Two Protocols of Cryopreservation of Goat Semen with the Use of Computer-Assisted Semen Analysis System

The objective of the study was a comparison of two protocols of goat semen cryopreservation with the use of computer-assisted semen analysis system. Twenty ejaculates obtained with electroejaculation method were assessed. Each ejaculate was divided in half and frozen according to two protocols. In protocol I semen was centrifuged in order to remove its plasma and diluted in Tris buffer extender containing glucose, citric acid and glycerol with 20% addition of egg yolk. Protocol II did not include removal of plasma and the extender contained 1.5% egg yolk. It was shown that the removal of semen plasma improved motility of goat spermatozoa following freezing/thawing with respect to the following motility indicators: motility, average path velocity, amplitude of lateral head displacement at p p < 0.01. In conclusion, the removal of semen plasma through centrifugation improved motility properties of goat semen following the freezing/thawing procedure

Endometrosis - significance for horse reproduction, pathogenesis, diagnosos, and proposed therapeutic methods

Equine endometrosis is a multifactorial disease considered to be a one of the most important causes of equine infertility, especially in older mares. This article reviews the current knowledge of equine endometrosis: pathogenesis, diagnosis, and optional treatment. Also describes the histomorphological and immunohistochemical characterization of endometrosis as well as potential etiological factors which may influence disease progression. Unfortunately, the etiology and pathogenesis of endometrosis still remains unclear, and consequently no effective treatment has been proposed so far. Therefore future studies are needed for explanation of this disease

The influence of antibiotic treatment of bitches in oestrus on their attractiveness to males during mating

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of the antibiotic treatment, including the mode of drugs administration, on bitches’ attractiveness to the stud dogs during mating. Moreover, we tried to estimate the possibility of aversive effect of the drug vehicle on the male behavior. In experiment I, four bitches in oestrus without antibiotic treatment (group A), four bitches treated with intravaginal antibiotic (group B) and four bitches treated with intramuscular antibiotic (group C) were presented to four stud dogs. In experiment II, bitches in oestrus (n=5) were presented to the males (n=2) before and after the application to the females’ vulva the antibiotic carrier – Miglyol 840 (Sasol, Germany). In both experiments the presence of the typical sexual behavior of the males (sniffing, licking the vulva and anal region, mating attempts) was evaluated. In experiment III the reaction of the males to the samples containing oestrual discharge from the bitches untreated and treated with antibiotics was evaluated. In the last part of study the aversion reaction to the samples containing antibiotic and the antibiotic carrier was evaluated. The results of experiments showed that females treated with the antibiotics were less attractive to males than untreated females, regardless of the method of administration. We did not observe adverse effect of the antibiotic carrier but samples from the bitches treated with antibiotics were significantly less attractive to the males. We concluded that the reason for reduced attractiveness of the bitches in oestrus after antibiotic treatment was the changes in semiochemical signal emitted by treated females as a consequence of elimination of the vaginal bacterial flora, which seems to be involved in creation of the typical, recognizable by the stud dogs, oestrual signal but also by the possible covering effect of used drugs