Individual Sperm Motility Research Articles

The Effect of Adding Levels of the Organic Acid Taurine on Improving the Characteristics of Diluted and Cooled Semen of Arabi Rams

This investigation was place from 1/10/2022 to 31/1/2023 in the College of Agriculture / University of Basra / Karma Ali animal field. Five Orabih rams with similar weights and ages of 2.5 to 3 years were bred for the research. Fortwo weeks, the animals were taught to collect semen using the Kabash's fake vagina and given a 2 kilogram diet with two meals each day. Semen was collected three times a month after training, and rams' sperm was added taurine organic acid (zero, 2, 4.6 mmol) and stored in a cryosafe at 5 º for up to 48 hours. A computer analyzed all diluted and chilled semen properties. Results of the study:T2 treatment significantly outperformed other coefficients in individual movement, sperm concentration, and percentage of live sperm in refrigerated semen (P<0.05). Cryostorage zero (hour) significantly outperformed other periods in pH values, individual movement, and sperm concentration, and exceeded 24 hours (P<0.05). T2 treatment significantly outperformed (P<0.05) other coefficients in pH, individual sperm motility, and live sperm percentage at zero hour, while T2 recorded the highest sperm concentration in refrigerated semen at 24 hours (P<0.05). 2: The control and T6 coefficients had the highest percentagesof dead sperm (P<0.05) compared to other transactions, with the 72-hour cold storage period having the highest moral percentages (P<0.05). The T6 treatment and 72-hour storage period also had the highest moral percentages (P<0.05) in the percentage of dead sperm. T2 transaction significantly outperformed (p<0.05) the straight linear velocity VSL and linearity of the path LIN of sperm, and the duration of cold storage zero (hour) significantly outperformed 72, 48, and 24 hours in VSL and LIN ratios for sperm. T2 transaction at cold storage zero (hour) significantly outperformed VSL and LIN ratios of spe

SOME BIOCHEMICAL ATTRIBUTES IN SEMINAL PLASMA OF IRAQI BUFFALO BULLS AND THEIR RELATION TO THE SEMEN QUALITY

This study was undertaken to figure out the relationship between some biochemical characteristics in seminal plasma with the semen quality of Iraqi buffalo bulls (Bubalus bubalis). Semen was diluted with the Tris extender and divided based on the sperm cell's individual motility into two groups. The first group included good-semen quality (GS; n=3), whereas, the second group included poor-semen quality (PS; n=5). The differences between GS and BS groups in all seminal biochemical attributes lacked significance. A negative and significant (P≤0.05) correlation coefficient was noticed between cholesterol concentration and both principal and terminal sperms abnormality (r= -0.52), and total abnormalities (r= -0.53). A positive and significant (P≤0.05) correlation coefficient was shown between cholesterol concentration and normal sperm percentage (r= 0.53). Moreover, there was a negative and significant correlation (P≤0.05) between the triglyceride concentration and each of the percentages of individual sperm motility (r = -0.50) and of live sperm (r = -0.51). It can be concluded that some biochemical characteristics of seminal plasma can be used to predict the semen quality and fertility of Iraqi buffalo bulls.

Protein Profiles in Seminal Plasma of Iraqi Buffalo Bulls (Bubalus bubalis) Associated with Fresh and Cryopreserved Semen Quality

This study was undertaken to identify some protein profiles in the seminal plasma of Iraqi buffalo bulls and their correlation to the quality of fresh and cryopreserved semen. Semen was collected from eight buffalo bulls and divided according to the percentage of sperm individual motility into two groups. The first group (n=3) included good semen quality, while the second group (n=5) included poor semen quality. Seminal plasma was extracted from each semen sample by centrifugation and seminal proteins were resolved by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Nine types of protein bands were observed in the seminal plasma of the buffalo bulls belonging to good semen quality, ranging from 10-68 kDa. The most abundant proteins in the overall presence of proteins in seminal plasma were 10 (100%), 14 (100%), 20 (100%), 26 (100%), 34 (100%), and 43 (37.5%) kDa. On the other hand, 14 types of protein bands resolved for the poor-quality semen, ranging from 10-155 kDa. The most abundant proteins in the overall presence of proteins in seminal plasma were 10 (100%), 14 (100%), 20 (100%), 26 (100%), 34 (87.5%), 130 (50%) and 155 (50%) kDa. A significant negative correlation was noticed among proteins with molecular weights of 28. 88 ± 3.26, 22.50 ± 2.85, and 12.00 ± 1.15 kDa, and the percentage of sperm individual motility and plasma membrane integrity. Moreover, there was a positive significant correlation between proteins whose molecular weight 22.50 ± 2.85 kDa and the percentages of total abnormalities and normal sperms. In conclusion, the identification of seminal proteins may be a useful tool in the future evaluation of spermatozoa and the prediction of fertility in Iraqi buffalo bulls.

Impact of chilling duration on sperm quality of indigenous buck semen in the Coastal Area of Bangladesh

Background: Assessing semen characteristics is an important step before semen preservation. This study aimed to collect, evaluate, and preserve indigenous buck semen in the coastal area of Bangladesh. Methods: The study was conducted at the Theriogenology and Animal Reproductive Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Obstetrics, Patuakhali Science and Technology University, from July 2021 to June 2022. We selected four bucks based on non-return rate, pregnancy rate of does, and various parameters including age, body weight, scrotal circumference, and testicular epididymal length. These selected animals received a regimen of vitamins, minerals, anthelmintics, and concentrated feed. Semen was collected using the artificial vagina method, and data on color, odor, volume, viscosity, mass activity, consistency, concentration, and individual sperm motility were recorded and analyzed after collection. Results: The semen of bucks exhibited a creamy white color and a fishy odor. The mean (±SD) of scrotal circumference (SC) of four bucks was 20.43±0.52, while the testicular epididymal length (TEL) was 11.03±0.59. Buck-2 (B-2) and buck-1 (B-1) showed significantly (p<0.05) higher volumes than buck-3 (B-3), and buck (B-4). B-1 also displayed significantly (p<0.05) higher mass activity compared to B-2, B-3, and B-4. In addition, B-2 and B-1 showed significantly (p<0.05) greater consistency than B-3, and B-4. The highest concentrations were observed in B-2 and B-1 compared to B-3 and B-4. In terms of individual sperm motility, B-1 showed significantly (p<0.05) higher motility (81.0±05.16) than B-2 (71.0±03.94), B-3 (66.0±03.94), and B-4 (80.0±07.45). Regarding chilling duration, a significant reduction in sperm motility was observed during storage at 4°C. This indicated that sperm motility varied significantly (p ≤ 0.000) with varying chilling durations. Conclusions: The study suggests that the individual progressive sperm motility at 4°C gradually decreases but remains suitable for artificial insemination up to 72 h (≥50±7.65). B-1 and B-2 demonstrated relatively promising results in semen evaluation and preservation. Further study is necessary to determine the pregnancy rate of does after insemination with chilled semen.

Automated Orientation Control of Motile Deformable Cells

Automated manipulation of deformable objects is challenging due to the object&#x2019;s deformation behavior. Different from still deformable objects such as wires and cloth, biological organisms such as sperm and worms are both deformable and motile, requiring the control of both deformation and motion. This paper reports automated orientation control of live sperm, as an example of motile deformable cells. Robotic manipulation of human sperm was performed by using a glass micropipette, which is a standard clinical tool, to rotate individual motile sperm. Sperm rotation must be performed before immobilization, as required in clinical cell surgery for infertility treatment. To control tail deformation during sperm rotation, a path planner was designed based on kinematic analysis and manipulation point update. To deal with the intrinsic motion of a motile sperm, a motorized stage was controlled to compensate for sperm swimming motion, and an observer was designed to decouple sperm orientation from its wiggling motion. A sliding mode controller was designed to cope with stiffness variances along the sperm tail and among different sperm. Deep neural networks were developed for robust sperm tail detection, and Kalman filter was used to predict tail motion. Experimental results demonstrated that automated sperm manipulation achieved an orientation error of 0.8<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$^{\circ}$</tex-math> </inline-formula> and operation time of 6.8 s, both significantly less than those of manual operation. The designed observer was effective to reduce sperm orientation error by reducing the disturbance from sperm wiggling motion. The developed sliding mode controller outperformed the PID controller in operation time, reducing the time of oocyte exposure to the ambient environment. <i>Note to Practitioners</i>&#x2014;This work tackled the challenge of rotating a fast-swimming and deformable sperm in clinical cell surgeries. Automated manipulation of deformable objects has wide applications in industrial and service settings such as manipulating wires and folding cloth. However, the intrinsic motion of a motile sperm and the lack of a rotational degree of freedom in standard micromanipulators pose difficulties to automated sperm manipulation. In this paper, we propose automation techniques for sperm orientation control. For sperm tail detection, deep learning was used to handle the variances of shape and length among different sperm. A path planning strategy and a controller were designed to achieve automated rotation of motile sperm, with its deformation and motion both controlled. The developed methods can be generalized to the manipulation of other deformable objects such as wires, cables and cloth. These objects exhibit significant variance of mechanical properties, and calibration is often time-consuming. The designed controller can be used to manipulate deformable objects with robustness to varied mechanical parameters. Path planning was designed by updating the manipulation point based on the object&#x2019;s deformation behavior, and is suitable in manipulation where constraints are imposed such as the object&#x2019;s strain.

Effect of addition of honey and skim milk and cooled cauda epididymal spermatozoa of Awassi ram

The current study intends to assess the effectiveness of combining honey and skim milk in an extender on individual motility, livability, and abnormalities of cauda epididymal Awassi ram spermatozoa after diluting and cooling. Nine pairs of testicles Awassi rams were collected after the slaughter at the abattoir. Honey and skim milk combined were prepared. The cauda epididymal spermatozoa were divided into four equal parts and diluted in a Tris-based extender. (Control, basic diluents), HSM1 (basic diluents containing 0.5 ml honey and 9.5ml skim milk), HSM2 (basic diluents containing 1 ml honey and 9ml skim milk), HSM3 (basic diluents containing 1.5 ml honey and 8.5ml skim milk) and cooled 4ºC for evaluation of the percentages of sperm individual motility, live and abnormalities spermatozoa (including head, midpiece, and tail) at 0, 24, 48, and 72h. Results showed that individual motility spermatozoa preserved (P&lt;0.05) in HSM1 and HSM2 groups at 24h and 48h. Livability spermatozoa were increased (P&lt;0.05) in the HSM1 group at 48h and 72h. Groups HSM1, HSM2, and HSM3 decreased total abnormalities (P&lt;0.05) at 48 h and 72h while decreasing tail abnormalities (P&lt;0.05) at 24h and 48h than control. The HSM2 group was lower (P&lt;0.05) in head abnormality of spermatozoa at 48 h, whereas the HSM1 group was at 72 h. In conclusion, the nourishing and protective effects of lower honey concentrations in extender favorably impact cauda epididymal spermatozoa of Awassi rams. Keywords: cauda epididymal spermatozoa, honey, skim milk, motility, livability, and abnormalities.

تأثير إضافة الكيرستين الى مخفف Tris في بعض صفات السائل المنوي للكباش العواسي بعد مدد مختلفة من الحفظ بالتبريد

The study evaluated the effect of adding quercetin to some characteristics of the sperm of the ram. This study was conducted in the animal field, Department of Animal Production, College of Agricultural Engineering Science, University of Baghdad for the period 5/12/2021 to 20/2/2022. In this experiment, 3 rams were used at the age of 2-2.5 years and weighed 50-55 kg. The semen was collected early in the morning and once a week and the semen was pooled to remove the individual differences. The treatments were divided: quercetin-free control group, treatment T1 (3 µL/mL quercetin), T2 treatment (6 µL/mL quercetin), T3 treatment (9 µL/mL quercetin). The result of the study showed a significant increased (p&lt;0.01) of T2 treatment in the percentage of individual sperm motility during the cooling period (2 and 24 h). T3 treatment showed a significant increase (p&lt;0.05) at (48 and 72 h) of individual motility. On the other hand, T2 treatment showed a significant increased (p&lt;0.01) in the viability of sperm at (2 and 24 h) of cooling preservation, while T3 treatment showed a significant increase at (48 and 72 h) cooling preservation for the viability of sperm. The result indicated that adding quercetin does not effect of total abnormality of sperm for all treatments. The result presented significant increased (p&lt;0.05) percentage of HOST for T2 and T3 treatments. The results showed a significant increase at ( p&lt;0.01) for T2 treatment at (2 and 48 h) on the other hand T1 showed a significant increase at 72 h. for the same character.

Seasonal effect on semen quality of Limousine and Simmental bulls

This study aimed to determine the effect of breed and season on the semen quality of AI bulls. The material used was n= 78,648 records of ejaculated semen from 85 Limousine and 88 Simmental bulls collected between period 2010 and 2020. Semen qualities evaluated in the study were: ejaculate vol-ume (Vol), pH, individual sperm motility (ISM), sperm concentration (SC), and post-thawing motility (PTM). The data was analyzed by using a MIXED model with breeds and seasons as fixed effects and animals as random effects. The seasons were significant (p&lt;0,05) on Vol, ISM, SC, and PTM, then the interaction between season and breed was affected on Vol, SC, and PTM. Simmental bulls generally showed better semen qualities than Limousine bulls. Further, the same result showed significant differ-ences in each season. The Vol, ISM, SC, and PTM of Simmental were 6.48 ± 1.26, 64.22 ± 1.16, 1,108 ± 0.46, and 42.19 ± 0.38, respectively. The increase of Vol and SC in the humid season has not propor-tionally affected ISM.

Effects of Heterologous Bovine Seminal Plasma-Supplemented Egg Yolk-Based Extender on Cryosurvivability of Pantja Buck Semen.

The present study was conducted to observe the effects of removal of seminal plasma of Pantja buck semen and supplementation of bovine seminal plasma (BSP) in the extender before cryopreservation. In a preliminary experiment, different levels of BSP were supplemented (1, 3, 5, 7, and 9% v/v) in egg yolk (7.5% egg yolk)-tris (EYT) extender and used for cryopreservation of Pantja buck semen. Results in terms of motility, viability, plasma membrane integrity, acrosome integrity, and lipid peroxidation showed that 5% BSP was suitable for maintaining Pantja buck semen quality during cryopreservation. In the final experiment, pooled semen from four Pantja bucks was split into three aliquots (I, II, and III). Aliquot I was directly diluted in EYT extender and grouped as the control (C); aliquot II and III were washed separately with TALP solution and diluted as D1 (Washed semen with EYT extender) and D2 (Washed semen with EYT extender containing 5% BSP), respectively. Seminal attributes (sperm individual motility, viability, plasma membrane integrity, acrosome integrity, and total morphological abnormalities) were assessed at the postdilution, postequilibration, and post-thawing stages. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration, and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity were measured at post-thaw. Washed semen significantly improved (p < 0.05) seminal parameters at post-thaw compared with unwashed semen (control). A significant difference (p < 0.05) was observed in seminal attributes between freezing stages and between dilution groups. Significantly higher (p < 0.05) post-thaw sperm motility, viability, plasma membrane integrity, acrosome integrity, and GSH-Px activity, and significantly lower (p < 0.05) MDA concentration and extracellular release of enzymes (ALT, AST) were observed in group D2 compared with control and D1. The results of the present study demonstrated that cryopreservation of washed Pantja buck semen diluted with 5% BSP-supplemented EYT extender can improve post-thaw semen quality.

An easy, safe, and practical method for semen collection in dromedary camels

In the current study, we have developed an easy, practical, and reliable method to collect semen from camel bulls. Simply, intromission ofa super-sensitive artificial insemination glove intravaginally with an outer fixation in the perineal region from lateral and dorsal sides of thevulva, mating, glove withdrawal and semen collection were the successive steps. Bull behaviour before and during the mating process wasobserved. The collected semen was evaluated in aspects of semen colour, volume and sperm cell concentration. Also, individual spermmotility and semen fertility by applying in-vitro fertilization were investigated after semen dilution in a new developed extender for camelsemen (100 mmol/l Tris, 65 mmol/l lactose, 50 mmol/l glucose, 40 mmol/l galactose, 125 mg/100ml BSA, 50 IU/ml catalase enzyme,1000 IU/ml penicillin G and 500µg/ml streptomycin: pH 7.0). Presence of the intravaginal glove and its fixation by the external adhesivetape did not affect the bull willingness and did not interrupt the mating process. Semen collection was successful in 112 out of total128 trials (87.5%) and the lengthy copulation was (10.3 ± 6.2 min - Mean ± SD). Mean parameters of the collected ejaculates were:volume of 8.3 ± 3.6 ml (Mean ± SD); sperm cell concentration of 437.6 ± 62.4 X 106 (Mean ± SD) sperm/ml; and sperm individualmotility after liquefaction for 45 min was 68.2 ± 11.4 % (Mean ± SD). Semen was grayish white to creamy white in colour dependingon sperm cell concentration. Finally, using of the collected diluted semen in IVF technique showed cleaved, morula and blastocyst rates66.1%, 43.5% and 25.8%, respectively. In conclusion, using of intravaginal super-sensitive AI gloves is a practical technique for semencollection and will facilitate the application of the new reproductive technologies on a large scale in dromedary camels.Keywords: Semen collection, Camel, In-vitro fertilization

Effect on physiological parameters and semen quality upon oral administration of fresh onion juice to V-line rabbit buck during severe heat stress

Severe heat stress is recognized as a factor that severely influences the semen quality and antioxidant status of rabbits. In this context, fresh onion juice (FOJ) may be a safe and useful option to improve reproductive performance. This research was designed to evaluate the anti-stress effects of FOJ on physiological and semen parameters in heat-stressed bucks. Thirty-six V-line rabbit bucks were randomly distributed into three groups. The bucks received FOJ orally at different doses [0 (water), 1.5, and 3 ml/kg live body weight] every 2 days over a period of 2 months, with 3 weeks as an adaptation period. FOJ treatments significantly improved semen characteristics, such as libido, mass and individual sperm motility, semen concentration, sperm viability, and acrosome reaction with increased initial seminal fructose, via the oral administration of 1.5 and 3 mL FOJ/kg body weight, compared with the findings in control bucks. Seminal plasma antioxidant status was significantly enhanced by FOJ treatments. It was concluded that the oral administration of FOJ under severe heat stress can improve bucks’ semen characteristics and sex hormone concentrations except for testosterone, and it is considered a good strategy for improving the heat resistance of rabbit bucks, possibly due to its antioxidant activity.

Collection and evaluation of indigenous buck semen at the coastal region of Bangladesh

Evaluation of semen characteristics is an important and prior for semen preservation. The aim of this study was to collection and evaluation of indigenous buck semen in the coastal region of Bangladesh. The semen was collected from bucks through artificial vagina method. The colour, odour, volume, viscosity, mass activity, consistency, concentration and individual sperm motility were analysed and recorded after collection from pre-selected four bucks. The colour and odour of all buck (B) semen were creamy white to milky white and fishy smell, respectively. In this study, we found that the average volume of B-1, B-2, B-3 and B-4 were 0.74, 0.98, 0.42 and 0.60 ml, respectively. The average grading of viscosity of B-1, B-2, B-3 and B-4 were 3.2, 3.8, 2.6 and 3.0, respectively. The average grading of mass activity of B-1, B-2, B-3 and B-4 were 3.6, 3.2, 2.4 and 3.4, respectively. The consistency of B-1, B-2, B-3 and B-4 were 4.2, 4.8, 2.8 and 4.0, respectively. The concentration of B-1, B-2, B-3 and B-4 were 1.58, 1.94, 0.62 and 1.54 ×109 per ml of semen volume. The average percentage of individual sperm motility of B-1, B-2, B-3 and B-4 were 81, 71, 66 and 80%, respectively. Viscosity, mass activity, consistency, concentration and individual sperm motility were significantly (p &lt; 0.05) correlate with each other. It may be concluded that the data about semen of the bucks are in acceptable level for preservation. Further study will be designed for the evaluation of viability and motility of sperm before and after freezing as liquid semen.

Effect of taurine in tris egg yolk citrate extender on quality of surti buck semen at refrigerated temperature

Semen was collected from four Surti bucks (>24 months-old) twice a week for 8 weeks (16 ejaculates per buck) during November, 2020 to March, 2021. Ejaculates of all four bucks were pooled and divided into five equal aliquots. The aliquots were diluted with tris-egg yolk-citrate (TEYC) extender containing 0 (control T1), 25 (T2), 50 (T3), 75 (T4) and 100 mM (T5) taurine with final concentration of 200x106 sperm/ml (pH 6.5 to 6.8) in each. At 24, 36 and 48 h of refrigerated storage, individual sperm motility, per cent live sperm and HOST reacted sperm were significantly (p<0.01) higher in T3 (50 mM) and abnormal sperm % was significantly (p<0.01) lower in T3 (50 mM) and T4 (75 mM) as compared to other groups. With increasing duration of storage, significant (p<0.01) increasing trend for abnormal sperm per cent and decreasing trend for rest of the characters were observed. Motility showed significant (p<0.01) positive correlation with live spermatozoa, abnormal spermatozoa and HOST-reacted spermatozoa. Live count showed significant (p<0.01) negative correlation with abnormal spermatozoa and significant (p<0.01) positive correlation with HOST-reacted spermatozoa. Live spermatozoa showed significant (p<0.01) negative correlation with abnormal spermatozoa and HOST non-reacted spermatozoa. Abnormal spermatozoa showed significant (p<0.01) negative correlation with HOST-reacted spermatozoa. It was concluded that supplementation of 50 mM taurine in TEYC extender maintained optimum quality of buck semen at refrigerated temperature up to 48 h.

Sperm Inspection for In Vitro Fertilization via Self-Assembled Microdroplet Formation and Quantitative Phase Microscopy.

We present a new method for the selection of individual sperm cells using a microfluidic device that automatically traps each cell in a separate microdroplet that then individually self-assembles with other microdroplets, permitting the controlled measurement of the cells using quantitative phase microscopy. Following cell trapping and droplet formation, we utilize quantitative phase microscopy integrated with bright-field imaging for individual sperm morphology and motility inspection. We then perform individual sperm selection using a single-cell micromanipulator, which is enhanced by the microdroplet-trapping procedure described above. This method can improve sperm selection for intracytoplasmic sperm injection, a common type of in vitro fertilization procedure.

SEASONAL VARIATIONS ON SEMEN CHARACTERISTICS OF FATTAILED AND GARUT RAMS UNDER TROPICAL CONDITIONS

This study investigated the influences of rainy and dry seasons on semen characteristics of fat-tailed and Garut rams under tropical conditions. A total of 4 healthy rams (2 fat-tailed rams and 2 Garut rams) aged 3 to 4 years old were used in this study. The semen was collected from each ram during November 2016 to February 2017 (rainy season) and May to August 2017 (dry season). The measurement of semen characteristics including semen volume (SV), sperm concentration (SpC), total sperm (TSp), individual sperm motility (ISM), post-thawing sperm motility (PTSM), and frozen semen production (FSP). The rainy season resulted higher SV (P= 0.021), TSp (P= 0.005), ISM (P= 0.028), and FSP (P= 0.005) than the dry season. On the other hand, fat-tailed rams had higher (P0.001) SV, TSp, and FSP compared to Garut rams. There was no interaction (P0.05) between season and breed on all semen characteristic parameters found in the present study. It can be concluded that the semen collection during the rainy season had a beneficial impact to produce high-quality semen for artificial insemination program than in the dry season. Fat-tailed rams have better semen characteristics compared to Garut rams.

Seasonal Variations in Semen Quality of Pasundan Bulls in their Native Tropical Environment

The success of artificial insemination highly depends on the semen quality, in which it may significantly associate with the environmental factor. However, the information regarding the seasonal effects on semen quality of Pasundan bulls is still scarce. This study aimed to examine seasonal variation in semen quality of Pasundan bulls in their native environment. A total of 203 ejaculates produced by two Pasundan bulls aged at four years old were used in this study. The bulls were kept under standard management conditions in Lembang Artificial Insemination Center. The results showed that mean values of semen volume, sperm concentration, total sperm number, individual sperm motility, post-thawing sperm motility and frozen semen production of Pasundan bulls were 5.7 mL, 1.17 billion/ml, 6.57 billion/ejaculate, 62.1,0 40.6 and 272% doses/ejaculate, respectively. Semen volume, individual sperm motility and post-thawing sperm motility were not affected by different seasons (P>0.05). Whereas, the significant reduction of sperm concentration (P<0.05), total sperm number (P<0.01) and frozen semen production (P<0.01) were observed in the dry season as compared to the rainy season. The minor change in ambient temperature, maximum ambient temperature, relative humidity and temperature-humidity index were detected between seasons. On the other hand, about 52% greater sunshine duration was detected in the dry season compared to the rainy season. In conclusion, the semen quality of Pasundan bulls is reduced during the dry season, which is considerably associated with the increase in sunshine duration.

Quantification of sexual behaviour traits in presence of teaser male in relation to libido and semen quality in crossbred (HF x Sahiwal) bulls

The present study was conducted to quantify the sexual behaviour traits of crossbred (HF x Sahiwal) bulls in presence of male teaser in relation to libido and semen quality. The average duration of first licking of perineal area, average frequency and overall average duration of licking of perineal area until ejaculation in high libido bulls were significantly (P&lt;0.05) lower as compared to low libido bulls. Individual sperm motility (%) and viability (%) was significantly higher (P&lt;0.05) in high than the low libido bulls. Therefore, breeding crossbred bulls can be demarcated for high libido based on based on quantification of sexual behaviour traits in relation to semen picture.

Age-Dependent Changes in Fresh Semen Quality of Swamp Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis)

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the fresh semen quality of swamp buffalo raised in Lembang Artificial Insemination Center with respect to different age. The semen was collected from one swamp buffalo bull at three different stages (5, 6, and 7 years old). The evaluation of semen quality was conducted directly upon collection. Semen color, consistency, and mass sperm motility were analyzed descriptively, while semen volume, pH, sperm concentration and individual sperm motility were analyzed using analysis of variance followed by least significant difference test. The results showed that the dominant physical characteristics of swamp buffalo’s semen were milky white color with moderate consistency and fast mass sperm motility (++). There was a highly significant effect (P<0.01) of age on semen volume, sperm concentration, and individual sperm motility, whereas semen pH was not affected (P>0.05) by age. Swamp buffalo had higher (P<0.01) semen volume and sperm concentration at 7 years old, but with lower (P<0.01) individual sperm motility as compared to 5 and 6 years old. In brief, this study reveals that semen production of swamp buffalo is dependent of age with 7 years old become the most superior age.

Seasonal changes in testicular ultrasonogram pixel-intensity and their association with semen characteristics in rams

Objective: To establish reference values for pixel intensity of testicular ultrasonogram of rams in breeding and non-breeding seasons, and to investigate if the seasonal changes in testicular echogenicity and heterogeneity are associated with semen characteristics. Methods: Five Awassi rams aged 3-5 years old and weighing 45-60 kg were subjected to ultrasonographic scanning of the testes twice monthly for one year (from January 2018 to December 2018), together with semen collection and evaluation of ejaculate volume, sperm motility, sperm concentration, sperm morphology and viability. The ejaculate volume was determined in a graduated collection tube (scale of 0.1 mL). Mass and individual sperm motility was expressed in percentage of motile spermatozoa under optical microscope equipped with a warm stage. Sperm concentration was determined by using a Neubauer chamber. Semen smears stained with eosin-nigrosin were used to determine the percentage of live spermatozoa and sperm cell morphology by using a light microscope. Results: The mean testicular pixel intensity was the lowest in winter and increased gradually from breeding season to non- breeding season, reaching its maximum value in summer (P Conclusions: Pixel intensity values of testicular ultrasonogram in rams undergo marked seasonal changes that are associated with fluctuations in photoperiod and ambient temperature. The resulting values of testicular echogenicity (pixel intensity) throughout the year provide useful reference values for predicting the testicular function in Awassi rams.

Improving Fertility of Male Dogs

Thirty six (mongrels) dogs was ranged from (2 – 5) years were used to investigate the effect of. L-carnitine, L-tyrosin and GnRH on improving fertility of male dogs (Libido and semen quality).Serum and semen samples were collected for three weeks (twice per week) before treatment to serve as control and for 9 weeks after treatment, the animals were grouped into 2 groups. The first group( low libido) : consisted of 3 subgroups as followings the first subgroup consisted of 5 dogs that were received the same basal diet and supplemented with 2 g per head of L-carnitine (Kariniking 50 %) for 14 days., the second subgroup that were fed on the same basal diet supplemented with single oral dose of L-tyrosine (1 gm/10 Kg body weight) and the third subgroup consisted of 5 dogs that fed on the same basal diet and injected with GnRH (Receptal). 2.5 ml priming dose 1 ml once per week for 2 weeks. The second group (low semen quality): consisted of 3 subgroups each group consist of 7 dogs and received treatment as the first group.On semen collection site, libido index was measured and the collected semen samples were evaluated for ejaculate volume, pH, individual sperm motility, percentage of live sperm, sperm cell concentration (millions/ml) and sperm abnormalities (primary and secondary). Testosterone concentration was assessed in serum samples using RIA technique. Results revealed that, The fertility of male dogs which represented in reproductive characters improved after treatment than before through, improving the testosterone hormone, semen volume, pH and conception rate in GnRH followed by L-carnitine treated group and both of them improve the efficiency than the L-tyrosine, the GnRH followed by L-tyrosine gave a higher libido appearance than L-carnitine treated group. The semen quality in the second group. The results cleared that, the higher sperm concentration and lower sperm defects (using a quantitative ultrastructural analysis) observed in the group treated with GnRH, followed by L-carnitine treated groups, and all of them higher than that of L-tyrosine treated group.