Reproductive characteristics of stallions during the breeding and non-breeding season in a tropical region

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate reproductive characteristics of stallions at a tropical zone in the breeding and non-breeding seasons. The following parameters were assessed: testicular volume; semen quality; and serum concentrations of LH, FSH, and testosterone; in addition to the percentages of germ cells and proportions of germ cells/Sertoli cells by testicular cytology in stallions. Semen was collected from eight adult stallions twice a week during a 12-week period in both seasons (6 weeks before and 6 weeks after the summer and winter solstices). Jugular blood samples were collected periodically for hormone analysis by radioimmunoassay during the same periods. Testicular measures and cytological samples were taken at the end of each period. Mean concentration of testosterone was significantly higher (P = 0.04) during the breeding season and the proportion of Sertoli cells/100 germ cells in cytological smears was significantly lower during the breeding season (P = 0.0001). Effects of season were not significant either for testicular volume or for any semen parameter (P > 0.05). Seasonal changes in the mean concentrations of LH and FSH were not observed (P > 0.05). There were also no significant differences in the mean percentages of germ cell types between both seasons (P > 0.05). Lack of seasonal differences in the testicular volume and semen parameters of tropical stallions are probably due to the small variation in duration of natural light between the observed periods, slightly under 3 h.