of complications...

"Consequently, the gastrointestinal tract vasoconstricts in an effort to support the altered blood distribution and the reduced splanchnic blood and nutrient flow creates intestinal barrier dysfunction. Intestinal infiltrating antigens stimulate a local immune reaction and, if severe enough, cause systemic endotoxemia associated with inflammation and an acute phase protein response".

107 What NRC ? Ver etc…..

108 Add a table of the composition of the diet and ingredients.

135 during all 48 h ?

148 this does not apply for the RT measurements every 60 min

169 record g forces and not rpm

243 It is 0400h ?

244 3100?

322 Since data was obtained by only 1 sample per treatment, you actually can not say anything!

423 this references, do not refer cytokine analysis via saliva.

Reviewer #2: The research manuscript titled-"Cooling lactating sows exposed to acute summer heat wave alters circadian patterns of behavior and rhythms of respiration, rectal temperature, and saliva melatonin" submitted by Theresa Casey investigated and reported interesting findings which will effectively improve the Pig production system in minimizing the impact of heat stress. The study also reported the significance of cooling in lactating sows and how it impacted the circadian rhythm and its associated physiology. Heat stress and its associated impact on animal production and health is well known. The impeding climate change is further going to be worse in coming time and therefore to maintain the pace in animal production system suitable mitigating strategies are warranted. The study is well planned and executed and number of novel findings are proposed by the authors. The study results concluded that circadian pattern of behavior, physiology and hormones are altered by cooling heat stress sows. I can see another potential finding of the study which will be used as a biomarker (salivary melatonin) and will be used as a biomarker for HS detection. I am highly convinced with the findings of the study; however, before reaching to any final conclusion, I have few suggestions for the authors to consider in this present form of the manuscript during their revision and submission to the journal.

1. Shorten the introduction and frame a clear hypothesis basing on the background of the study.

2. Please mention the studies related or already done in the similar line in pigs or in any other mammalian system.

3. Try to establish a link between the heat stress and melatonin system.

4. Is it possible to propose a figure or a mechanistic picture out of the findings displaying the best possible interplay between the heat stress and melatonin system for better clarity and effective scientific understanding?

5. How cooling is altering the circadian rhythms need to be discussed with relevant literature or more emphasis on this?

6. Why salivary cortisol levels are not altered in HS sows?

7. Is there any relationship between lactation stress and heat stress or combinedly both affecting the production needs to be discussed.

8. How immunological parameters were improved due to cooling in HS sows need to be discussed in the discussion with probable literature.

9. Do the authors think that melatonin and circadian rhythm are the major factors determining the effects of cooling on heat stress sows in improving their physiological parameters, and if so how that is possible can be explained more in the discussion?

10. Whether the authors measured Prolactin and blood metabolite parameters like NEFA, lipid profile, BUN, blood glucose levels and other hormones like insulin and thyroxine. If so can it be provided here and if not it is suggested to do. I was also interested to see the heat shock proteins and their effective role after cooling.

best wishes

Reviewer #3: This manuscript is well designed and organized and has scientific sound at the applicable level in swine industry. I really enjoyed reading this manuscript. However, I just have minor points as follows:

The sample size calculation is not provided, please provide your rationale for not performing a sample size calculation in the M&M section.

I would recommend including a figure in the M&M section to describe temperature-humidity index throughout the experiment.

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Reviewer #1: No

Reviewer #2: Yes: DILIP K SWAIN

Reviewer #3: No

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Cooling lactating sows exposed to early summer heat wave alters circadian patterns of behavior and rhythms of respiration, rectal temperature, and saliva melatonin

PONE-D-23-42577R1

Dear Dr. Casey,

We’re pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been judged scientifically suitable for publication and will be formally accepted for publication once it meets all outstanding technical requirements.

Within one week, you’ll receive an e-mail detailing the required amendments. When these have been addressed, you’ll receive a formal acceptance letter and your manuscript will be scheduled for publication.

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Kind regards,

Andras Garami, M.D., Ph.D.

Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

Additional Editor Comments (optional):

Reviewers' comments:

Reviewer's Responses to Questions

Comments to the Author

1. If the authors have adequately addressed your comments raised in a previous round of review and you feel that this manuscript is now acceptable for publication, you may indicate that here to bypass the “Comments to the Author” section, enter your conflict of interest statement in the “Confidential to Editor” section, and submit your "Accept" recommendation.

Reviewer #2: All comments have been addressed

Reviewer #3: All comments have been addressed

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2. Is the manuscript technically sound, and do the data support the conclusions?

The manuscript must describe a technically sound piece of scientific research with data that supports the conclusions. Experiments must have been conducted rigorously, with appropriate controls, replication, and sample sizes. The conclusions must be drawn appropriately based on the data presented.

Reviewer #2: Yes

Reviewer #3: Yes

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3. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously?

Reviewer #2: Yes

Reviewer #3: Yes

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4. Have the authors made all data underlying the findings in their manuscript fully available?

The PLOS Data policy requires authors to make all data underlying the findings described in their manuscript fully available without restriction, with rare exception (please refer to the Data Availability Statement in the manuscript PDF file). The data should be provided as part of the manuscript or its supporting information, or deposited to a public repository. For example, in addition to summary statistics, the data points behind means, medians and variance measures should be available. If there are restrictions on publicly sharing data—e.g. participant privacy or use of data from a third party—those must be specified.

Reviewer #2: Yes

Reviewer #3: Yes

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5. Is the manuscript presented in an intelligible fashion and written in standard English?

PLOS ONE does not copyedit accepted manuscripts, so the language in submitted articles must be clear, correct, and unambiguous. Any typographical or grammatical errors should be corrected at revision, so please note any specific errors here.

Reviewer #2: Yes

Reviewer #3: Yes

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6. Review Comments to the Author

Please use the space provided to explain your answers to the questions above. You may also include additional comments for the author, including concerns about dual publication, research ethics, or publication ethics. (Please upload your review as an attachment if it exceeds 20,000 characters)

Reviewer #2: (No Response)

Reviewer #3: (No Response)

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7. PLOS authors have the option to publish the peer review history of their article (what does this mean?). If published, this will include your full peer review and any attached files.

If you choose “no”, your identity will remain anonymous but your review may still be made public.

Do you want your identity to be public for this peer review? For information about this choice, including consent withdrawal, please see our Privacy Policy.

Reviewer #2: Yes: DILIP K SWAIN

Reviewer #3: No

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