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Claus LAM, Barca Junior FA, Junior CK, Pereira GR, Fávaro PDC, Ferreira FP, Galdioli VHG, Seneda MM, Ribeiro ELDA. Testicular shape, scrotal skin thickness and testicular artery blood flow changes in bulls of different ages. Reprod Domest Anim 2021; 56:1034-1039. [PMID: 33932236 DOI: 10.1111/rda.13947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to compare the biometric testicular characteristics, skin thickness and haemodynamics of the testicular artery of 12- and 24-month-old bulls using Doppler ultrasonography, the study was conducted using 48 indicus-taurus animals. The scrotal circumference (SC) and biometry characteristics of the bulls were measured to calculate the testicular volume. Doppler ultrasonography was used to obtain the haemodynamic values of the testicular artery. The skin thickness and volume were lower (p<.01) in the younger bulls (12 months:4.68 ± 0.68 mm; 168.76 ± 47.96 cm3 ) versus 24 months (5.05 ± 0.89; 499.73 ± 129.24 cm3 ) animals (p<.01). During diastole, mean velocity was lower in the 12 months (7.98 ± 3.83) than in the 24 months (11.37 ± 4.15) animals (p <.05). The 12-month-old animals had higher pulsatility and resistivity indices (0.49 ± 0.02; 0.51 ± 0.20) compared to the 24-month-old animals (0.32 ± 0.16; 0.40 ± 0.15) (p < .05). The final testicular end velocity was lower in animals with long/moderate-shaped (L/M) (7.31 ± 2.91) than in those moderate/oval-shaped (M/O) (11.48 ± 3.88) testicles (p < .05). Animals with L/M testes presented higher pulsatility values and resistivity indices (0.51 ± 0.05; 0.55 ± 0.04) compared to animals with M/O shape (0.29 ± 0.20; 0.36 ± 0.15). We showed that the blood flow of the supra testicular artery between the two evaluated ages differed, and that 24-month-old bulls presented better thermoregulation capacity. Animals with a long/moderate testicular format presented a greater vascular resistance, which was imposed on the blood flow due to the anatomical differences in the testicular artery, resulting in lower velocity, and indicating better heat dissipation in this format.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Flávio Antônio Barca Junior
- Animal Production Laboratory, Animal College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Northern Paraná, Arapongas, Paraná, Brazil.,REPROA - Animal Reproduction Laboratory, Deparment of Animal Science, State University of Londrina, Londrina, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Celso Koetz Junior
- Animal Production Laboratory, Animal College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Northern Paraná, Arapongas, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Gabriel Ribas Pereira
- Animal Production Laboratory, Animal College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Northern Paraná, Arapongas, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Patrícia da Cruz Fávaro
- Animal Production Laboratory, Animal College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Northern Paraná, Arapongas, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Fabio Procópio Ferreira
- Animal Production Laboratory, Animal College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Northern Paraná, Arapongas, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Victor Hugo Gonçalves Galdioli
- Animal Production Laboratory, Animal College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Northern Paraná, Arapongas, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Marcondes Seneda
- REPROA - Animal Reproduction Laboratory, Deparment of Animal Science, State University of Londrina, Londrina, Paraná, Brazil
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Menegassi SRO, Pereira GR, McManus C, Roso VM, Bremm C, Koetz C, Lopes JF, Barcellos JOJ. Evaluation and prediction of scrotal circumference in beef bulls. Theriogenology 2019; 140:25-32. [PMID: 31421532 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2019.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2018] [Revised: 05/28/2019] [Accepted: 08/04/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Scrotal circumference (SC) is considered a useful tool for predicting age at puberty and is performed to improve the reproductive performance in beef cattle industry. We aimed to fit several nonlinear mixed models for SC measurements of five different breeds to better predict testicular growth. Data of SC (cm), body weight (BW; kg), and age (A; days), farm location, sire and dam, and birth dates of 169,094 beef bulls were collected from five breeds: Nelore (N) (n = 110,814); Angus (AA) (n = 6541); Brangus (BA) (n = 42,910); Polled Hereford and Hereford (HH) (n = 4640); and Braford (BH) (n = 7480). Data comprise a total of 8640 sires and 115,172 dams and grouped in 2908 contemporary groups (CG). The full model development for SC was defined as: SC = CG + A + A*A + BW + BW*BW + Ɛ. Bulls from HH (34.1 ± 3.2) and AA (33.5 ± 3.0) had the highest value of SC, followed by BH (32.2 ± 3.7), BA (30.6 ± 4.1), and N (26.9 ± 3.6). There was a curvilinear effect of BW on the SC measurements of HH and AA bulls, reaching the maximum point around 600 kg, whether both breeds presented a similar testicular growth pattern. In British breeds, inflection points of average daily SC growth of 0.039 and 0.042 cm/kg were obtained from 700 kg HH and 600 kg AA bulls, respectively. Scrotal circumference values of 0.042 and 0.046 cm/kg reaching the maximum growth point at 450 kg BW were obtained for BH and BA bulls, respectively. We also observed SC values of 0.044 and 0.048 cm/d reaching the maximum growth point at 550 d of age for BH and BA bulls, respectively. Thus, estimate testicular size at maturity should be measured between 500 and 600 kg BW in British genotypes and between 550 and 600 d in Bos indicus and crossbreeds animals. Therefore, SC adjustment can be used by breed-specific criteria associated with BW and/or age to determine testis growth as a selection criterion in beef cattle breeding programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvio R O Menegassi
- Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Bento Gonçalves Avenue no 7712, 91540-000, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Gabriel R Pereira
- Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Bento Gonçalves Avenue no 7712, 91540-000, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Concepta McManus
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Brasilia, Darcy Ribeiro University Campus, 70910-900, Brasília, DF, Brazil
| | - Vanerlei M Roso
- GenSys Consultores Associados S/C Ltda, Guilherme Alves Street 170, 90450-190, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Carolina Bremm
- Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Bento Gonçalves Avenue no 7712, 91540-000, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Celso Koetz
- College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Northern Paraná, Paris Avenue 675, 86041-120, Londrina, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Jusecléia F Lopes
- Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Bento Gonçalves Avenue no 7712, 91540-000, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Júlio O J Barcellos
- Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Bento Gonçalves Avenue no 7712, 91540-000, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
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Cunha MSE, Bonato DV, Vrisman DP, Taira AR, Borges LPB, Albuquerque RDS, Coutinho LN, da Silva MRH, Neumann M, Teixeira PPM. Histopathological and ultrasonographic testicular evaluation of young bulls fed a hyperenergetic diet. Livest Sci 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.livsci.2019.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Prospecting genes associated with navel length, coat and scrotal circumference traits in Canchim cattle. Livest Sci 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.livsci.2018.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Weerakoon WWPN, Sakase M, Kawate N, Hannan MA, Kohama N, Tamada H. Plasma IGF-I, INSL3, testosterone, inhibin concentrations and scrotal circumferences surrounding puberty in Japanese Black beef bulls with normal and abnormal semen. Theriogenology 2018; 114:54-62. [PMID: 29597124 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2018.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2017] [Revised: 03/09/2018] [Accepted: 03/10/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
The relationships between semen abnormalities and peripheral concentrations of testicular and metabolic hormones in beef bulls are unclear. Here we compared plasma insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), insulin-like peptide 3 (INSL3), testosterone, inhibin concentrations, and scrotal circumferences surrounding puberty in Japanese Black beef bulls (n = 66) with normal or abnormal semen. We collected blood samples and measured scrotal circumferences monthly from 4 to 24 months of age. Semen was collected weekly from 12 months until at least 18 months of age. Fresh semen was evaluated for semen volume, sperm motility, concentrations, and morphological defects. The normal fresh semen was frozen by a standard method and examined for post-thaw sperm motility and fertility. Bulls were classified as having either normal post-thaw semen (n = 45) or abnormal semen (n = 21, when at least one of the above test items was abnormal for 6 months). Abnormal semen was classified into abnormal fresh or low-fertility post-thaw which evaluated for rates of transferable embryos. The abnormal fresh was categorized as having sperm morphological defects, low motility, and morphological defects plus low motility. Scrotal circumferences were smaller for the abnormal-semen group vs. the normal-semen group at 20 and 24 months (p < 0.05). Plasma IGF-I, INSL3, and inhibin concentrations in the abnormal-semen group were lower than those of the normal-semen group (p < 0.05) surrounding puberty (4-6, 8, 18-22, and 24 months for IGF-I; 6, 9, 11-14, 17, and 20-21 months for INSL3; 5, 8-13, 16, 17, 19, and 20 months for inhibin). The plasma testosterone concentrations were lower in the abnormal-semen bulls vs. normal-semen bulls only at 22 months (p < 0.05). Analyses of the classified abnormal semen showed lower plasma INSL3 concentrations for morphological defects plus low motility in fresh semen (p < 0.05) and lower IGF-I and inhibin concentrations for low-fertility post-thaw semen (p < 0.05) compared to the normal semen. Our results suggest that reduced secretions of IGF-I, INSL3, and inhibin surrounding puberty may be associated with semen aberration in beef bulls. Notably, the combined sperm abnormality of morphological defects and low motility in fresh semen could involve lowered INSL3, whereas the low-fertility post-thaw semen might be related to decreases of IGF-I and/or inhibin. Pre-puberty blood IGF-I, INSL3 and inhibin concentrations could be used as indicators to predict aberrant semen in beef bulls.
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Affiliation(s)
- W W P N Weerakoon
- Department of Advanced Pathobiology, Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, Izumisano, Osaka, Japan
| | - M Sakase
- Northern Center of Agriculture Technology, General Technological Center of Hyogo Prefecture for Agriculture, Forest and Fishery, Asago, Hyogo, Japan
| | - N Kawate
- Department of Advanced Pathobiology, Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, Izumisano, Osaka, Japan.
| | - M A Hannan
- Department of Advanced Pathobiology, Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, Izumisano, Osaka, Japan
| | - N Kohama
- Northern Center of Agriculture Technology, General Technological Center of Hyogo Prefecture for Agriculture, Forest and Fishery, Asago, Hyogo, Japan
| | - H Tamada
- Department of Advanced Pathobiology, Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, Izumisano, Osaka, Japan
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