Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sadat City, Sadat, Egypt.
Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA.
Reprod Domest Anim. 2022 Nov;57(11):1319-1326. doi: 10.1111/rda.14207. Epub 2022 Jul 25.
This study aimed to assess the effects of age on testicular morphometry and function in donkeys. Testes and epididymides of 57 donkeys were harvested immediately after slaughtering. The donkeys were grouped: young (1-4 years old, n = 13); adult (5-15 years old, n = 25) and aged (>15 years old, n = 19). Each testis and epididymis were weighed separately. Testicular volume was calculated. Epididymal sperm was harvested by retrograde flushing method, and sperm parameters were evaluated. The testicular parenchyma was immunolabelled for BAX and COX2. Adult and aged donkeys had greater testicular weight and volume than young (p < .05). Epididymal sperm concentration, motility and viability were greater (p < .05) in adults and aged (931.8 ± 39.3 and 858.2 ± 33.2 × 10 /ml) than in young animals (316.3 ± 72.8 × 10 /ml). Aged donkeys had a higher percentage of morphological sperm defects than the other categories (p < .05). Histological examination revealed the presence of age-related degenerative changes in testicular tissue of donkeys. Aged donkeys had higher COX2 protein expression than adult and young donkeys. BAX protein was overly expressed in adults than aged or young animals. In conclusion, advancement of age affects the testicular morphometry and function in donkeys.
本研究旨在评估年龄对驴睾丸形态和功能的影响。在屠宰后立即采集了 57 头驴的睾丸和附睾。将驴分为：青年组（1-4 岁，n=13）；成年组（5-15 岁，n=25）和老年组（>15 岁，n=19）。分别称取每个睾丸和附睾的重量。计算睾丸体积。通过逆行冲洗法采集附睾精子，并评估精子参数。睾丸实质用 BAX 和 COX2 进行免疫标记。成年和老年驴的睾丸重量和体积大于青年驴（p<0.05）。成年和老年驴的附睾精子浓度、活力和存活率均高于青年驴（931.8±39.3 和 858.2±33.2×10^6/ml 比 316.3±72.8×10^6/ml）（p<0.05）。老年驴的精子形态缺陷率高于其他组（p<0.05）。组织学检查显示，驴睾丸组织存在与年龄相关的退行性变化。老年驴的 COX2 蛋白表达高于成年和青年驴。成年驴的 BAX 蛋白表达高于老年和青年驴。总之，年龄的增长会影响驴的睾丸形态和功能。
