scholarly journals Effect of Melatonin Feeding on Testicular Development, Reproductive Behaviour and Sperm Production in Suffolk Rams.

1993 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 357-361
Author(s):  
Naohito KUSAKARI ◽  
Mutsuo OHARA
1982 ◽  
Vol 60 (10) ◽  
pp. 2309-2316 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen S. Cole

Coryphopterus nicholsi is a temperate zone marine goby. In laboratory groups of fish, females preferentially spawn with dominant males; assessment of dominance appears to be based upon courting vigour. Male size (standard length) and dominance were often, but not always, highly correlated. In contrast, there was no consistent correlation between territorial quality and spawning success. Smaller males in laboratory groups did not court females or guard eggs. However, their behaviour and testicular development during the reproductive season suggest that they may engage in sneak spawning. Dominant males are more likely to successfully guard eggs against conspecific predators than are subordinate males, and hence females should have greater reproductive success if they choose dominant males for spawning partners.


1969 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 889 ◽  
Author(s):  
EJ Underwood ◽  
M Somers

Ram lambs fed on a diet containing 2.4 p.p.m. zinc made poor growth, developed clinical signs of severe zinc deficiency, showed impaired testicular growth, and showed a complete cessation of spermatogenesis within a period of 20–24 weeks. Lambs fed on the same diet supplemented with zinc sulphate to provide total zinc levels of 17.4 and 32.4 p.p.m. had a higher feed intake, made significantly greater liveweight gains, and showed no signs of zinc deficiency. Testicular growth and sperm production were markedly improved by both the zinc supplements. No differences in liveweight gains or feed consumption between the two supplemented groups were observed but testicular growth and sperm production were highly significantly greater in the lambs receiving the larger zinc supplement. It was concluded that a dietary zinc intake of 17.4 p.p.m. is adequate for growth of ram lambs but is inadequate for normal testicular development and function. Lambs in which consumption of the diet containing 32.4 p.p.m. zinc was restricted to that of the zinc-deficient group showed no significant improvement in liveweight gains, but testicular development and sperm production were significantly greater than in the zinc-deficient lambs. Complete remission of all signs of zinc deficiency and full recovery of testicular size, structure, and function were achieved in a zinc repletion period lasting 20 weeks.


1979 ◽  
Vol 206 (1163) ◽  
pp. 183-189 ◽  

Adult males from a colony of lesser rock hyrax found near the equator in Kenya exhibited an annual cycle of testicular activity characterized by intense spermatogenesis and elevated androgen status from May to July. Average masses of testes and seminal vesicles taken in these months were almost fourfold greater than those from September to January. During the months of peak testicular activity average diameters of Leydig cells and seminiferous tubules were increased by approximately one half and total tubule length was doubled, compared with values for the quiescent months. Variable testicular development occurred during transitional intervals preceding and following peak testicular activity. From February to April thickening of the seminiferous epithelium and appearance of spermatozoa in the caput epididymidis signalled re-establishment of sperm production. In August shedding of germinal cells from the epithelium heralded impending failure of spermatogenesis. Evidence of an annual testicular cycle contradicted the prevalent belief that equatorial hyrax breed all year and suggested that the testicular cycle is a conservative element of hyracoid reproductive strategy.


2002 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandro Bielli ◽  
Raquel Pérez ◽  
Graciela Pedrana ◽  
John T. B. Milton ◽  
Álvaro Lopez ◽  
...  

The nutritional status of females during pregnancy can play a critical role in the postnatal growth and development of the offspring, often leading to permanent changes ('fetal programming'). The Sertoli cells are a strong candidate for fetal programming of future performance because the number of Sertoli cells is highly correlated with adult testicular size and the maximum rate of sperm production. For Merino ewes, we imposed different levels of metabolizable energy (ME) intake (LowME: 70% of requirements for maintenance of ewe body mass and normal growth of conceptus (n = 13); HighME: 110% of those requirements (n = 12)) from Week 10 of pregnancy until parturition and then tested for effects on testicular histology in newborn males. Pregnant ewes were weighed weekly and lambs were weighed at birth and 2 days later. Blood was sampled at the same times. LowME ewes did not gain weight, whereas HighME ewes gained 17% over their pretreatment weight. Birthweights were higher in HighME lambs than in LowME lambs. Paired testes tended to be heavier in the HighME group than in the LowME group (P=0.08). The diameter of the testicular cords did not differ. The absolute volume of testicular cords (0.36 ± 0.02 v. 0.30 ± 0.02 mL for HighME v. LowME, respectively; P=0.03) and the number of Sertoli cells (43.0�±�2.5 v. 34.5 ± 2.0 × 108 for HighME v. LowME, respectively; P=0.018) per testis were both greater in the HighME than in the LowME group. Plasma follicle-stimulating hormone concentrations were not significantly affected at birth or 2 days later. We conclude that undernutrition during pregnancy can reduce testicular development in the newborn. Depending on the ability of the Sertoli cell population to recover between birth and puberty, this may limit the ultimate number of Sertoli cells and, hence, the future capacity for sperm production and fertility.


2013 ◽  
Vol 65 (5) ◽  
pp. 1329-1338
Author(s):  
R.M.B. Valença ◽  
V.A. Silva Junior ◽  
L.P.C. Araújo ◽  
J.C. Reis ◽  
M.M.P. Guerra ◽  
...  

Aiming to evaluate the effect of the diet protein content on testicular parameters in pigs, 21 non-gelded male Dalland pigs were used and randomly divided into three groups. Males belonging to groups G2 and G3 received a diet with crude protein levels of 15% below and above, respectively, in relation to G1 (control). At 210 days of age, animals were castrated, and testis and epididymis were collected for morphometric and histomorphometry analyses. No difference was observed in relation to the total length of seminiferous tubules (G1=3239.9±333,3m; G2=2989.4±171,7m and G3=3059.5±254.9m), population of Sertoli cell (G1=4.7±0.5x10(9); G2=4.3±0.3x10(9) and G3=4.7±0.5x10(9)), population (G1=31.6±5.58x10(9); G2=27.3±4.0x10(9) and G3=26.4±3.9x10(9)) and volume of Leydig cells (G1=1289.3±182.6µm³; G2=1179.1±85.4µm³ and G3=1133.3±37.8µm³) and sperm production (G1=5.9±0.9x10(9); G2=5.6±0.6x10(9) and G3=5.1±0.3x10(9)). Protein levels were sufficient to maintain spermatogenesis in different experimental groups. It can be concluded that the magnitude of variation in levels of protein used in different stages of development was not sufficient to promote significant changes in testicular development and spermatogenesis process in adult animals.


2011 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernanda Mafra Cajú ◽  
Gian Carlo D'Angelo Queiroz ◽  
Sandra Maria Torres ◽  
Bruno Mendes Tenório ◽  
Valdemiro Amaro Silva Júnior

1989 ◽  
Vol 120 (4) ◽  
pp. 423-428 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janine L. Brown ◽  
Prabir K. Chakraborty

Abstract. A previous study showed that clomiphene citrate (clomiphene) reduced serum and pituitary gonadotropins and impaired testis growth and steroidogenesis in 10-day-old rats treated for up to two weeks. The present study was conducted to assess the effect of prepubertal clomiphene treatment on postpubertal pituitary-testicular function. Rats were implanted with pellets that released 0, 0.05, 0.5 or 5.0 mg clomiphene ·kg−1·day−1 between 10–31 days of age and were killed at 90 days of age. Testis and prostate weights in treated rats were reduced (P< 0.05), whereas serum LH, FSH and testosterone, and pituitary gonadotropin and GnRH receptor concentrations had recovered to levels observed in control rats. Testicular FSH receptor concentrations were not altered; however, FSH receptor content was decreased (P< 0.05) in clomiphene-treated rats proportional to the reduction in testicular weight. In contrast, testicular LH and GnRH receptor concentrations were increased (P< 0.05) in treated animals, resulting in similar receptor contents. Daily sperm production per gram of parenchyma was unaffected, while daily sperm production per testis was decreased in treated rats (P< 0.05). These data show early postnatal treatment with clomiphene does not permanently impair pituitary function. Despite reduced testicular mass, normal serum testosterone concentrations and testis LH receptor content of treated rats suggest recovered Leydig cell function. The decreased content of testicular FSH receptors and reduced sperm production suggest seminiferous tubule function was compromised in the adult rat.


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