Abstract
Aim:The present study compared the testicular cytology and histology between crossbred (Holstein–Friesian [HF] × Tharparkar) and purebred (HF and Tharparkar) bulls to find out differences if any.Materials and Methods:Four peripubertal bulls from each breed were utilized for the study. Through percutaneous needle aspiration biopsy, Sertoli and spermatogenic cells were extracted, and morphometry was studied. For histological studies, testicular tissues obtained through unilateral castration were utilized. Sertoli cells specific GATA4 antibody was used to study the population of Sertoli cells in the seminiferous tubule through immunofluorescence.Results:The testicular weight, volume, and scrotal circumference differed significantly among the breeds. The diameter and area of the seminiferous tubule was high in HF, followed by Karan Fries (KF), and Tharparkar bulls. However, the degree of compactness, based on qualitative evaluation, was high in Tharparkar followed by KF and HF bulls. The intensity of Leydig cells was higher in Tharparkar bulls followed by KF and HF. The proportion of Sertoli cells was higher (p<0.05) in HF and Tharparkar bulls compared to KF bulls.Conclusion:It may be concluded that variations exist in testicular components of the breeds studied and the proportion of Sertoli cells in relation to spermatogenic cells was significantly lower in crossbred bulls compared to purebred bulls.
Highlights
Crossbreeding of Bos indicus with genetically superior exotic breeds of Bos taurus such as Holstein Friesian (HF) is being practiced in developing countries to improve the milk productivity
The diameter of the seminiferous tubule ranged from 140 μm to 351.5 μm in HF bull calves, from 137 μm to 265 μm in Karan Fries (KF) bull calves and from 63 μm to 145 μm in Tharparkar bull calves, respectively
The area of seminiferous tubule was higher in HF bulls compared to either KF or Tharparkar bulls
Summary
Crossbreeding of Bos indicus with genetically superior exotic breeds of Bos taurus such as Holstein Friesian (HF) is being practiced in developing countries to improve the milk productivity. The males produced through crossing of B. taurus with B. indicus suffer from serious infertility/sub-fertility problems [1,2]. More than 50% of crossbred young bulls, which are progenies of elite dams and proven sires, inducted for semen collection are rejected for further use because of poor semen quality and low cryosurvivability of spermatozoa [1,3,4]. We observed that the ejaculate rejection rate (owing to poor initial semen qualities) ranged from 23.02% to 100%, with the average of 52.46% [2]. The existing literature suggests that poor semen quality is not a major
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