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The age-related morphological changes of the testes in light ecotype Nigerian indigenous chicken were evaluated in this study using gross anatomical, histological and histomorphometric techniques. The results showed that the testes of 3- to 9-month-old birds were light pink while testes of sexually mature chicken were creamy white in colour. The left and right testicular weight, length, diameter, circumference and the organosomatic indices increased significantly (p .05) with increasing age across the groups. Although the mean tubular diameter and epithelial height of the left and right seminiferous tubules increased significantly (p .05) with age, the tubular diameter, epithelial height and luminal diameter did not vary significantly (p .05) between the left and right testes of all the groups. The one-cell layer thick germinal epithelium of the left testes at 3 to 6 months old showed islands of cell proliferation that contained spermatogonia and spermatocytes. At 6 to 9 months, the left testes exhibited numerous early spermatids with occasional occurrence of late stage spermatids while the right testes showed scanty early stage spermatids. At 12 to 18 months, the germinal epithelia of both left and right testes were characterized by the presence of Sertoli cells, spermatogonia, primary spermatocytes, numerous early and late stage spermatids as well as spermatozoa. In conclusion, the morphological features highlighted in the present study show that at pre-pubertal periods, the left testes may develop faster than the right testes. However, both left and right testes may participate actively in the production of spermatozoa during the post-pubertal life.

In order to study the effect of l-arginine on testicular development in boars and its underlying mechanism, thirty 30-day-old Duroc boars (7.0 ± 0.3 kg) were randomly allocated to either a basal diet (CON, n = 15) or a 0.8% arginine diet (ARG, n = 15). Blood samples were collected and weight measurements were done regularly to every pig during the experimental period. Testes were collected for histological and proteomic analysis from 150-day-old boars. Results showed that dietary supplementation with arginine significantly increased testicular weight, the number of spermatogonia, and the height of the seminiferous epithelium (P 0.05). The serum levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) were also significantly increased in the ARG group (P 0.05). A total of 154 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified, 76 of them were upregulated and 78 were downregulated. Mainly enriched metabolic pathways were the mTOR and Wnt signaling pathways. Functional annotation suggested that 18 DEPs were related to male reproduction. Western blotting results further validated the results from proteomics. This study may provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms by which arginine promotes male testicular development.

Histopathological examination of testicular tissue is the most reliable and sensitive method for detecting effects on spermatogenesis. Hypercholesterolemia reduces testicular weight, induces testicular degenerative changes, impairs spermatogenesis, affects Leydig and Sertoli cells and induces inflammation and fibrosis of testicular tissue. Based on numerous studies, honey has the ability to improve testicular histopathological abnormalities. To date, whether honey has any protective role against the effects of hypercholesterolemia on male reproductive functions is yet to be explored. This study investigated the effects of Trihoney (a mixture of Trigona, Mellifera and Tualang honeys) on changes in testicular weight and histopathological alterations induced by hypercholesterolemia in male New Zealand white rabbits. These changes were compared with the effects of atorvastatin (a lipid lowering agent) based on the same parameters. Forty-eight male New Zealand white rabbits were assigned into 6 groups and received different diets as follows; Control: commercial pellet; CH: commercial pellet and 0.6 g/kg/day Trihoney; HCD: 1% cholesterol diet; DH1: 1% cholesterol diet and 0.3 g/kg/day Trihoney; DH2: 1% cholesterol diet and 0.6 g/kg/day Trihoney; DAt: 1% cholesterol diet and 2 mg/kg/day atorvastatin. After 12 weeks, blood samples were collected for lipid analysis, the rabbits were sacrificed and the testes were harvested to evaluate any weight and histopathological changes. Administration of 1% cholesterol diet either alone or in combination with atorvastatin caused a significant reduction in the testicular weight, testicular tubular degenerative changes and spermatogenesis impairment. Trihoney, particularly, at the dose of 0.6 g/kg/day improved testicular weight, ameliorated the testicular tubular degenerative changes and enhanced spermatogenesis. The findings of this study suggest that Trihoney plays a favourable role in the protection against testicular weight reduction and histopathological changes induced by hypercholesterolemia. On the other hand, atorvastatin per se may have toxic effects on testicular tissue.

This study aims to determine the effect of red dragon (Hylocereus polyrhizus) fruit peel extract (RDFPE) on the parameters of Leydig cells number, seminiferous tubules diameter, and testicular weight of mice (Mus musculus) exposed to heat (40°C). Twenty adult male mice were divided randomly into five groups. The control group (C) mice only received a placebo. Meanwhile, the treatment groups mice were exposed to heat for 45 minutes daily for 36 days and oral administration of placebo, RDFPE of 250, 500, and 1000mg/kg BW for T0, T1, T2, and T3, respectively. The result showed that heat exposure on mice (T0 group) caused a lower of all of the parameters (p 0.05) than the control group (normal mice). However, the higher dose of RDFPE (1000 mg/kg BW, T3 group) resulted in the lower values of those parameters (p

Background and Aim: In the male reproductive system, the aging process can lead to infertility. Recently, placenta and its derivatives have been researched as regenerative agents. This study aimed to describe the basic components of dried bovine placenta powder and its potential effects as a regenerative agent in a rat model of male reproductive aging with D-galactose induction. Materials and Methods: We divided 15 male Wistar rats, 2 months of age, into three groups: A, the health control group; B, the D-galactose induction group, and C, the D-galactose induction and 10% dried bovine placenta supplementation group. We measured epididymal sperm concentration and testicular weight and volume and analyzed these using one-way analysis of variance. Results: Dried bovine placenta was rich in nutrients, with 61.98% protein, 21.25±2.07 carbohydrates, 8.58% water, 4.93% ash, and 3.27% fat. The mean epididymal spermatozoa concentration of the rats in Groups A, B, and C was 3026×106/mL, 1492.8×106/mL, and 2732.5×106/mL, respectively. The average total testicle weights were 2.44 g, 2.72 g, and 2.57 g, respectively. The average total testicle volumes were 2.29 cm3, 2.49 cm3, and 2.33cm3, respectively. Conclusion: Dried bovine placenta powder is rich in nutrients, especially protein. Supplementation with dried bovine placenta can improve epididymal spermatozoa concentration that is important in fertility.

The current experiment was designed to investigate the effect of zeranol implantation on lambs and goats’ kids raised under commercial conditions. Ten male Awassi lambs (AL) (4-5 months old) with an average body weight of 33.7 ± 0.5 kg and 10 male black goat kids (GK) (3-4 months old) with an average body weight of 18.8 ± 0.7 kg were used in the experiment. The experiment was conducted in Berebuhar village close to Duhok city in May the 15th, 2019The animals from each group were randomly divided into two subgroups, the first group was the control group and the other group was implanted with 24 mg zeranol. The animals were grown for 43 days and then slaughtered. Growth rate, average daily gain and carcass characteristics were measured. Data were analysed as factorial 2 × 2. The results showed that implantation both animal groups with zeranol significantly reduced testicular weight by approximately 55 % and 71 % for goat kids and Awassi lambs respectively. Moreover, the results showed that zeranol implantation found to reduce total body fat from 892 to 816g in goat kids and from 3395 to 2856 g in Awassi lambs. It can be concluded that zeranol implantation has an effect on total body fat and fat tissue distribution.

Transplantation of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) is an alternative reproductive method to achieve conservation and production of elite animals in livestock production. Creating a recipient animal without endogenous germ cells is important for effective SSC transplantation. However, natural mutants with depletion of SSCs are difficult to obtain, and drug ablation of endogenous germ cells is arduous to perform for practical use. In this study, we used mouse models to study the preparation of recipients with congenital germ cell ablation. We knocked out (KO) Ets-variant gene 5 (Etv5) in mice using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. The testicular weight of Etv5-/- mice was significantly lower than that of wild-type (WT) mice. The germ cell layer of the seminiferous tubules gradually receded with age in Etv5-/- mice. At 12 weeks of age, the tubules of Etv5-/- mice lacked germ cells (Sertoli cell-only syndrome), and sperm were completely absent in the epididymis. We subsequently transplanted allogeneic SSCs with enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) into 3-(immature) or 7-week-old (mature) Etv5-/- mice. Restoration of germ cell layers in the seminiferous tubules and spermatogenesis was observed in all immature testes but not in mature adult testes at 2 months post-transplantation. The presence of heterologous genes Etv5 and EGFP in recipient testicular tissue and epididymal sperm by PCR indicated that sperm originated from the transplanted donor cells. Our study demonstrates that, although Etv5-/- mice could accommodate and support foreign germ cell transplantation, this process occurs in a quite low efficiency to support a full spermatogenesis of transplanted SSCs. However, using Etv5-/- mice as a recipient model for SSC transplantation is feasible, and still needs further investigation to establish an optimized transplantation process.

This study was conducted to clarify the relationships of plasma concentrations of insulin-like peptide 3 (INSL3), testosterone, inhibin, and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) with scrotal circumference and testicular weight in Japanese Black beef bull calves (n = 20), from birth to pre-puberty. Monthly blood sampling (0 to 7 months) and scrotal circumference measurements (0 to 7 months) were performed. Testicular weight was recorded immediately after castration at 7 months. Plasma INSL3, testosterone, inhibin, and IGF-I concentrations were measured either by enzyme immunoassay or time-resolved fluorescence immunoassay. The correlation coefficients of these hormonal concentrations with scrotal circumference were significant (P < 0.0001) and it was higher for INSL3 (r = 0.647) than for testosterone (r = 0.597), IGF-I (r = 0.400), and inhibin (r = –0.453). Calves with heavier testes (> 60 g) at castration (7 months) had higher (P < 0.05) plasma INSL3 (from 3 to 7 months) and inhibin (from 1 to 4 months) concentrations than those with lighter testes (< 60 g). The calves with heavier testes at castration had larger (P < 0.05) scrotal circumference than those with lighter testes from 3 to 7 months. In conclusion, blood INSL3 concentrations may be the best functional indicator among the hormones analyzed for determining total testicular volume during pre-puberty in bull calves. In addition, inhibin and INSL3 concentrations in early calfhood may be functional predictors for testicular weight at pre-puberty.

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of the supplementation of dl-methionine and l-lysine HCl to diet based on cafeteria standards of native chickens on body weight, internal organs and reproductive organs of native chicken at pullet phase. A total of 128 fourteen weeks-old native chickens were used in this study. The native chickens were divided into 4 treatments with 4 replications. The dietary treatments were: T 0 (ration based on cafeteria standard), T 1 (ration based on protein standard of NRC), T 2 (cafeteria ration+0.09% DL - M ethionine+0.22% L - L ysine HCl), T 3 (cafeteria ration+0.19% dl-methionine+0.42% l-lysine HCl). The data collected were body weight, liver and bile, pancreas, gizzard, testicular and ovary weight of native chickens aged 20 weeks. The result of this study for T 0 , T 1 , T 2 and T 3 showed that body weight of chickens were 1418.60; 1431.59; 1503.88 and 1556.41 g/bird, liver and bile weights were 22.44; 21.79; 24.49 dan 25.93 g/bird, pancreas weights were 2.33; 2.28; 2.50 and 2.70 g/bird, gizzard weight were 25.31; 23.91; 25.38 and 26.86 g/bird, testicular weight were 3.66; 3.86; 9.55 and 9.46 g/bird, testicular volume were 3.81; 3.38; 9.13 and 9.16 and ovary weight were 1.12; 1.32; 3.14 and 4.61 g/bird, respectively. The results showed that supplementation of DL - M ethionine and L - L ysine HCl gave significantly effect (P

The present study was designed to analyse the relationship between age, body weight and testicular biometry in young Deoni males. A total of 36 young Deoni males were monitored for body weight and testicular biometry measurements monthly. The average (Mean±S.D.) scrotal circumference (cm) and testicular volume (cm3) in less than 7 months, 7-12 months, >12-18 months, >18-24 months and >24 months age groups were 10.79±1.99, 13.4±2.25, 17.47±3.48, 21.19±2.64 and 25.9±1.71, respectively and 22.75±13.23, 43.05±18.32, 98.30±67.38, 174.46±89.20 and 258.01±89.23, respectively. The maximum increase in body weight, scrotal circumference, testicular volume and testicular weight was observed from nine to 16 months of age in young Deoni males. Age of the bulls had a significant (P less than 0.05) effect on the testicular biometry parameters. The correlation of age and body weight with all testicular parameters was positive and significant (P less than 0.05). It is concluded that age, body weight and testicular biometry are positively and significantly correlated with each other.

The aim of this study was to describe the seminal, histomorphological and hormonal effects of the oral indenopyridine RTI-4587-073(l) on feline testicle. Clinical side effects were also recorded. Sixty testicles of 30 adult cats that had been treated (d 0) with RTI-4587-073(l) 12.5 mg/kg PO and randomly hemiorchiectomized twice on: day -14 (n = 8), 6 h (n = 6), 12 h (n = 8), 24 h (n = 6), day 7 (n = 8), day 14 (n = 6), day 21 (n = 6), day 35 (n = 6) or day 42 (n = 6) were studied. Before each hemiorchiectomy, fecal samples for testosterone (T) measurement were collected and the testes were grossly and ultrasound examined. This indenopyridine did not cause changes in testicular weight (P > 0.1), volume (P > 0.1), echostructure, gonadosomatic index (P > 0.1), fecal T concentrations (P > 0.1), nor clinical side effects. A severe disorganization of the cytoarchitecture of the seminiferous epithelium, sloughed cells and fluid, were observed in the 6 h samples up to a maximum at 24 h. Tubular diameter (P < 0.01) increased twice, during the first 24 h and on d 35. Germinal epithelium achieved its minimum height on d 14 to rapidly recover thereafter. This treatment caused a significant decrease in the volume of all the seminiferous cell components, except spermatogonias. All histotological parameters normalized by the end of the study. It was concluded that RTI-4587-073(l) severely disrupted spermatogenesis during the first 24 h after treatment returning to normality in approximately one spermatic cycle without clinical side effects., Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias

The endocrine system is critical to the maintenance of testicular function. The homeostasis of sex hormone levels is orchestrated by positive and negative feedback systems controlled by the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. This study investigated the long-term effects of hemicastration on testicular size and function in stallions. Four Thoroughbred stallions, 4–6 years of age, were included in this study. Several parameters, including testicular weight and volume, plasma testosterone concentrations, VASA-positive germ cell populations and cross-sectional areas of the seminiferous tubules were compared in stallions that underwent two hemicastrations, approximately 11 months apart. The weights and volumes of testes harvested at the second hemicastration were significantly higher than those of testes collected at the first hemicastration. However, VASA-positive germ cell populations and the cross-sectional areas of seminiferous tubules were not significantly different between testes harvested at the first and second hemicastrations. Similarly, plasma testosterone concentrations measured weekly for 3 weeks before the first hemicastration, 3 weeks after the first hemicastration, and 3 weeks before the second hemicastration were not significantly different. Our results suggest that hemicastration results in compensatory enlargement of the remaining testis and compensatory steroidogenesis to maintain normal reproductive function in stallions.

In rams, artificial long days followed by continuous light stimulate testosterone secretion during the non-breeding season. The objective of this study was to determine whether artificial long days followed by continuous light could stimulate testosterone secretion in Alpine bucks as well as in those exposed to long days followed by a melatonin treatment. All bucks were kept in shaded open pens. Control males were exposed to natural photoperiod conditions (n=5). Males of the two experimental groups were exposed to 2.5 months of long days from 1 December (n=5 each). On 16 February, one group of males was exposed to 24 h of light per day until 30 June; the other group was exposed to natural variations of photoperiod and received two s.c. melatonin implants. Testicular weight was determined every 2 weeks, and the plasma testosterone concentrations once a week. In the control and the two photoperiodic-treated groups, a treatment×time interaction was detected for testicular weight and plasma testosterone concentrations (P

Organisms measure day length to better adapt to seasonal changes in the environment; this phenomenon is called photoperiodism. The Japanese quail has a highly sophisticated photoperiodic mechanism and is an excellent model for the study of photoperiodism. Various lines of quail have been established during the domestication process. In the present study, we examined the effect of long day (LD) followed by short day (SD) on testicular weight in four lines of quail (L, AMRP, NIES-Br, and WE). When the quail were raised under SD conditions, testicular development was suppressed in all examined lines. The speed of the LD-induced testicular development of NIES-Br line was faster than that of AMRP line, while the speed of the SD-induced testicular regression of L line was significantly faster than that of WE line. These quail lines provide excellent model to uncover the underlying mechanism of seasonal testicular regression.

Nutritional intake and reproductive allocation are strongly associated and dietary energy restriction (ER) or surpluses can affect reproductive capacity. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of energy levels on sheep testicular development. Three-month old Hu sheep were assigned to four groups, and fed diets containing different levels of energy (Control, maintenance energy; ER1, 85% maintenance energy; ER2, 70% maintenance energy; ER3, 55% maintenance energy). Two months later, half the sheep in each group were euthanized, whereas the remaining sheep were euthanized after a further 3 months feeding on a compensatory energy diet. The testicular weight and reproductive hormone levels of the Hu sheep were investigated. Differences in the testes of ER3 and control group sheep were investigated at the transcriptional level using high-throughput sequencing. The results showed that the testicular weights had decreased in the energy-restricted rams compared with the controls, and that the testosterone concentration in ER3 group rams was significantly lower than that in other compared groups (P 0.05). After the period of compensatory feeding, however, ER3 sheep testicular weight and testosterone concentrations were similar to those of the control group sheep. In addition, the RNA sequencing results revealed that 81 genes were upregulated and 180 genes were downregulated in the ER3 group compared with the control group. Moreover, based on the enriched steroidogenesis, meiosis and kinases pathways, a number of candidate genes potentially involved in the regulation of testicular development or reproduction of Hu sheep, including CYP11A1, ALDH3B1, FDFT1, WNT2, PGR and INSR, were screened. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis results correlated well with the sequencing data. Taken together, this study provides a first insight into the development of the testis with dietary energy restriction in sheep and shows that these changes are associated with alterations in transcriptomic. The sheep testis mRNA database were extended in this study will provides novel candidate regulators for future genetic and molecular studies on sheep testicular development associated with energy restriction, which will contribute to improving the reproductive performance of sheep.

The aim of the present study is to prepare ethanol extract of Pomegranate peel and the effects of this extract on testicular weight to body weight ratio, Serum cholesterol, testosterone concentration and histopathological changes of testes in rabbits treated with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). Twenty four adult male rabbits were used. They were divided randomly into four equal groups. Animals were treated for 56 days as following: Rabbits of the 1st group were received 1 ml distal water orally once a day and olive oil 0.5 ml /kg B.W. I.P twice a week as control group. The second group were treated I.P with 500mg / kg B.W. of CCl4 mixing with equal volume of olive oil (0.5 ml/kg B.W.) twice a week (group T1). The third group was received pomegranate peel extract orally (100 mg/kg B.W) once a day and olive oil 0.5 ml /kg B.W. I.P twice a week (group T2). The fourth group were received pomegranate peel extract (100 mg/kg B.W) once a day oral I.P with 500 mg / kg B.W. of CCl4 mixing with equal volume of olive oil (o.5 ml/kg B.W.) twice a week (group T3). Blood samples were collected at (0, 14, 28, 42 and 56) days for measuring testosterone concentration, Serum cholesterol after treatments. Animals weighed and scarified and testis were removed and weighed, Samples of testis were taken for histopathological study. The results of the present study showed that treatment with pomegranate peel extract causes a significant (P>0.05) increase in testicular weight to body weight ratio. Also a significant (P>0.05) decreased of serum cholesterol and a significantly (P>0.05) elevation of testosterone concentration were observed. Histopathological examination of the testis was revealed that the extract of Pomegranate peel protect the testis against lesions caused by CCl4. In conclusion, Pomegranate peel extract could protect the tissue of testicles from CCl4 perhaps, by its anti-oxidative effect of pomegranate peel extract, hence eliminating the deleterious effects or toxic effect of CCl4.

As dimensões e o peso testicular foram avaliados em 25 machos adultos de codornas japonesas (Coturnix coturnix japonica) e correlacionados entre si, a fim de se buscar obter informações que possibilitem a criação de um parâmetro preditivo da capacidade de produção espermática. As aves foram abatidas e os testículos removidos para mensuração e pesagem. As dimensões e o peso entre os testículos esquerdo e direito foram comparados. Os parâmetros testiculares foram correlacionados entre si por meio da determinação do coeficiente de correlação linear. O índice gonadossomático também foi determinado, indicando alocação de 3,68% do peso corporal em testículos nos machos avaliados, resultado maior do que os descritos na literatura. Apesar da diferença de formato entre os testículos esquerdo e direito, o peso foi semelhante, sugerindo que não há diferença na capacidade de produção espermática entre eles. Diferença estatística entre os valores biométricos indica que o testículo esquerdo é mais curto e mais arredondado, enquanto o direito é mais longo e estreito. O peso corporal apresentou baixa correlação com o peso testicular, 0,14 e 0,12 para os testículos esquerdo e direito, respectivamente. Os parâmetros que melhor se correlacionaram com o peso testicular foram a largura e a espessura. Considerando-se a identificação de um parâmetro único para comparação entre machos, a espessura do testículo esquerdo apresentou coeficiente de correlação linear de 0,89 com o somatório do peso dos dois testículos. Com base nessa informação, métodos não invasivos, como a ultrassonografia, poderiam ser utilizados para estimar o potencial reprodutivo e auxiliar na comparação de machos de codornas japonesas em núcleos de seleção de aves elite, contribuindo para melhoramento genético da espécie. The size and testis weight were evaluated and correlated in 25 adult male Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica), seeking information to enable the development of a predictive parameter of sperm production capacity. The birds were slaughtered and testes removed for measuring and weighing. The size and testis weight were compared between the left and right. The testicular parameters were correlated by determining the linear correlation coefficient. The gonadosomatic index was also determined, indicating the allocation of 3.68% of body weight in the testes, greater than described in literature. Despite the difference in shape between the left and right testis, weight was similar, suggesting that there is no difference in the capacity of sperm production amongst them. A statistical difference between the biometric values indicates that the left testicle is shorter and more rounded, while the right is longer and narrower. Body weight showed a low correlation with the testicular weight, 0.14 and 0.12 for the left and right testes, respectively. The parameters that best correlated with testicular weight were the width and thickness. Given the identification of a single parameter for comparison of males, the thickness of the left testis showed linear correlation coefficient of 0.89 with the sum of the weight of both testicles. From this information, noninvasive methods such as ultrasound could be used to estimate the reproductive potential and ease the comparison of male Japanese quail in elite selection nuclei, contributing to the genetic improvement of the species.

The use of high D(+)-fructose corn syrup has increased over the past several decades in the developed countries, while overweight and obesity rates and the related diseases have risen dramatically. However, we found that feeding a high D(+)-fructose diet (80% D(+)-fructose as part of the diet) to weaning rats for 21 days led to reduced food intake (50% less, P < 0.0001) and thus delayed the weight gains in the body (40% less, P < 0.0001) and testes (40% less, P < 0.0001) compared to the no D(+)-fructose diet. We also challenged a minimum requirement of dietary D(+)-glucose for preventing the adverse effects of D(+)-fructose, such as lower food intake and reduction of body weight and testicular weight; the minimum requirement of D(+)-glucose was ã23% of the diet. This glucose amount may be the minimum requirement of exogenous glucose for reducing weight gain.

Testicular weight is a valuable measure of gonadal development in laboratory mice, but is usually only obtainable postmortem. The objective was to assess the utility of antemortem, noninvasive methods of predicting testicular weight and volume in peripubertal mice. Body weight, scrotal width, and ultrasonographic testicular diameter measurements were obtained in situ in euthanized male outbred (CD-1: N = 20) and inbred (BALB/c: N = 20) mice and compared with excised testicular weight and diameter. In these two strains, body weight predicted mean testicular weight (r(2) = 0.810; P < 0.0001 and r(2) = 0.943; P < 0.0001, respectively). Scrotal width (lateral margins of the scrotum) was a more reliable indicator of excised mean testicular weight (CD-1: r(2) = 0.885; P < 0.0001; BALB/c: r(2) = 0.861; P < 0.0001) than measurements of testicular diameter obtained via ultrasound (CD-1: r(2) = 0.597; P < 0.0001: BALB/c: r(2) = 0.478, P < 0.01) in both strains. Obtaining scrotal width measurements also required less time and restraint than ultrasonography. In live, conscious animals (10 of each strain), the association of scrotal width to testicular weight remained high (CD-1: r(2) = 0.906; P < 0.0001; BALB/c: r(2) = 0.918; P < 0.0001). Predicted testicular weights derived from scrotal width measurements differentiated animals in three stages of advanced spermiogenesis (CD-1: N = 30; P < 0.0001; BALB/c: N = 30; P < 0.0001). Based on these findings, in vivo scrotal width can be used for noninvasive, in situ prediction of testicular weight in peripubertal laboratory mice. It also has potential application in staging testicular development on a quantitative scale, which would complement using balanopreputial separation as a single indicator of puberty. As a more direct measure of testicular size, this parameter will also be less affected by endogenous and exogenous influences than body weight. Ultimately, using noninvasive in vivo methods of predicting testicular weight should reduce the number of animals required for studies focused on testicular development.

The body weight and testicular and epididymal parameters of Afar, Long-eared Somali (LES), and Woyto-Guji (WG) breeds of goat were investigated. A total of 405 randomly selected bucks of Afar (n=135), Long-eared Somali (n=135), and Woyto-Guji (n=135) were included in this study. The overall mean scrotal circumference (SC), testicular volume (TV), testicular length (TL), testicular weight (TW), body weight (BW), epididymal weight (EW), body condition score, and testicular diameter (TD) measurements in all bucks were 20.8±1.94 cm, 68.1±6.18, 4.96±0.79 cm, 70.0±5.66 g, 22.1±2.98 Kg, 9.09±1.88 g, 2.55±0.68, and 4.28±0.45 cm, respectively. Significant (p<0.05) breed differences in SC, TD, TL, TW, BW, EW, and TV were recorded. Long-eared Somali (LES) breed was heaviest and Afar breed was the lightest and Woyto-Guji (WG) had the average BW. In all breeds, the parameters were positively correlated. In Afar breed, the TW had a significant correlation with BW (r=0.90) and SC (r=0.65). In LES BW was highly correlated with TD (r=0.96) and TL (r=0.96). In WG, TW was significantly correlated with TD (r=0.94), EW (r=0.90), TL (r=0.89), and BW (r=0.82). In multiple regression analysis the linear combinations of BCS, SC, and BW significantly predicted TW, TL, TV, TD, and EW in all breeds. In conclusion, Long-eared Somali breed displayed greater BW and scrotal and testicular traits.

Introduction: Recently there has been an increased association between environmental factors and male infertility. Aims: In the present study, the effect of changes in testicular biometric parameters (weight and volume) and testicular function (Sperm count, morphology, testosterone level) in Cadmium chloride administered Wistar rats was studied. Methodology: Twenty male albino Wistar rats were randomized into four groups (n=5). Group A (control) received rat chow and water, while Group B, C and D received 15mg/L, 20mg/L and 25mg/L of Cadmium chloride respectively for 6 weeks. Result: There was a significant (P=.05) and dose dependent decrease in testicular function parameters in the rats and a significant (P=.05) and positive correlation between the biometric parameters and testicular function. Conclusion: The findings showed that Cadmium chloride has a deleterious effect on testicular function and biometric parameters of the testes may be important in the assessment of testicular function.

Aims: To investigate the effects of carbon tetra chloride on the body weight and ovaries, uterus, testes of the rabbit for 30 days. Methodology: The rabbit were randomly divided into two equal groups (control and one treated groups), and the animals were treated as follow: 1- Control group C. (n = 15) received Distilled water 1ml /kg b.w four times a week intrapertunium for 30 days. 2- Treatment group. (n=15) were treated with carbon tetrachloride (1 mg / kg b.w mixing with equal volume of olive oil (1ml/ kg b.w.) four times a week/ intrapertunium for 30 days. The body weight of the animals detected at the day 1 th , 7 th , 14 th , 21 th and 30 th of the experimental period. At30 days animals sacrificed and ovaries, uterus, testis were removed and weighted, Samples of ovaries, uterus & testis were taken for histopathological study. Results: Treatment with carbon tetra chloride causes a significant decrease in body weight. Also a significant decreased of ovarian, testicular weight and non-significant increase of uterus weight's. Conclusion: Carbon tetra chloride causes decrease body weight, degeneration testes, ovaries followed by effect on fertility.