Mustafa Shehr Bano, Long Hua, Song Tianzeng, Zhang Xiaoming, Zhaxi Yangzong, Wu Jing, Chen Xiaoying, Shahzad Khuram, Jiang Xunping, Liu Guiqiong, Zeng Xianyin, Zhao Wangsheng
College of Life Sciences and Agri-forestry, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, Sichuan 621010, China.
Shigatse High-tech Industrial Development Center, Shigatse, Xizang 857000, China.
Reprod Fertil Dev. 2025 Jun;37. doi: 10.1071/RD24191.
Context Castration of lambs is an old practice for managing reproduction and improving meat quality. However, the traditional method raises welfare concerns. To overcome these limitations, immunocastration has gained attention as an ethical andeffective solution to the welfare challenges associated with surgical castration by targeting the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. Aims In this investigation, we study the impact of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) immunocastration by analysing its influence on testosterone levels, colon microorganisms, and metabolomics. Methods The experiment is divided into immunocastrated (IMCF), surgically castrated (ORCCF), and control (EMCF) groups of male sheep. Blood and fecal samples were collected for testosterone measurement, metabolomics and microbiota analysis. Metabolomics was analysed by LC-MS/MS, while microbiota analysis was performed using 16S rRNA sequencing. Key results The testosterone level in both IMCF and ORCCF groups significantly declined compared to the EMCF. Furthermore, the relative abundance of bacteroidota to Firmicutes was higher in the IMCF and ORCCF groups compared to the EMCF group. The IMCF group showed increased levels of beneficial genera, Bacteroides , compared to the ORCCF and EMCF groups. Furthermore, metabolomics analysis revealed that GnRH immunocastration significantly affected some metabolites, such as methyl stearate and 23-nordeoxycholic acid, which were significantly upregulated in the IMCF group relative to the ORCCF group. In contrast, N'-formylkynurenine and 6-aminonicotinamide showed marked downregulation. Conclusions GnRH immunocastration is an effective alternative to surgical castration with added benefits for health and metabolic efficiency, highlighting its potential advantages in animal welfare and productivity. Implications The study highlights the potential of GnRH immunocastration, which contributes to advancing modern techniques. This approach offers ethical livestock management practices.
背景 阉割羔羊是一种管理繁殖和改善肉质的古老做法。然而，传统方法引发了对动物福利的担忧。为克服这些局限性，免疫去势作为一种针对下丘脑 - 垂体 - 性腺轴的、符合伦理且有效的解决与手术去势相关福利挑战的方法，受到了关注。目的 在本研究中，我们通过分析促性腺激素释放激素（GnRH）免疫去势对睾酮水平、结肠微生物群和代谢组学的影响来进行研究。方法 将实验分为雄性绵羊的免疫去势组（IMCF）、手术去势组（ORCCF）和对照组（EMCF）。采集血液和粪便样本用于睾酮测量、代谢组学和微生物群分析。代谢组学通过液相色谱 - 串联质谱（LC - MS/MS）进行分析，而微生物群分析则使用16S rRNA测序进行。主要结果 与EMCF组相比，IMCF组和ORCCF组的睾酮水平均显著下降。此外，与EMCF组相比，IMCF组和ORCCF组中拟杆菌门与厚壁菌门的相对丰度更高。与ORCCF组和EMCF组相比，IMCF组中有益菌属拟杆菌的水平有所增加。此外，代谢组学分析表明，GnRH免疫去势显著影响了一些代谢物，如硬脂酸甲酯和23 - 去氧胆酸，相对于ORCCF组，它们在IMCF组中显著上调。相比之下，N'-甲酰犬尿氨酸和6 - 氨基烟酰胺则显著下调。结论 GnRH免疫去势是手术去势的有效替代方法，对健康和代谢效率有额外益处，突出了其在动物福利和生产力方面的潜在优势。意义 该研究突出了GnRH免疫去势的潜力，有助于推动现代技术发展。这种方法提供了符合伦理的畜牧管理实践。
