Abril-Sánchez Silvia, Freitas-de-Melo Aline, Beracochea Florencia, Damián Juan Pablo, Giriboni Julia, Santiago-Moreno Julián, Ungerfeld Rodolfo
Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de la República, Lasplaces 1550, Montevideo, 11600, Uruguay.
Departamento de Biología Molecular y Celular, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de la República, Lasplaces 1550, Montevideo, 11600, Uruguay.
Theriogenology. 2017 Aug;98:82-87. doi: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2017.05.006. Epub 2017 May 4.
In anesthetized non-domestic ruminants transrectal ultrasound-guided massage of the accessory sex glands (TUMASG) is an alternative method to collect semen slightly less stressful than electroejaculation (EE). However, some sperm characteristics are better when semen is collected with EE than with TUMASG. As anesthesia reduces the response to stressors, the advantages of TUMASG may be reduced in anesthetized animals, and thus, TUMASG may be even more advantageous in conscious animals. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to compare the stress response and the characteristics of the sperm collected with TUMASG and EE in conscious goat bucks. Semen was collected in 10 bucks with both procedures. During each procedure, the time required for ejaculation, the number of electric pulses applied and the number of vocalizations were recorded. Rectal temperature, heart rate, serum cortisol concentration, biochemical and hematological parameters were measured before and after each procedure. Sperm characteristics [ejaculated volume, sperm concentration, sperm mass motility (scale 0-5), sperm vigor (scale 0-5), the percentages of motile and progressive motile sperm, of sperm vitality, of sperm with plasma membrane integrity, and with acrosome damage and morphological abnormalities] were also determined. Electroejaculation required more electric pulses than TUMASG (P < 0.0001), but TUMASG took more time than EE (P < 0.0001). The EE provoked more vocalizations (P = 0.02) and a greater increase of cortisol concentrations than TUMASG (P = 0.04). Heart rate also tended to be greater with EE than with TUMASG (P = 0.07). The sperm characteristics did not differ between TUMASG and EE. In conclusion, TUMASG was less stressful and probably less painful than EE without affecting the semen quality. Thus, although it required more time, TUMASG is an alternative procedure to decrease the welfare concerns raised by EE in conscious goat bucks.
在麻醉的非家养反刍动物中，经直肠超声引导下的副性腺按摩（TUMASG）是一种采集精液的替代方法，其应激程度略低于电射精（EE）。然而，与TUMASG相比，采用EE采集精液时某些精子特征更好。由于麻醉会降低对应激源的反应，TUMASG在麻醉动物中的优势可能会降低，因此，TUMASG在清醒动物中可能更具优势。因此，本研究的目的是比较清醒山羊公羊采用TUMASG和EE采集精液时的应激反应及精子特征。用这两种方法对10只公羊采集精液。在每次操作过程中，记录射精所需时间、施加的电脉冲数量和发声次数。在每次操作前后测量直肠温度、心率、血清皮质醇浓度、生化和血液学参数。还测定了精子特征[射精量、精子浓度、精子团活力（0 - 5级）、精子活力（0 - 5级）、活动精子和进行性活动精子的百分比、精子活力、具有完整质膜的精子、顶体损伤和形态异常的精子]。电射精比TUMASG需要更多的电脉冲（P < 0.0001），但TUMASG比EE花费更多时间（P < 0.0001）。与TUMASG相比，EE引发更多发声（P = 0.02），皮质醇浓度升高幅度更大（P = 0.04）。EE组的心率也往往高于TUMASG组（P = 0.07）。TUMASG和EE之间的精子特征没有差异。总之，TUMASG的应激性较低，可能疼痛程度也低于EE，且不影响精液质量。因此，尽管TUMASG需要更多时间，但它是一种替代方法，可减少清醒山羊公羊因EE引起的福利问题。
