scholarly journals Effect of Season and Social Environment on Semen Quality and Endocrine Profiles of Three Endangered Ungulates (Gazella cuvieri, G. dorcas and Nanger dama)

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 901
Author(s):  
Lucía Arregui ◽  
José Julián Garde ◽  
Ana Josefa Soler ◽  
Gerardo Espeso ◽  
Eduardo R. S. Roldan

Knowledge of factors affecting semen quality could be of great importance for the collection and preservation of semen from threatened animals. To assess the effect of seasonality, sperm parameters and testosterone levels were examined throughout the year and compared with the distribution of conceptions. Cuvier’s gazelle showed higher sperm quantity in April, coinciding with one peak of conceptions. In dorcas gazelle, sperm parameters showed a drop in October. However, percentage of conceptions increased during that month. In Mohor gazelle, sperm quality was best in April and August, in agreement with higher conception rates and high testosterone levels. Percentage of conceptions was correlated with photoperiod and rainfall in Cuvier’s gazelle and with temperature in Mohor gazelle. To assess the effect of social environment, semen quality, testosterone and cortisol levels were quantified in males housed alone, in bachelor groups or with females. No differences were seen in Cuvier’s and Mohor gazelles’ semen traits, whereas dorcas males housed with females showed lower semen quality than males kept alone or with other males. Overall, ejaculate quality is influenced by seasonal factors in the three gazelle species, while social factors only appear to affect that of dorcas gazelle.

Author(s):  
Angela H Cliff ◽  
J H Dunne ◽  
P R English ◽  
J S M Hutchinson ◽  
O Macpherson

It is well established that high environmental temperature can have adverse effects on sperm concentration and the normality of sperm in the boar. Induced abnormalities include reduced motility, abnormal heads, proximal droplets, coiled and bent tails and abnormal acrosomes (Malmgren and Larsson, 1989). While all stages of spermatogenesis can be adversely affected, the primary spermatocytes are most vulnerable to these influences. Since spermatogenesis occurs over 45 days, any adverse effects of elevated ambient temperature can affect sperm quality for around 6 weeks. The maximum period of infertility appears around weeks 3 and 4 after heat stress. Reduced levels of testosterone and sometimes of LH following heat stress are implicated in these adverse effects. There is evidence that boars subjected to high constant temperature (30°C), which have become acclimatised to such, are affected less in terms of sperm output and quality (Cameron and Blackshaw, 1980) than when boars are subject to sudden major increases in temperature from fairly low levels (15 to 30 C) e.g. during the summer months (Antonyuk et al, 1983). There also appears to be large differences between boars in their ability to adapt to exposure to high environmental temperature by minimising temperature rise and avoiding adverse effects on semen quality (Cameron and Blackshaw, 1980). These workers found that boars prone to heat stress show an acute rise in body temperature in response to elevated environmental temperature and this sudden rise has a more adverse effect on semen quality than the length of exposure to the elevated temperature. There appears to be little information available on the reasons for such important between boar differences. This study was carried out to determine rectal temperature responses of boars to varying summer temperature in an intensive pig enterprise in Scotland and to attempt to determine some of the factors associated with ‘high’ and ‘low’ responding boars.


2011 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 110
Author(s):  
M. A. Coutinho da Silva ◽  
C. R. F. Pinto ◽  
J. M. Young ◽  
K. Cole

Magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS) has been used successfully in humans to remove apoptotic sperm from the ejaculate. Annexin V-conjugated microbeads recognise sperm with externalized phosphatidylserine, which is considered one of the features of apoptosis, and the labelled sperm is separated by MACS. The goals of the study were to determine if MACS can be used to separate apoptotic sperm from the ejaculate of stallions; and to determine if removal of apoptotic sperm improves the quality of stallion sperm. Our hypothesis was that MACS would improve semen quality by removing apoptotic sperm, resulting in samples with higher motility and viability. Two ejaculates from three different stallions of good fertility were used. Sperm were diluted with Tyrode’s albumin lactate pyruvate (TALP) and incubated with annexin V-conjugated microbeads for 15 min at 37°C. Control samples were incubated in the absence of annexin V microbeads. The suspension was then loaded into the separation column containing iron globes, which were fitted in a magnet (MiniMACS; Miltenyi Biotec Inc., Auburn, CA, USA). The effluent sample containing annexin-negative sperm was collected and then, the column was removed from the magnetic field and rinsed with TALP to collect the annexin-positive cells. Sperm viability, motility, morphology and caspase activation were determined in all three samples: control, annexin-negative, and annexin-positive. Data were evaluated by ANOVA and individual comparisons were performed by Tukey’s hsd test. Significance was set at P < 0.05 and data is presented as means ± SEM (Table 1). The main effect of stallion was significant only for sperm motility parameters. Sperm recovery rate following MACS was 46 ± 3%. In conclusion, the use of MACS was effective in removing apoptotic sperm from the ejaculate. The annexin-positive population displayed a higher proportion of sperm with activated caspases and lower membrane integrity and motility. However, removal of apoptotic sperm from the ejaculate did not improve sperm parameters in the annexin-negative group compared to control group. In addition, sperm morphology was not affected by MACS. Further studies are necessary to determine if MACS could be used successfully to improve sperm quality from subfertile stallions and frozen semen. Table 1.Sperm parameters following annexin V MACS (mean ± SEM) The authors are thankful to Mark Williams at Miltenyi Biotec Inc. for providing supplies; and Dr Ashok Agarwal at The Center for Reproductive Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, for scientific input.


2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirsten Hahn ◽  
Klaus Failing ◽  
Axel Wehrend

Abstract Background Different parameters are assessed as part of the semen analysis but a standard protocol for evaluation of goat semen is still missing. The aim of this study was to analyse two different factors affecting buck sperm quality in the post-collection period prior to adding the extender. Here we examined the effects of two handling temperatures (20 °C, 37 °C) and various examination time points (3–30 min) after semen collection. Results Examination time point had a significant influence on raw sperm viability (p < 0.05), motility (p < 0.05) and on semen pH (p < 0.05). The two different handling temperatures had no significant effect on sperm viability (p > 0.05), motility (p > 0.05), with the exception of fast moving sperm (p = 0.04), or on semen pH (p > 0.05). Conclusion Examination time point was identified as factor strongly influencing raw peacock buck semen after collection. Raw goat semen can tolerate room temperatures for at least 10 min without impacting overall semen quality. In order to obtain comparable results, semen samples should always be examined within 10 min after collection.


Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 2293
Author(s):  
Yu-Hsin Chen ◽  
Chean-Ping Wu ◽  
Hsiu-Lien Lin ◽  
Ren-Bao Liaw ◽  
Yung-Yu Lai ◽  
...  

A tetrazolium salt, 2-[2-methoxy-4-nitrophenyl]-3-[4-nitrophenyl]-5-[2,4-disulfophenyl]-2H-tetrazolium (WST-8), has been used widely to determine cell viability; however, its application in the field of reproduction is still limited due to this assay merely providing information regarding cell viability. The aim of this study was to correlate the WST-8 reduction rate with various sperm quality-related parameters (i.e., sperm viability, motility, progressive motility, acrosome integrity and mitochondria integrity) in order to provide a rapid, reliable and affordable assessment for boar semen quality evaluation. Using different ratios of active/damaged sperm cells, we first validated our sample preparations by standard flow cytometry and computer-assisted sperm analysis. Further analyses demonstrated that the most efficient experimental condition for obtaining a reliable prediction model was when sperm concentration reached 300 × 106 cells/mL with the semen/cell-counting kit-8 (CCK-8®) ratio of 200/10 and incubated time of 20 min. Under this set up, the WST-8 reduction rate (differences on optic density reading value, ΔOD at 450 nm) and sperm parameters were highly correlated (p < 0.01) for all sperm parameters evaluated. In the case of limited semen samples, a minimal semen concentration at 150 × 106 cells/mL with the semen/CCK-8® ratio of 200/20 and incubation time for 30 min could still provide reliable prediction of sperm parameters using the WST-8 assay. Our data provide strong evidence for the first time that the WST-8 assay could be used to evaluate boar semen quality with great potential to be applied to different mammalian species.


2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (01) ◽  
pp. 013-017
Author(s):  
Jahangir Sultan ◽  
Kokab Kokab ◽  
Muneer Ahmed

Objectives: Reports from many parts of the world suggest that chemical andphysical agents in the environment, introduced and spread by human activity may affect fertilityin men. The objective of this article is to highlight the environmental factors and their associationto male sperm quality and count as well. Materials and Methods: This study focusing onexposure to environmental factors affecting the semen quality of the workers working in differentfactories for a period of 5 to 7 years in Lahore. Results: The results from this study suggest thatthere are many environmental factors which may affect semen quality and sperm count. It isnecessary to prevent parental exposure to the agents associated with those hazards.


2002 ◽  
Vol 2002 ◽  
pp. 69-69
Author(s):  
J. Williams ◽  
F. Baker ◽  
R. Hooper ◽  
A. Stewart

The move towards group housing of gestating sows has highlighted a number of welfare issues associated with social interactions that are directly related to management and pen design. For example feeding method and total space can impact on both behaviour and performance. Individual feeding stalls combined with a straw based lying area and dunging passage have production and behavioural advantages at feeding time by providing safety from aggressive pen mates. Anecdotal observations would suggest that they also provide an alternative lying space. However, in practice many feeders are either kept closed when not being used or are located in areas that do not provide a good thermal environment. This experiment was designed to evaluate environmental and social factors affecting the choice of lying behaviour of sows with and without access to feeding stalls throughout the day.


2012 ◽  
Vol 82 (6) ◽  
pp. 391-398 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Wirleitner ◽  
Pierre Vanderzwalmen ◽  
Astrid Stecher ◽  
Dietmar Spitzer ◽  
Maximilian Schuff ◽  
...  

Background: This study aimed to investigate the influence of an oral antioxidative supplementation on sperm quality of in vitro fertilization (IVF) patients, as analyzed by sperm motility according to the WHO criteria and motile sperm organelle morphology examination (MSOME). Methods: Semen samples were collected from 147 patients before undergoing an IVF/intracytoplasmic morphologically-selected sperm injection (IMSI) cycle and 2 - 12 months after an antioxidative supplementation. Semen analysis was evaluated according to WHO and MSOME criteria. Spermatozoa were grouped according to the size of nuclear vacuoles within the sperm’s heads. Patients were divided into oligoasthenoteratozoospermic (OAT) and non-OAT men. Between first and second semen analysis, patients were supplemented orally with an antioxidative preparation. Results: After the antioxidative therapy we observed a significant reduction in the percentage of immotile sperm cells in the patients. Additionally, the percentage of class I spermatozoa according to MSOME criteria was significantly higher after antioxidative supplementation. In OAT patients the percentage of class I sperm was found to be increased, although not significantly. However, we observed a drastic improvement in sperm motility as well as in total sperm count in this group. Conclusion: The results demonstrated a considerable improvement in semen quality, notably in OAT patients. Considering the putative relationship between semen quality on the one hand and reactive oxygen species on the other, the observed changes in the sperm parameters indicate that a decline in semen quality, and even subtle morphological changes, might be associated with oxidative stress. Our findings suggest that an antioxidative and micronutrient supplementation has a remarkable benefit for IVF patients having restricted sperm parameters, in particular.


Author(s):  
Margarita Beglaryan ◽  
Naira Chichoyan ◽  
Ruzanna Hanisyan ◽  
Nodar Sulashvili

В результате исследования мы определили влияние различных факторов на поведение потребителей лекарств и парафармацевтических товаров. Среди них были выделены социально-демографические, социально-психологические и товарные оценочные факторы. Как социально-психологические оценочные факторы при выборе потребителем лекарств нами были рассмотрены мотивация; потребительский этноцентризм; престижность; потребительская враждебность. В ходе проведенного анализа характеризовано влияние функциональных и приданных характеристик лекарств на принятие решения о покупке. Исследованы социальные факторы среды мелкорозничной фармацевтической организации (аптеки) и доказано их влияние на потребительское поведение на месте продажи. Установлена прямая взаимосвязь между количеством стандартов обслуживания, удовлетворенностью персонала и частотой посещения аптеки потребителями. / In this article the influence of various factors on consumer’s behavior of pharmaceutical products is defined. Among such factors socially-demographic, socially-psychological and commodity estimated factors are allocated and described. Influence of the functional and structure characteristics of medical products on decision-making about purchase is separately characterized. Social factors of the environment of the pharmaceutical organization are investigated and their influence on consumer behavior is statistically proved. The lowest level of satisfaction is observed among pharmacists who are constantly busy serving consumers; the average degree of satisfaction – among employees who do not have contact with end users and the greatest satisfaction with work was found among the administrative and management personnel. The performed diagnostics of the social environment of the pharmacy made it possible to identify the main factors for the subsequent assessment of their influence on consumer behavior. The analysis of the dependence of consumer behavior (frequency of visits) on their social environment was carried out, which showed the presence of a direct relationship between the number of service standards, as well as the satisfaction of pharmacists. It was found that the greater the number of service standards, the greater the satisfaction of the personnel with labor motivation. And the greater the satisfaction of pharmaceutical workers with the quality of work, the higher the frequency of visits by consumers to the surveyed pharmacies.


2019 ◽  
Vol 118 (9) ◽  
pp. 154-160
Author(s):  
Dr. Kartikey Koti

The essential idea of this assessment is investigate the social factors affecting particular theorists' decisions making limit at Indian Stock Markets. In the examination coordinated standard of direct is Classified subject to two estimations the first is Heuristic (Decision making) and the resulting one is prospect.. For the assessment coordinated the data used is basic natured which is assembled through a sorted out survey from 100 individual money related authorities based out in Hubli and Dharwad city, Karnataka State in India on an accommodating way. The respondents were both sex and overwhelming part male were 68% . These theorists were having a spot with the age bundle between35-45 which is 38%. These respondents have completed their graduation were around 56%. These respondents had work inclusion of 5 to 10 years which is 45% and the majority of which were used in government portion which is 56%. Their compensation was between 4 to 6 Lakh and were fit for placing assets into business areas. The money related experts were widely masterminded placing assets into different portfolios like 32% in Share market and 20 % in Fixed store. These examiners mode to known various endeavor streets were through News, family and allies.  


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 198-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Motamedifar ◽  
Yalda Malekzadegan ◽  
Parisa Namdari ◽  
Behzad Dehghani ◽  
Bahia Namavar Jahromi ◽  
...  

Introduction: Infertility considered as a social and public health issue and estimated that most of these infertile couples are residents of developing countries. Infectious diseases including the history of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) may impact on male reproductive function. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of bacterial contaminants of semen and probable association with sperm quality of infertile men in Iranian population. Methods: The study population consisted of 200 infertile men and 150 fertile men attending an infertility Center in southwestern Iran during the study period in 2015. The assessment of sperm parameters was according to the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. The presumptive pathogens were identified using standard microbiology tests and confirmed by specific PCR primers. Results: The prevalence of bacteriospermia in the semen of the infertile group was significantly higher than that in the fertile group (48% vs. 26.7%, P <0.001). The microbiological analysis of samples showed that the most abundant species of bacteria in semen of infertile men were Chlamydia trachomatis (12.5%) followed by Neisseria gonorrhoeae (11%). On the other hand, in the control group, Lactobacillus spp. (17.3%) was the most isolated pathogen. Results showed that the presence of N. gonorrhoeae, C. trachomatis, Mycoplasma genitalium, Haemophilus, and Klebsiella was significantly associated with sperm abnormality. Conclusion: Based on our findings, it seems that bacteriospermia is associated with alterations in the properties of semen which may lead to a decrease in the fertilization potential of sperm. Therefore, immediate and appropriate treatment is necessary before investigating every other possible cause of infertility.


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