The influence of testosterone propionate on semen quality and testes morphology in the domestic turkey, Meleagris gallopavo.

Three groups of 6 Large White breeder turkey males producing normal white semen were given either corn oil or 100 or 1000 micrograms of testosterone propionate (TP) in corn oil per day in an attempt to induce the sequelae of the yellow semen syndrome (YSS), viz. elevated seminal plasma protein, macrophage infiltration into the semen and ductuli efferentes hypertrophy, and lipid accumulation (Thurston, 1976; Hess et al., 1982). The two treatments of TP were unsuccessful in producing these characteristics of the YSS. However, TP, particularly at 1000 micrograms, caused testicular regression exemplified as interstitial thickening, lipid accumulation, especially in Leydig and germinal cells, and reduced semen volume and sperm number. Although TP did not significantly affect seminal plasma protein concentration, in some males albumin was reduced concomitant with an increase in the beta-3 protein subfraction, suggesting that the quantity of these protein fractions in seminal plasma may be androgen dependent.