Percentage Of Abnormal Sperm Research Articles

Effect of dietary Satureja khuzistanica powder on semen characteristics and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances concentration in testicular tissue of Iranian native breeder rooster.

Because of a paucity of information on the effect of Satureja khuzistanica in male chickens, this study was undertaken to determine the influence of dietary S. khuzistanica powder (SKP) on seminal characteristics and testes thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) content in Iranian native breeder rooster. Thirty-six 40-week-old roosters were randomly allotted to 3 equal groups and received either a basal diet without SKP (T1 or control), or a diet containing 20 g/kg (T2) and 40 g/kg (T3) of SKP for 8-week-long experimental period. Semen samples were obtained weekly by abdominal massage to evaluate the seminal characteristics. At the end of the eighth week 18 birds (6 birds per each group) were randomly slaughtered, and sample was taken from right testes for TBARS evaluation. Administration of SKP improved all semen traits, except for sperm concentration. Likewise, TBARS content in SKP treatments did not significantly differ from the control (P>0.05). Seminal volume, live sperm percentage and plasma membrane integrity percentage in SKP-treated groups were higher than the control. Conversely, abnormal sperm percentages reduced in SKP-treated groups (P<0.05). Plasma membrane integrity in experimental treatments was significantly higher than the control in 2nd, 3rd and 7th weeks. However, at 6th and 8th weeks only T3 treatment was significantly different from the control. Notably, there was an increase in total sperm concentration in SKP-treated groups in compared to the control birds. In conclusion, this study indicated that addition of SKP in rooster diet improves sperm quality and also reduces their sperm membrane lipid peroxidation, which may lead to higher fertilization rate.

Influence of different systems of lodging on the quality of the semen of boars

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different housing systems on the sperm quality of boars’ semen. After harvest, we assessed total motility (%), progressive motility (%) (0-5), membrane integrity (%) and percentage of abnormal sperm from semen samples. The animals were subjected to two treatments: treatment I - animals kept in cages housing system; Treatment II - animals kept in pens housing system. For evaluations, the semen samples were placed between slide and coverslip heated to 37°C for analysis of MT (%) MP (%) and vigor (0-5). For the analysis of membrane integrity slides were stained with eosin nigrosin. For pathology, the slides were stained with violet and rose bengal dyes gensiana, which were observed under an optical microscope at a magnification of 40X. The results showed there are effects of housing system on semen quality of the animals.

Efeito da temperatura ambiente sobre a viabilidade do sêmen de varrões

The pigs shown to be sensitive to conditions of heat and, as a result, may have changed their reproductive efficiency during periods of high temperature. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of environmental temperature on seminal viability of boars. After harvest, we assessed total motility (%), progressive motility (%), vigor (0-5), membrane integrity (%) and percentage of abnormal sperm from semen samples. The animals were subjected to two treatments: Treatment I - animals kept in cages under temperature conditions within the standards of thermal comfort; Treatment II - animals kept in cages under temperature conditions outside the standards of thermal comfort. Semen samples were placed between slide and coverslip heated to 37 °C for analysis of MT (%) MP (%) and vigor (0-5). Evaluations of membrane integrity slides were stained with the dye eosin-nigrosina. In assessing the pathology slides were stained with dyes bengal rose and gensiana violet. In all cases, the slides were observed under optical microscope at a magnification of 40 x. The results showed a significant effect of temperature on seminal viability of animals subjected to different thermal conditions, which revealed that high temperatures can result in reduced semen quality.

Morphological defects of epididymal spermatozoa in male roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) during the reproductive season

The aim of this study was to analyse the morphology of the epididymal spermatozoa of male roe deer obtained postmortem at the beginning (May), peak (July/August) and the end (September) of the reproductive season. Spermatozoal abnormalities were divided into major (associated with impaired fertility) and minor (not associated with impaired fertility) defects. The highest percentage of abnormal spermatozoa was observed in May (17.78±1.88%), with a much higher proportion of major (12.35±1.11%) than minor defects (5.43±1.59%) being observed. The percentage of abnormal spermatozoa was lowest during the peak of the reproductive season (4.97±1.13%), with the proportion of major (2.68±0.78%) and minor defects (2.28±0.45%) being comparable during this period. The percentage of abnormal spermatozoa increased again in September (11.05±1.60%), with the major defects (6.15±1.04%) slightly surpassing the minor defects (4.90±0.77%); however, total abnormalities still remained lower than those found in May. These differences were statistically significant, with the exception of the difference in minor defects between the pre-rut and post-rut periods. These results indicate that the best period to collect epididymal spermatozoa from roe deer postmortem is the peak of the reproductive season (July/August); however, they can also be recovered at the end of the reproductive season (September), as the percentage of major defects is relatively low at this time. This study provides the basis for further research to determine optimal methods for the storage and cryopreservation of epididymal spermatozoa in this species.

Prenatal Exposure To PCBs Differentially Affects Sperm Head And Tail Morphology Among Adult Male Offspring Of The Child Health And Development Studies

Introduction Studies of the association between polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and sperm morphology are contradictory. Two possible reasons are 1) different PCB congeners and congener mixtures may have different effects and 2) the standard measure of percent abnormal sperm combines several outcomes, e.g. abnormal heads and tails. Here we explore the effect of prenatal exposure to PCBs on 3 measures of abnormal sperm morphology. Methods In a follow-up of 196 men from the Child Health and Development Studies cohort, we evaluated associations between prenatal exposure to total PCBs and 15 PCB congeners, both individually and grouped according to chlorination patterns and proposed biological mechanism, and percent abnormal sperm (total, head and tail) at mean age 43. PCBs were measured in stored maternal blood taken immediately postpartum. Sperm morphology was measured in semen collected from adult male offspring and analyzed according to WHO criteria. All analyses adjusted for maternal total lipids, race, income and coffee consumption, and offspring age, smoking, and perceived stress. Results Each ng/mL increase in total PCBs in maternal blood was associated with an increase of 0.92 percent total normal sperm (95% CI: 2.35, -0.51), driven by a reduction in head abnormalities (bhead= -1.30 [-2.31, -0.29] but with contrasting evidence for tail abnormalities (btail=0.49 [-0.38, 1.36]). Among total, grouped and individual PCBs, prenatal exposure was generally associated with fewer head abnormalities and more tail abnormalities and the estimated association was strongest for di ortho substituted PCBs Conclusions Prenatal PCB exposure may have opposite effects on sperm head and tail morphology, warranting further research into the influence of PCBs on the development of fetal Sertoli cells. Prenatal PCB exposure may create an unfavorable environment for production or survival of sperm with head abnormalties. The clinical consequences of this finding are uncertain.

A mixture of honey bee products ameliorates the genotoxic side effects of cyclophosphamide

ObjectiveTo evaluate the protective role of a mixture of honey bee products (honey, royal jelly and pollen grains) against the genotoxicity induced by the anticancer drug cyclophosphamide (CP). MethodsThe study included chromosomal aberration analysis in mice bone marrow cells, induction of morphological sperm abnormalities, DNA fragmentation and histopathological changes induced in liver cells of mice. CP was injected intraperitoneally at the dose of 20 mg/kg body weight. The mixture of honey bee products was administrated orally for different periods of time 5, 10 and 15 days with a dose exactly equivalent to the daily intake of human beings. ResultsThe results revealed that honey mixture ameliorated the genotoxic side effects of CP. For chromosomal aberrations the percentage reached 25.20 ± 1.30 for CP treated group, while it reached half of that value 12.30 ± 0.54 in CP-group pretreated with honey mixture for 15 days. Breaks, fragments and multiple aberrations were the most pronounced types of aberrations induced after CP treatment and honey mixture reduced these types of abnormalities. CP induced significant percentage of sperm abnormalities 8.52 ± 0.17 compared to control 3.10 ± 0.10. The percentage of sperm abnormalities reached nearly to the control value in CP- mice treated with honey mixture for 15 days. Honey also reduced the incidence of liver DNA damage induced by CP. The results also indicated that CP had a marked damaging effect on liver tissue including severe dilatation, congestion of main blood vessels and massive infiltration of inflammatory cells with irregular general pattern of the tissue. These effects were greatly ameliorated by using oral administration of honey mixture for different periods of time. ConclusionsThe results concluded that honey bee mixture can be used as chemopreventive agent for minimizing the genotoxic side effects of the anticancer drug CP and open the field for its use in many applications.

Effect of altitude on some male fertility related traits in Saudi ovine and caprine species

Abstract This study aimed to evaluate the effect of altitude on some male fertility related traits in Saudi sheep and goats. Testicular tissues were collected from a slaughterhouse in Taif governorate (1800 m above sea level) and Makkah governorate (sea level). Sperm characteristics (1 - individual motility, 2 - percent live sperm 3 - percent abnormal sperm) were examined. Semi-quantitative RT -PCR assay was used to evaluate the expression of IGF-II, StAR, LDLr and CYP11A genes. No significant effect of altitude on tested sperm parameters was revealed. Expression of IGF-II gene in both sheep and goats was significantly (P&lt;0.05) higher at sea level compared to high altitude. A similar effect of altitude on StAR gene expression was only observed in goats, while in sheep the level of effect did not reach the significance threshold. Moreover, LDLr gene expression was significantly (P&lt;0.05) higher for both sheep and goats at high altitude than at sea level. The CYP11A gene expression was significantly (P&lt;0.05) higher in high altitude sheep than in those raised at sea level, while the opposite trend was observed for goats. In conclusion, high altitude had an effect on the expression of some studied male fertility related genes, but sperm parameters were not significantly affected.

Protective effect of vitamin E on methyl methanesulfonate-induced teratozoospermia in adult Sprague-Dawley rats.

The protective effect of vitamin E (VE, α-tocopherol) on methyl methanesulfonate (MMS)-induced teratozoospermia was investigated in adult rats. Rats (n=6 per group) were divided into three groups: i) Control group, treated with distilled water from days 1 to 5; ii) the MMS group, treated with MMS at a dose of 40 mg·kg(-1) from days 1‑5; or iii) the VE+MMS group, treated with MMS at a dose of 40 mg·kg(-1) from days 1‑5, followed by VE at a dose of 150 mg·kg(-1) from day 6 for 6 weeks. Sperm count, motility and morphology were examined following treatment with VE. The serum testosterone level and antioxidant enzyme activity were measured, and the localization of Vasa, promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger protein (Plzf) and synaptonemal complex protein 3 (Scp3) were also examined. MMS treatment decreased sperm count and motility, and the levels of immunoreactive serum testosterone and endogenous antioxidants. In addition, MMS increased the percentage of abnormal sperm and the levels of free radicals. After MMS and VE treatment, sperm count and motility were significantly higher in rats from the VE+MMS group than in the MMS group. In addition, the serum testosterone concentration, as well as the levels of Vasa and free radicals and the percentage of abnormal sperm, decreased. The results indicated that VE has protective effects against MMS-induced teratozoospermia in adult rats.

Evaluation of the Effects of Surgical Varicocelectomy on the Seminal Fluid Parameters in Patients with Clinical and Subclinical Varicocele

Backgound: Varicoceles defined as abnormally dilated testicular veins (pampiniform plexus) of in the scrotum and it is found in approximately 15% of the general population and associated with adverse effects on the seminal fluid and fertility. According to size of that blood vessels; the varicocele is divided into clinical that are discovered in physical examination and subclinical that are only discovered by Doppler examination. It is well known that clinical varicocele affect the seminal fluid and always treated surgically as a part of treatment of infertility or because of pain or cosmetic purpose but the controversy is about the cases of subclinical varicocele and the indication of surgery and its outcome.Objective: To assess the effects of varicocelectomy on the seminal fluid parameters of patients with clinical and subclinical varicoceles.Patients and method: 80 infertile patients with varicocele included in this study 50 had clinical and 30 had subclinical diagnosed by Doppler study. Two seminal analyses were done from the patients, one before and the other 3 to 6 months after varicocelectomy.Results: a significant improvement in the sperms count was found after the operation in both clinical and subclinical varicocele but the sperm motility percentage seems to be not affected in patients with subclinical varicocele unlike the clinical cases that showed a significant improvement after varicocelectomy. There was a non-significant decrease in the percentage of sperms with abnormal morphology in both cases.Conclusion: varicocelectomy is indicated and had good outcome on the seminal fluid parameters in cases of clinical varicocele while in cases of subclinical varicocele it should be recommended only in patients with low sperm count and assisted reproductive technique must be suggested in cases of poor motility or high percentage of abnormal sperms.

Semen characteristics of the Indian Red Jungle Fowl (Gallus gallus murghi)

The Indian Red Jungle Fowl is a wild native gallus subspecies of Southern Asia. Semen has never been studied in this species. In order to better know the male reproductive capacities, experiments were conducted to study the semen characteristics, impact of ejaculate collection frequencies, and timing of collection on sperm quality parameters. Mean sperm concentration 800 million/mL, total sperm per ejaculate (0.015 billion), motility (63.5 %), live/total sperm (92.4 %), intact acrosome (75.5 %), and plasma membrane integrity (89.2 %) were recorded. Percentage of abnormal sperm (head, mid-piece, and tail) was 8.1 % and recovered mainly mid-piece abnormalities. The motile sperm percentage was positively correlated with intact acrosomes (r = 0.34) and plasma membrane integrity (r = 0.41). Total sperm per ejaculate (billion) was maximum at 72 h of collection followed by 24 and 48 h of collection. Daily and weekly sperm production (billion) was found maximum at 24 h of collection compared to 12, 48, and 72 h of collection. Sperm motility was higher at 24, 48, and 72 h of collection compared to 12 h of collection, but the number of live sperm were higher at 12 h of collection compared to 24, 48, and 72 h. Sperm concentration was better in the morning time, while the values for sperm viability and plasma membrane integrity were higher in the semen collected at evening time. In conclusion, the Indian Red Jungle Fowl shows a semen production quantitatively relatively low for the species as compared to domestic chicken and contrasted parameters of quality. The semen production is affected by the frequency of collection with an optimum for a daily collection preferentially held in the evening period. These results may now be used for artificial insemination and conservation program.

Dominant lethal effects of nocodazole in germ cells of male mice

The ability of the anticancer drug, nocodazole, to induce dominant lethal mutations in male germ cells was investigated by the in vivo dominant lethal test. Mice were treated with single doses of 15, 30 and 60 mg/kg nocodazole. These males were mated at weekly intervals to virgin females for 6 weeks. Nocodazole clearly induced dominant lethal mutations in the early spermatid stage with the highest tested dose. Mice treated with 60 mg/kg nocodazole showed an additional peak of dominant lethal induction in mature spermatozoa during the first week matings after treatment. The percentage sperm count and sperm motility were significantly decreased after treatment of males with 30 and 60 mg/kg nocodazole. Moreover, the middle and highest doses of nocodazole significantly increased the percentage of abnormal sperm. Our study provides evidence that nocodazole is a germ cell mutagen. Marked alteration in the spermiogram analysis after nocodazole treatment possibly confirms that nocodazole has a significant effect on sperm maturation and development during storage and transit. The demonstrated mutagenicity profile of nocodazole may support further development of effective chemotherapy with less mutagenicity. Moreover, the cancer patients and medical personnel exposed to this drug chemotherapy may stand a higher risk for abnormal reproductive outcomes.

Effect of Dates (Phoenix Dactilyfera L) on Male Infertility

Background : Infertility can be caused by prolonged use of paracetamol that leads to a decrease in the sperm concentration, motility, and morphology. Dates (Phoenix Dactilyfera L) have natural antioxidant effects through several mechanisms, such as neutralizing free radicals, against NO, OH, and H2O2, and also preventing lipid peroxidation. This study aimed to investigate the effect of dates on sperm concentration, motility, and morphology. Methods : An experimental study was conducted in the Laboratory of Cell Biology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Padjadjaran, during October–November 2012. Twenty two infertile male wistar rats were divided randomly into 2 groups. Group A was given 72 mg paracetamol/rat/day orally and group B was given 72 mg paracetamol/rat/day orally and 80% dates infusion/rat/day orally for 28 days and on the 29th day, sperm concentration, motility, and morphology were measured. Results were analyzed using unpaired t-testor Mann Whitney test. Result : In the control group, 502.73(100.66) sperm concentrations were compared to 397.55(143.07) in the treatment group. However, the sperm concentration mean in the treatment group was not significantly decreased (p>0.05) compared to the control group. The percentage of progressive sperm motility in the treatment group increased significantly compared to the control group. Meanwhile, the percentage of nonprogressive immotal sperm morphology was not significantly decreased. The percentage of normal sperm in the treatment group increased significantly (p<0.05) than the control group, while the percentage of abnormal sperm in the treatment group decreased significantly (p<0.05) compared to the control group. Conclusion : The dates affect sperm motility and morphology of infertile rats. Keywords : Dates, infertility, paracetamol, sperm DOI : 10.15850/amj.v2n1.437

Effect of nutritional state on semen characteristics, testicular size and serum testosterone concentration in Sanjabi ram lambs during the natural breeding season

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of plane of nutrition on body weight, average daily gain, dry mater intake, semen characteristics, serum testosterone concentration and testicular circumference of Sanjabi ram lambs during the natural breeding season. Sanjabi ram lambs (n=20) that were 8 months of age were penned under natural photoperiod at latitude 34°18′N for a period of 9 months. The control group (C, n=10) received a diet consisting of 80% alfalfa and 20% concentrate, providing 2.18Mcal metabolizable energy and 130.0g/kg DM crude protein, whereas, treatment group (T, n=10) was fed with 65% alfalfa and 35% concentrate, providing 2.34Mcal metabolizable energy and 160.0g/kg DM crude protein. Body weight, additive daily gain and feed intake in T group were significantly greater than those obtained in C group. Body weight and testicular circumference increased at a steady rate throughout the experiment. All semen variables (except percentage of abnormal sperm and semen pH), serum testosterone concentration and testicular circumference were positively influenced by nutritional state (P<0.05). Interaction of nutritional state with season was found for semen volume, sperm concentration and abnormal sperm, but there was no interaction on the total sperm, progressive motility, live sperm, semen pH and semen index. It is concluded that the reproductive activity of growing Sanjabi ram lambs is affected by nutritional state. These results also demonstrated a monthly pattern in reproductive characteristics of Sanjabi ram lambs, independent of the nutritional state.

The Effect of Thawing Temperature on Sperm Quality of Friesian Holstein Bulls

The percentage of sperm motility and morphology are important criteria in evaluating the quality of sperm before it is used for artificial insemination (AI). This study was conducted to observe post thawing motility and abnormal morphology of spermatozoa Friesian Holstein (FH). The materials were used 10 straws of FH bulls in the form of 0.25 ml. A total of 10 straws then divided into two treatment groups of thawing in water at 37°C and water 8°C, respectively. An examination of the motility and morphology of spermatozoa abnormalities performed every two hours for two times. Calculating the percentage of sperm motility was done by calculating the percentage of spermatozoa moving forward in the field of view under a microscope with a magnification of 10x. the percentage of abnormal spermatozoa was assessed by William's stain. Spermatozoa morphology was observed by using a microscope magnification of 100x. Abnormalities of spermatozoa were calculated from a total of 200 spermatozoa, either normal or abnormal. At the same thawing time, the motility of FH cattle sperms post thawing in water temperature 37°C had a higher preference than that of post thawing in water temperature 8°C, although it was not significantly different (P &gt; 0.05). Based on morphological aspects, frozen semen used in this study is within the tolerance limit for the total percentage of abnormal sperm morphology between 12% to 23% and normal morphology between 70% to 88%.

Chlorophytum borivilianum (Safed Musli) root extract prevents impairment in characteristics and elevation of oxidative stress in sperm of streptozotocin-induced adult male diabetic Wistar rats.

BackgroundWe hypothesized that C. borivilianum root, known to improve male reproductive performance, prevents impairment in characteristics, morphology and elevation of oxidative stress in sperm of diabetics. We therefore investigated the effect of aqueous root extract of C. borivilianum on these parameters in diabetic rat model.MethodsC. borivilianum root aqueous extract (250 and 500 mg/kg/day) or glibenclamide (600 μg/kg/day) were administered to streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic male rats for 28 consecutive days. At the end of treatment, animals were sacrificed and sperm were collected. Sperm count and percentages of forward motility, viability, hypoosmotic swelling (HOS) tail-coiled and abnormal sperm were evaluated. Sperm lipid peroxidation product (LPO), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and nitric oxide (NO) levels, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), activity levels of endogenous antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase-SOD, catalase-CAT and glutathione peroxidase-GPx), epididymal sperm density, serum fasting blood glucose (FBG) and HbA1c levels were measured. The expression of sperm caspase-3 was assessed. Meanwhile, in-vitro free radical scavenging activity of C. borivilianum root extract was determined and the root extract was analyzed for the presence of bioactive compounds by FTIR spectroscopy.ResultsC. borivilianum root aqueous extract prevents the decrease in sperm count, percentages of forward motility, viability, HOS and the increase in abnormal sperm percentage and caspase-3 level in diabetic rats. Sperm LPO, H2O2 and NO levels, FBG and HbA1c were lower while TAC, SOD, CAT, GPx and epididymal sperm density were higher in diabetic rats receiving C. borivilianum root extract treatment. C. borivilianum root exhibited strong in-vitro free radical scavenging activity which may be due to the phenolic compound.ConclusionsC. borivilianum root extract prevents impairment in sperm characteristics and morphology via preventing elevation of oxidative stress, apoptosis and free radicals levels of the sperm in diabetes. These effects may be achieved through maintaining sperm antioxidant level which could be related to free radical scavenging activity of the root extract by phenolic compounds. These effects could also be due to ability of the extract to maintain near normal serum FBG and HBA1c levels in diabetes.

The Effect of the Separation of Spermatozoa X and Y Using Swim up Method on the Quality of Etawah Crossbreed Goats Spermatozoa

This research aimed to determine the effect of spermatozoa X and Y separation using swim-up method on the quality of etawah crossbreed goat’s spermatozoa. This research used 6 male etawah crossbreed goats aged between 18-24 months, which were collected the semen once a week using electroejaculator. Immediately after semen collection, the quality of semen was examined, and then grouped into three treatment groups. Group 1 was control group (P0) refers to the semen was not separated by swim-up method. Group 2 (P1) was the semen separated by the swim-up method for 5 minutes. Group 3 (P2) was the semen separated by swim-up method for 10 minutes. Each treatment was repeated six times. Parameters for semen quality examined were the percentage of spermatozoa motility, live spermatozoa, and abnormal spermatozoa. Data were analyzed by analysis of variance (ANOVA) one way pattern, followed by Duncan's multiple test. The results showed that the mean ± SD percentage of sperm motility on each treatment groups (P0; P1; P2) was 81.33±3.44, 89.67±3.21, and 90.00±3.10 %, respectively. The percentage of live spermatozoa on each group was 86.50 ± 2.07, 92.33 ± 2.08, and 91.83 ± 1.72%, respectively. The percentage of abnormal spermatozoa on each group was 13.00±2.53, 7.33±2.52, and 7.67±2.16%, respectively. Results of this research showed that the percentages of motility, live spermatozoa, and abnormal spermatozoa after separation by swim-up method were significantly different (P0.05) compared to without separation. It can be concluded that the separation of spermatozoa using swim-up method can improve significantly (P0.05) the percentage of live and motility of spermatozoa and decrease the percentage of abnormal spermatozoa of etawah crossbreed goats.Key words: Etawah crossbreed, spermatozoa quality, swim-up method

Effects of repeated administration of methylphenidate on reproductive parameters in male rats

Methylphenidate (MPH) is a psychostimulant drug which acts by blocking the dopamine and norepinephrine transporters and is the main drug used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents. During puberty, changes in neurotransmitter systems (including dopaminergic system) are engaged on the release of gonadal hormones and the development of cephalic structures responsible for reproductive function. This study investigated the effects of repeated treatment with methylphenidate during development on reproductive parameters of adult male rats. Wistar rats received MPH 2.5mg/kg, MPH 5.0mg/kg, or distilled water (gavage) from postnatal day (PND) 21 to PND 60. At PND 100, an increase in percentage of abnormal tail morphology sperm in MPH 2.5 and increase in testicular interstitial tissue volume in MPH groups as well as in the number of type A spermatogonia in MPH 5.0 group were observed. This study demonstrated that repeated administration of methylphenidate during periods corresponding childhood to early adulthood interfered on testicular function in rats at adult life.

Structural and functional effects of early exposure to 4-nonylphenol on gonadal development of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus): b-histological alterations in testes.

The present study investigates the effects of different doses (0, 40, 60, 100 μg/L) of 4-nonylphenol (NP) on testis histology and sperms motility of mature Oreochromis niloticus. A tendency for a dose-dependent reduction in the gonado-somatic index (GSI) in the NP-exposed groups was observed. Histological examination revealed that high doses of NP (60 and 100 μg/L) cause hyperplasia of interlobular connective tissue components coincide with decrease in the size of seminiferous lobules and amount of lumen spermatozoa in comparison with the control and low-dose (40 μg/L)-exposed groups. In addition, within the seminiferous lobules, rupture of spermatogenic cysts, vacuolation and necrosis of primary spermatocytes due to damage of sertoli cells were clearly observed and lead to decrease in advanced spermatogenic cells. The highest dose caused significant decrease in the GSI associated with appearance of testis-ova (intersex) state. The percentage of abnormal sperms increased with increasing the dose of NP reaching to 96 % for those subjected to 100 μg NP/L, while it was only 11 % for the control group specimens. The study indicates that NP has estrogenic potency induced marked alteration in the sexual development including inhibition in testicular growth and deformation in the sperms.

Multigeneration Reproduction and Male Developmental Toxicity Studies on Atrazine in Rats

BACKGROUNDReproductive toxicity of Atrazine (ATR) was evaluated in two rat multigenerational studies. Development of male reproductive parameters was evaluated in separate studies after prenatal or postnatal exposure.METHODSIn multigenerational studies, rats received dietary concentrations of 0, 10, 50, 100 or 500 ppm ATR. In separate studies in female rats, ATR was administered by gavage at 0, 1, 5, 25 or 125 mg/kg/day during pregnancy (GD6–21) or lactation (LD2–21). Plasma testosterone concentration, testicular and epididymal weights, and sperm counts were measured in male offspring on PND70 and 170.RESULTSIn the multigenerational studies, parental systemic toxicity occurred at 500 ppm (38.7 mg/kg/day), but reproductive endpoints were unaffected. In the prenatal study, maternal toxicity and embryo-fetal mortality occurred at 125 mg/kg/day. In male offspring, testosterone levels and sperm counts were unaffected, although the percentage of abnormal sperm increased at 125 mg/kg/day (PND 70) and 25 mg/kg/day (PND170). In the postnatal study, maternal toxicity and reduced body weights of male offspring occurred at 125 mg/kg/day. Additionally, reduced testicular (PND70, PND170) and epididymal (PND70) weights and increased numbers of abnormal sperm (PND70, PND170) were seen, but no changes in plasma testosterone or sperm counts.CONCLUSIONSDietary administration of ATR did not affect rat reproduction up to a parentally toxic dose of 38.7 mg/kg/day. Some effects on male reproductive system development occurred after high dose, bolus administration to dams, but doses were much higher than expected under normal use conditions. Thus, oral RfDs for ATR would be protective for reproductive effects

Improvements in semen quality, sperm fatty acids, and reproductive performance in aged Cobb 500 breeder roosters fed diets containing dried ginger rhizomes (Zingiber officinale)

Exposure to high levels of polyunsaturated fatty acid predisposes spermatozoa to lipid peroxidation, resulting in their decreased fertility. Ginger powder (GP), which is high in antioxidative compounds, was fed to aged breeder roosters to improve their reproductive performance. Seventy-five 52-wk-old Cobb 500 breeder roosters randomly received either 0 (GP0), 15 (GP15), or 30 (GP30) g of GP/kg of diet for 14 consecutive wk, during which time their seminal characteristics were evaluated every 2 wk. At the end of the trial, semen samples were tested for determination of sperm fatty acid (FA) concentration and seminal plasma total antioxidant capacity. Furthermore, sperm penetration was assayed, and using 225 artificially inseminated hens, fertility and hatchability rates were determined. Dietary GP improved sperm forward motility, live sperm percentage, and sperm plasma membrane integrity. These were associated with a decrease in the percentage of abnormal sperm. The seminal TBA reactive species concentration was lower in birds belonging to the GP30 treatment in comparison with those in the GP15 and GP0 treatments. The feeding of GP resulted in overall decreases and increases in sperm saturated and unsaturated FA, respectively. The n-6:n-3 FA ratio of sperm was decreased in the GP30 group in comparison with controls. The highest levels of sperm C20:4(n-6) and C22:6(n-3) FA were recorded in the GP15 and GP30 treatments, respectively. A higher percentage of sperm C22:4(n-6) FA was found in GP-fed roosters. Seminal plasma total antioxidant capacity was considerably improved by the GP15 and GP30 treatments. Further, a higher number of perivitelline membrane sperm penetration holes was recorded for the GP30 treatment in comparison with the GP15 and GP0 treatments. Interestingly, although hatchability, chick quality, and embryonic mortality were not affected by dietary treatment, fertility rate was improved by the feeding of GP. In conclusion, dietary GP improved most of the seminal characteristics evaluated in aged roosters of this study, suggesting that it has potential for use in attenuating age-related subfertility in senescent male commercial broiler breeders.