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Arsenic is a major environmental toxicant of concern, affecting both female and male reproductive systems. The present study was conducted to investigate the toxic effects of arsenic on semen quality and reproductive hormones of Teddy bucks, an important domestic species in regions of Pakistan. In addition to arsenic, vitamin C was fed to a subset of animals to determine if there were ameliorative effects on reproductive parameters. Sixteen adult Teddy bucks were randomly divided into four experimental groups: A (control), B (arsenic 5 mg/kg BW/day orally), and C (arsenic 5 mg/kg BW/day plus vitamin C of an oral dose of 200 mg/kg BW/day). The animals in experimental group D were given only vitamin C (oral dose of 200 mg/kg BW/day). Animals were fed treated food once a day for 12 weeks. Semen quality parameters (volume, motility, count, sperm morphology, live dead ratio, sperm membrane integrity, and sperm DNA integrity) of bucks from each experimental group were evaluated on a weekly basis. Hematology and the level of arsenic in the blood were assessed every 2 weeks. Serum was collected fortnightly to measure reproductive and stress hormones (testosterone, luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormones, and cortisol). At the end of the study, all the animals were slaughtered, and the testes of all the animals were collected and evaluated for histopathology. Semen parameters in arsenic-treated bucks were significantly reduced (p

Clomiphene citrate(an anti-estrogen) has the abilities for the secretion of gondaotropin from the anterior pituitary gland. The present study was designed to investigate the effects of CC and hCG on female sex hormones (FSH, Estrogen) and serum biochemical constituents in pre-pubertal Sahiwal heifers. The twelve animals were randomly divided into a) treatment and b) control groups. These animals were grouped on the basis of reproductive status of heifers. The animals in treatment group were fed clomiphene citrate with dose of 300mg/ animal for 9 days. On 10thday of experiment, hCG (IVF-C 5000 iu (hCG) LG Life Sciences, Korea) was injected I/V to both groups. For the serum biochemical constituent’s evaluation and oxidative stress (MDA), blood on day 0, 14 and 28 was collected. Similarly, for hormones evaluation three blood samples per week (on alternate days) for 9 days were collected. The concentrations of both hormones were assessed by ELISA. For the comparison of variables, student t-test was applied. Analysis of data revealed that levels of hormones were higher in treated animals as compared to control. There was significant (p less than 0.05) increase in total cholesterol, triglycerides total protein and sugar.But there was nonsignificant(p> 0.05) effect on liver enzymes (ALT and AST) and MDA. It was concluded that use of CC and hCG increase the FSH and estrogen and few alterations in serum biochemical constituents in the pre-pubertal Sahiwal heifers.

The present study was conducted to evaluate the influence of oral administration of black seed (Nigella sativa) oil on histomorphometrical characteristics of testes and testosterone profile in adult rabbits. Twenty adult male rabbits aged seven months were divided into two groups: control and treated. Black seed oil was administrated orally for 60 days at 5ml/kg body weight/day on daily basis in addition to the food and water ad lib to the treated group. Biometric parameters of the testes were recorded immediately after their removal. Tissue samples of testes were processed with paraffin tissue preparation technique. Histometrical parameters of testes were measured with the help of automated image analysis software Image J®. Serum testosterone concentration was determined with Radioimmunoassay technique. Statistical analysis revealed significant (P0.05) rise in weight, length, circumference and volume of testis in treated group than control group. The values of histometrical parameters studied viz., thickness of spermatogenic epithelium, diameter and area of seminiferous tubules, diameter of lumen of seminiferous tubules, number of spermatogenic layers of testes and serum testosterone concentration were found significantly (P0.05) higher in treated group than control group. Based on the data it is conceivable that the oral administration of black seed oil has potential to stimulate testicular function in adult rabbits.

The present study aimed to investigate effects of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and reduced glutathione (GSH) on the quality of frozen-thawed semen of Sahiwal bulls. Semen was collected twice a week for 8 weeks by artificial vagina from six Sahiwal bulls, kept at the Semen Production Unit Qadirabad, Sahiwal-Pakistan. After gross and microscopic evaluation, qualifying semen ejaculates were divided into 10 equal aliquots and diluted in extenders enriched with no antioxidants (control); or supplemented with either SOD (50, 100 and 200 IU/mL), or GSH (0.5, 1 and 2 mM) or their combinations (50 IU/mL SOD and 0.5 mM GSH, 100 IU/mL SOD and 1 mM GSH and 200 IU/mL SOD and 2 mM GSH). Samples were then frozen and stored in liquid nitrogen at -196°C for 24 h. The following parameters were evaluated for semen quality: post-thawed sperm motility, viability, acrosome and membrane integrity. According to the results, sperm motility, viability, acrosome and membrane integrity were significantly (P

Summary The objective of this study was to investigate the toxic effects of arsenic on testicular measurements and histology of adult Teddy goats bucks and to examine whether these toxic effects are scavenged by vitamin E. Twelve adult Teddy goat bucks were divided randomly into three groups, A, B and C. Group A was kept as control, the B was given sodium arsenite 5 mg/kg BW per day, and group C was fed with vitamin E 200 mg/kg BW per day + arsenic 5 mg/kg BW per day. This treatment was continued for 84 days. Analysis of data revealed that the testicular measurements (scrotal circumference, width, length and weight) were significantly reduced in arsenic-treated animals, whereas there were ameliorating effects of vitamin E on these parameters. The major histopathological changes were present in the form of loss of germinal epithelium, atrophy of Leydig cells and vacuolations. Vitamin E in combination with sodium arsenite increased the active spermatogenesis as well as restoration of germinal epithelium. It can be concluded from the present findings that sodium arsenite causes toxicity in the male reproductive system of Teddy goat bucks with major changes in parenchyma of testes. Supplementation of vitamin E has protective effects on the toxicity of sodium arsenite on the reproductive system of male Teddy goat bucks.

The objective of this work was to determine if KCl could be a useful nutrient primer for safe seed germination in maize crop under salt stress conditions. Seed priming was done using 50 mmol L‑1 of muriate of potash, and germination and seedling growth were evaluated after salt stress with NaCl up to 50 mmol L‑1. Another set of seeds was tested under the same salt stress conditions without priming. Under salinity stress, germination percentage, germination rate index, germination coefficient, and seedling vigor indexes were higher in primed seeds. In unprimed seeds, mean germination time increased, while the germination rate index and the fresh and dry matter mass decreased more sharply with salinity stress. The Na/K ratio was higher in unprimed seeds.

Growth hormone (GH) is secreted by the anterior pituitary gland and presence of growth hormone receptors has been reported in the mammalian reproductive tract. Growth hormone through these receptors has direct and indirect action on the mammalian reproductive system and affects the semen parameters. This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of the exogenous recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST) on libido, pre and post freezing semen parameters of Cholistani bulls. For this experiment six Cholistani bulls were selected from Semen Production Unit, karaniwala Bahawalpur. The animals were randomly divided into two groups, a treatment (n = 3) group and b control (n = 3) group. The experimental group was given 500 mg s/c of rbST (Boostin) weekly from 1 nd week up to 13 th week. Libido of each bull was assessed in terms of reaction time. The semen samples were collected throughout the experiment twice a week and were evaluated for volume, sperm motility, viability, functional membrane integrity and concentration. The mean values of Cholistani bulls for libido (sec), semen volume (ml), mass activity (1-5) and sperm concentration (million/ml), were (50.1±10.8 vs 45.12 ± 9.5), (4.83±0.13 vs 3.83±0.1), (2.83 ± 0.03 vs 2.29 ± 0.02) and (1138.1±27.7 vs 920.8±21.2) in treated and control groups respectively. Pre-freezing % sperm motility, post-freezing % sperm motility, pre-freezing % live spermatozoa, post-freezing % live spermatozoa, pre-freezing functional membrane integrity and post-freezing functional membrane integrity were (70.97 ± 1.07 vs 67.15 ± 1.46), (49.82 ±1.08 vs 45.62±1.36) (77.35 ± 0.42 vs 72.07 ± 0.37), (62.94 ± 0.41 vs 54.06 ± 0.45) (76.06 ± 0.33 vs 69.85 ± 0.43) and (59.05 ± 0.48 vs 55.27 ± 0.44) in treated and control groups respectively. All semen parameters of Cholistani bulls affected by rbST treatment significantly.