Comparative blood and seminal plasma oxidant/antioxidant status of Arab stallions with different ages and their relation to semen quality

Objective: To investigate the antioxidant/oxidant levels in blood serum and seminal plasma of Arab stallion with different ages and their relation to semen quality. Methods: Healthy Arabian stallions (n = 57), were divided into three groups. Young (5–10years), Moderate (11–16 years) and Old stallions (>16 years) were subjected to semen evaluation. Seminal plasma and blood samples were collected and stored at −20 °C for measuring glutathione reduced, nitric oxide, Malondialdehyde, ascorbic acid, copper and zinc. Results: Old stallions had significantly greater (P < 0.05) ejaculate volume, % live sperm, and total sperm number compared to young and moderate aged groups. The moderate age horses had significantly the lowest (P < 0.05) sperm concentration. Compared to young horses, serum zinc concentrations of moderate and old horses were significantly high (P < 0.0 001), but NO concentrations were significantly (P < 0.05) low. Seminal plasma zinc, ascorbic acid and nitric oxide concentrations were significantly (P < 0.05 and 0.01) high in young stallion group. No significant correlations were observed between seminal zinc, copper, MDA and semen variables. Meanwhile, significant negative correlations were observed between seminal plasma ascorbic acid concentration and all semen variables except total sperm number and sperm abnormities %. Significant correlations were observed between reduced glutathione and both of sperm motility and % of live sperm. Nitric oxide concentrations correlated directly with individual sperm motility but adversely with total sperm number. Conclusion: Stallion age has significant effect on some semen variables, antioxidant/oxidant status of either blood serum or seminal plasma

Age–related rump fat, fat percent, body fat mass, leptin, androgens and semen parameters of Arab stallions

Objective: To study the effect of age and body fat on leptin levels and semen parameters of Arab horse. Methods: Fifteen fertile Arab stallions of different ages belonging to Police Academy were divided into three equal groups according to their age. Old horses are those of >18 yeas (18–27), Mid-age horses ≥13 to 18 years (13–18), Young horses are those of <12 years (7–11). Semen was evaluated three times for each stallion. Blood and seminal plasma were assayed for measuring leptin, testosterone and estradiol. Subcutaneous rump fat thickness was measured using ultrasound for estimating body fat percent and fat mass percent. Results: All body fat parameters were significantly high in Young stallions and decreased with increasing age. As age increased, testosterone levels increases but leptin levels decreased. Age was inversely correlated with fat %, fat mass and leptin. All fat parameters had direct correlation with leptin in semen and serum but an inverse one with serum testosterone. Serum leptin directly correlated with sperm cell concentration in Mid-age stallions and inversely correlated with percent of live sperm in Old stallions. Semen leptin correlated directly with both percent of live sperm and percent of abnormal sperm in Old stallions. Conclusion: This study proved that aging in stallions is related to a drop in fertility, a decrease in body fat and in turn leptin. Arab stallions of age 7 to 18 years could be used in the breeding efficiently

Investigations on the vaginal temperature, cycle stages, and steroid hormone concentrations during the breeding season in camels (Camelus dromedarius)

Background and Aim: Estrus detection plays a crucial role in the success of animal reproduction. It was previously reported that body temperature changes during estrus. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between vaginal temperatures (VTs) measured by a data logger, ovarian activity, and hormonal cyclic changes in camels. Materials and Methods: Six mature, healthy, non-pregnant dromedary, and 10-12-year-old camels were included in the study. The ovarian activity was monitored with ultrasonography, and estrus behavior was evaluated using an active and virile male camel. Animals were inserted with a blank controlled internal drug release device attached with an intravaginal data logger. Every hour, the ambient temperature was recorded by another data logger. Blood samples were collected, and sera were used to measure estradiol and progesterone levels. Results: The whole follicular cycle lasted 25.41±1.36 days, and the maximum sizes of the dominant follicle in the first and second follicular waves were 1.63±0.27 cm and 1.94±0.42 cm, respectively. There was a significant positive correlation between the follicular diameter and estradiol-17β level (p0.05, r=0.038), which remained low during the whole period of the experiment. The mean daily VT was significantly correlated with the diameter of the dominant follicle (1.7-2.2 cm, p<0.01, r=0.52). Conclusion: Measurement of VT will improve the accuracy of estrus prediction. Further studies are recommended to validate VT in camel reproduction

Effect of oxygen tension and antioxidants on the developmental competence of buffalo oocytes cultured in vitro

Aim: Oxidative stress (OS) is one of the major disruptors of oocyte developmental competence, which appears due to the imbalance between the production and neutralization of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Materials and Methods: In Experiment 1, buffalo oocytes were in vitro matured, fertilized, and cultured at 38.5°C under 5% CO2 + 20% O2 in standard CO2 incubator (OS) or under 5% O2 + 5% CO2 + 90% N2 (Multi-gas incubator, low O2). In Experiment 2, buffalo cumulus oocytes complexes (COCs) were matured in Basic maturation medium (BMM) composed of TCM199+ 10% FCS+ 10 μg/ml FSH+ 50 μg/ml gentamicin (control group) or in BMM supplemented with 50 μM ascorbic acid (ascorbic acid group) or 3.0 mM glutathione (glutathione group) or 10-5 M melatonin (melatonin group) and cultured at 38.5°C under 20% O2 for 24 h. Matured buffalo oocytes in control, ascorbic acid, or melatonin groups were fertilized and zygotes were cultured for 8 days under the same conditions. Results: In both experiments, maturation, cleavage, and blastocyst rates were recorded. Results showed that culture of buffalo oocytes under low O2 (5% O2) significantly increased maturation, cleavage, and blastocyst rates (p<0.05). Meanwhile, under 20% O2, addition of 10-5 M melatonin or 50 μM ascorbic acid to in vitro maturation (IVM) medium significantly improved cumulus cell expansion, nuclear maturation rates of buffalo oocytes (p<0.05), and increased cleavage and blastocyst rates (p<0.05). Conclusion: About 5% O2 is the optimum condition for in vitro production of buffalo embryos, and addition of 10-5 M melatonin to IVM medium for oocytes cultured under 20% O2 could alleviate the adverse effect of high oxygen tension and increased embryo yield

Ovarian and uterine arteries blood flow velocities waveform, hormones and nitric oxide in relation to ovulation in cows superstimulated with equine chorionic gonadotropin and luteolysis induction 10 and 17 days after ovulation

Abstract To investigate the ovarian responses, ovarian and uterine hemodynamics, circulating ovarian hormones, and nitric oxide (NO) with their relations in superstimulated cows. Eight Holstein Friesian dry cows previously synchronized with CIDR underwent rectal Doppler ultrasound scanning and blood sampling after administrating eCG (1500 I.U) on day 10 of the second ovulation (day -5). Cows were treated with 12.5 mg prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) on days 10 and 17 after ovulation. Estradiol, progesterone, and NO were measured. Results showed that from ≥ 13 follicles, five follicles ovulated from both ovaries. The ovulated follicles increased antrum colored area and colored area % till day -1. The developed corpora lutea (CLs) attained similar diameter, area, colored area, and colored area % from day 2 till day 15. The peak point of velocity (PSV) of uterine arteries decreased while that of ovarian arteries increased from day -4 to day 0. Both ovarian arteries diameter, resistance index (RI), PSV, end velocity (EDV) and systolic/diastolic ratio (S/D) positively correlated (P < 0.0001), but their pulsatility index (PI) negatively correlated (P < 0.0001). The uterine arteries PI, RI, PSV, EDV, time average velocity (TAMV) and S/D negatively correlated (P < 0.0001) but their diameters positively correlated. Estradiol increased but progesterone decreased from day -5 till day 0. After ovulation, P4 reached maximum values on day 9 and started to decrease till day 19.NO showed one peak on day -3 and another one from day 3 to day 9. Conclusions: Blood flow of ovarian arteries is different from uterine arteries and depended on pre- or post-ovulation