Abdous Arman, Jokar Mohammad, Farhoodi Mehran, Shirani Darioush, Moayer Fariborz
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ka.C., Islamic Azad University, Karaj, Iran.
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary,Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada.
Vet Med Sci. 2025 May;11(3):e70410. doi: 10.1002/vms3.70410.
This study investigates the dose-response effects of oral melatonin on reproductive parameters in intact male Pomeranian dogs diagnosed with Alopecia X. Given melatonin's potential therapeutic effects on hair regrowth and reproductive health, this study aimed to evaluate its impact on semen quality, hormonal profiles and testicular haemodynamics. A total of 16 intact male Pomeranian dogs were randomly assigned to four groups: a control group receiving a placebo and three treatment groups receiving melatonin at low (0.1 mg/kg), medium (0.3 mg/kg) and high (0.5 mg/kg) doses, administered twice daily for 45 days. Reproductive parameters, including semen volume, sperm concentration, total sperm count, sperm motility and levels of testosterone and oestradiol 17-ß, were assessed biweekly. Testicular haemodynamics were evaluated using pulsed Doppler ultrasonography. The results showed dose-dependent improvements in semen quality and testicular blood flow, with the highest dose group demonstrating the most significant improvements. However, analysis of the testosterone-to-oestradiol ratio revealed a decrease in the treatment groups, highlighting a complex hormonal response. Although semen quality improved, the study's short duration may not have captured the full spermatogenesis cycle. These findings suggest that melatonin may enhance reproductive function in male dogs with Alopecia X, but further research is needed to clarify its long-term endocrine effects and optimize treatment protocols.
本研究调查了口服褪黑素对诊断为X型脱发的雄性博美犬生殖参数的剂量反应效应。鉴于褪黑素对毛发生长和生殖健康的潜在治疗作用，本研究旨在评估其对精液质量、激素水平和睾丸血流动力学的影响。总共16只雄性博美犬被随机分为四组：一组接受安慰剂的对照组和三组分别接受低剂量（0.1毫克/千克）、中剂量（0.3毫克/千克）和高剂量（0.5毫克/千克）褪黑素的治疗组，每天给药两次，持续45天。每两周评估一次生殖参数，包括精液量、精子浓度、总精子数、精子活力以及睾酮和雌二醇17-β水平。使用脉冲多普勒超声评估睾丸血流动力学。结果显示精液质量和睾丸血流呈剂量依赖性改善，最高剂量组的改善最为显著。然而，对睾酮与雌二醇比值的分析显示治疗组有所下降，突出了复杂的激素反应。尽管精液质量有所改善，但该研究的短疗程可能未涵盖完整的精子发生周期。这些发现表明，褪黑素可能增强患有X型脱发的雄性犬的生殖功能，但需要进一步研究以阐明其长期内分泌效应并优化治疗方案。
