Relationship between angioarchitecture of the testicular artery and spermiogram parameters in Egyptian buffalo bulls (bubalus bubalis).

Abstract

The current study aimed to investigate the effect of testicular artery angioarchitecture on the spermiogram parameters in Egyptian Buffalo bulls. Eight adult buffalo bulls aged between 2 and 8years were used for semen evaluation. For anatomical studies, the masculine gonads were collected after slaughtering 30 adult bulls and prepared for injection by different masses (Urographine® , Latex and Epoxy) through the testicular artery. The mass activity of the ejaculate was assessed immediately after collection. The sperm motility in fresh bull ejaculate was more than 80%. The overall mean percentage of sperm abnormalities was <18%. The recorded sperm abnormalities were mostly secondary one including distal protoplasmic droplet, fragmented tail, detached head, detached galea capitis and bent tail. The highest percentage of sperm viability was recorded just after sperm collection (alive>85%). The results revealed that testicular artery can be divided into three parts (abdominal, funicular and marginal parts) along its course. The coils of the funicular part forming a cone-like structure with its base fixed to the head of the testis. Two epididymal branches to the head and tail of epididymis emanate from the funicular part which continues as pars marginalis on the lateral surface of testis before its division into the lateral and medial testicular arteries on approaching the tail extremity of the testis. The increase in the length of the testicular artery with increase in the size of the testes played a great role in the degree of complexity of the architectural vascular patterns. The degree of complexity is affected by the number of coils formed by the vessel. The increase in the convolutions of the vessel will reduce the speed of blood flow to the gonads. Thus in turn will enabling the thermoregulatory mechanism to work more efficiently and will affect the semen value.