The objective of the present study was to determine the influence of age and sex on selected haematological and blood biochemical parameters in organically raised Dalmatian Pramenka lambs. ...Haematological and blood biochemical parameters were studied in 40 lambs with an equal representation of both sexes. The research lasted four months. Blood samples were collected once per month, from the beginning of the grazing season when lambs were at the average age of three months, and until the end of the production cycle for lamb meat. The distribution of the results according to age showed that the increase in the age of the lambs significantly reduced (P<0.05) the RBC, HGB, HCT and the concentration of GLU, BUN, BIT. The concentration of TP, ALB, GLO and the activity of enzyme AST significantly increased (P<0.05) with the increasing age of the lambs. The distribution of results by sex showed that female lambs had significantly higher WBC (P<0.05), RBC (P<0.01), and HGB (P<0.05) concentration, while male lambs had significantly higher values of MCV (P<0.01) and concentration of FFA (P<0.01). In conclusion, this research demonstrated that age and sex significantly influence most of the haematological and blood biochemical parameters of organically raised Dalmatian Pramenka lambs.
The aim of this study was to research changes in metabolic and antioxidative status of Saanen goats of different parity occurring during the peripartum period. Blood samples were taken on 10–7 and ...3–1 d prepartally and 1–3, 14 and 28 d postpartally from goats allocated in three groups according to their parity: primiparous (PRIM), goats that kidded the 2nd or 3rd time (MID), and goats that kidded 4 or more times (MULTI)). Metabolic profile parameters (non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), glucose, triglycerides, albumin and urea) and indicators of oxidative stress ((superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and malondialdehyde (MDA)) were determined. Intense metabolic changes associated with late pregnancy and onset of lactation were pronounced the most in MULTI goats that also had the biggest litter per goat. Significant differences were found in metabolic parameters NEFA, BHB, glucose, triglycerides within groups during peripartum period, as well as between them (the effect of parity). MDA concentrations were indicative of increased lipid peroxidation around parturition, especially pronounced in MULTI group 1–3 d prepartally, when the highest GSH-Px/SOD ratio was also found. Postpartally, antioxidant enzymes ratio in MID and MULTI group decreased while MDA concentrations remained high, suggesting antioxidant system inefficiency. Significant time × group interaction was observed for most of the parameters. The obtained results show that the goats of higher parity display higher levels of metabolism intensity and consequently, varying levels of oxidative stress during the peripartum period. Further studies should determine applicability of NEFA and BHB in periparturient metabolic profiling in dairy goats as well as establish normal ranges and cut-off levels for these biomarkers.
Anthropogenic radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation (RF-EMR) from wireless technologies has increased dramatically. The boar semen used for artificial insemination is essential in sustaining the ...pig industry, and additionally it is also exposed to the effects of the RF-EMR of wireless technologies. Furthermore, there are no data on the effects of RF-EMR on semen quality, and this is the first analysis of sperm's morphometric parameters for assessing the effect of RF-EMR on the spermatozoa subpopulations of boars. This study investigated the effect of RF-EMR on in vitro exposed breeding boar semen spermatozoa motility and the proportions of spermatozoa subpopulations according to their morphometric head and tail parameters. The semen samples of 12 boars were divided into control and experimental groups. The samples in the experimental group were exposed in a gigahertz transverse electromagnetic chamber at a frequency of 2500 MHz (the frequency band used in 5G technology) and an electric field strength of 10 Vm
for two hours. After exposure, the spermatozoa motility was evaluated for both groups. A morphometric analysis of the semen smears was performed using SFORM software (Version 1.0; VAMS, Zagreb, Croatia). The progressive spermatozoa motility was significantly reduced in the experimental group (74.7% vs. 85.7%). PC analysis and cluster analysis revealed two spermatozoa subpopulations: S1, spermatozoa with a more regular head shape and a smaller midpiece outline, and S2, spermatozoa with a more elongated head shape and a larger midpiece outline. The experimental semen samples had a greater proportion of the S1 spermatozoa subpopulation (68.2% vs. 64.4%). The effect of RF-EMR at 2500 MHz on the in vitro exposed boar semen resulted in decreased progressive spermatozoa motility and a lower proportion of the spermatozoa subpopulation with a higher fertilizing potential.
The objectives of this study were to determine the influence of breed and hybrid genetic traits of boars on lipid and protein concentrations and antioxidative system variables in seminal plasma (SP) ...and spermatozoa and their correlations with semen quality variables. Semen samples from 27 boars: Swedish Landraces (SL), German Landraces (GL), Large Whites (LW), Pietrains (P) and Pig Improvement Company hybrids (PIC-hybrid), aged from 1.5 to 3 years old, were collected. SP was spectrophotometrically analyzed to determine total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triacylglycerol (TAG), total protein (TP), albumin, and zinc concentrations. The antioxidative system in SP and spermatozoa was established spectrophotometrically by determining total antioxidative status (TAS), total superoxide dismutase (TSOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) parameters, as well as copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD) and manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) activity in spermatozoa. The hybrid boars had higher (P<0.05) SP concentrations of: TC, LDL-C and TAG than P and GL; HDL-C than P, GL and SL; and TP than P and LW. PIC-hybrid had lower values (P<0.05) in spermatozoa of: TAS and CuZnSOD than SL; TSOD and GSH-Px than SL and P; and MnSOD than SL and LW. Differences in SP and spermatozoa antioxidative system variables and the significant differences in SP protein and lipid variables exist among boars of different breeds and hybrid. Novel data and observed differences in semen variables among boar breeds and hybrids and their correlations with semen quality parameters in this study could contribute to better assessment of boar semen quality.
The antioxidative ability of testes and epididymis to protect spermatozoa from detrimental effects of oxidation processes induced by excessive generation of reactive oxygen species has not been ...previously studied in detail in boar reproductive tissues. The aim of this study was to investigate differences in level of antioxidative protection, intensity of lipid peroxidation, and values of biochemical parameters in testes and different parts of epididymis in sexually mature boars. The study was performed on five Swedish landrace boars from the same litter aged 10 months kept under same ambient conditions. After slaughtering performed at the end of November; tissue samples of testes and the head, body and tail of epididymis were taken. The activity of glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, superoxide dismutase, γ-glutamyltransferase, acid phosphatase, and lactate dehydrogenase, and concentrations of triacylglycerol, phospholipids, cholesterol, free fatty acids were determined in obtained supernatants from homogenized tissues spectrophotometrically; the concentration of malondialdehyde was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. Significantly higher activities of glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase (P < 0.05) were found in testes compared with epididymis. In testes, a significantly higher activity of superoxide dismutase was found than in the head and tail of epididymis (P < 0.05). Malondialdehyde concentration in head of epididymis was significantly higher than in testes, or the body and tail of epididymis (P < 0.05). Simultaneously, malondialdehyde concentration in testes was significantly higher than in body and tail of epididymis (P < 0.05). In tail of epididymis, significantly higher activities of γ-glutamyltransferase, acid phosphatase, and lactate dehydrogenase were recorded than in testes. Significantly lower concentrations of triacylglycerol and free fatty acids were recorded in epididymis tail in comparison to epididymis head (P < 0.05). It could be concluded that high activities of antioxidative enzymes in testes of boars are essential for the appropriate protection of spermatozoa and cells of testes tissue against oxidative damages. The tissues of testes and epididymis head in boars were more susceptible to lipid peroxidation. Results of the present study indicated physiological importance of antioxidative enzymes in reproductive system in boars, and thus may serve for better understanding the mechanisms of male infertility.
The aim of this study was to establish subpopulations of spermatozoa in bucks using the principal component (PC) and cluster analysis according to morphometric head and tail variables, and to ...determine differences in proportions of subpopulations between exogenous melatonin-treated and control bucks. The bucks (n = 12) were assigned to two groups comprising six bucks each. By the end of March, four melatonin implants were inserted in the bucks in the experimental group. Semen was collected weekly using an artificial vagina from March to May (the non-breeding season). Analyses were performed in stained smears by SFORM computer-assisted program for eight head and five tail variables. The PC analysis revealed four components with the most important value for each (head outline, head ellipticity, mid-piece length and width). Cluster analysis indicated there were three subpopulations (average-sized spermatozoa– C_1; small and less-elliptic – C_2; big and elliptic – C_3). Melatonin-treated bucks had a greater proportion of C_1 spermatozoa and a lesser proportion of C_2 spermatozoa during May (P < 0.05). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study where PC and cluster analyses were performed on buck semen with head and tail variables analyzed together, in the same analysis, to evaluate spermatozoa population. Also, this is the first analysis of morphometric variables for assessing the influence of melatonin on spermatozoa subpopulations. The positive effect of melatonin on the proportions of spermatozoa in subpopulations could have been a consequence of the decreasing the proportion of the subpopulation with the least head and tail sizes and ellipticity.
Data concerning the morphometric parameters of sheep red blood cells (RBCs) obtained using computer-assisted image analysis have not yet been investigated, and there are no data on any analyses of ...ovine RBC subpopulations based on their morphometric parameters. The aims of this study are to determine the values of RBC haematological and morphometric size and shape parameters, to form groups according to the obtained values of haematological parameters; to determine the differences in RBC morphometric parameters between the formed groups, and to determine RBC subpopulations and their respective proportions in the formed groups. Thirty-six blood samples were collected from the jugular vein of clinically healthy Lika pramenka sheep, aged between 2 and 5 years. Haematological parameters including haemoglobin (HGB), haematocrit (HTC), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), and RBC distribution width were analysed using a haematology analyser. Haematological parameters were categorized into two groups: those with lower values or values below the physiological range (Groups 1) and groups with higher values or values above the physiological range (Groups 2). Morphometric parameters of RBCs were determined from stained blood smears using SFORM, a computer-assisted program. Significantly higher values of RBC area, outline, convex, minimal and maximal radius, as well as length and breadth were established in Groups 2 compared to Groups 1 of HGB, HCT, MCV, MCH, and MCHC, respectively. Based on the morphometric parameters of RBCs, three RBC subpopulations were obtained using principal component and cluster analysis: ES 1-the smallest and most elongated RBCs, ES 2-the biggest and most rounded RBCs, and ES 3-average size and shape RBCs. Significantly higher proportions of ES 2 and ES 3 subpopulations, as well as a significantly lower proportion of ES 1 subpopulation, were established in Groups 2 compared to Groups 1 of HGB, HTC, MCV, and MCH, respectively. It can be concluded that ovine RBC subpopulations, based on their morphometric parameters, can be obtained by using computer-assisted image analysis of RBC morphometry and multivariate statistical methods, including principal component and cluster analysis. RBC morphometry, including classification into subpopulations, could serve as a basis for future possibilities in the diagnostic interpretation of anaemic syndromes in veterinary medicine, especially in normocytic, macrocytic, and microcytic anaemias in sheep.
Sex-related differences in physiological processes, pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment of disease have great importance in human medicine, and these differences should also be investigated and ...implemented in studies on animals. To our knowledge, this study is the first to investigate the effects of sex and castration on the serum biochemical profile of commercial pigs. The study was conducted on clinically healthy, sexually mature fattening pigs of the Swedish Landrace breed, divided into four groups: intact males (n = 6), intact females (n = 5), castrated males (n = 6) and castrated females (n = 7). Blood samples were taken from the jugular vein using blood test tubes without an anticoagulant. After centrifugation, the serum was separated, and the values of the following parameters were determined by spectrophotometry: the activities of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and y-glutamyl transferase, and the concentrations of total proteins, albumins, triacylglycerols, total cholesterol, glucose, urea, bilirubin and creatinine. The study results showed significantly lower (P<0.05) serum glucose concentrations in castrated males as compared to intact males. However, castrated males had significantly higher (P<0.05) urea concentration than intact ones. There were no significant between-group differences in the values of the other parameters investigated, however, certain patterns of occurrence were observed. Accordingly, further studies are required in order to define more accurately the effects of sex and castration on the values of biochemical parameters in the blood serum of pigs. Key words : biochemical parameters; blood serum; castration; pigs; sex
The proportion of different functional and structural spermatozoa subpopulations and the level of antioxidative systems in semen are associated with the ability for fertilization and storing semen. ...The aim of this study was to determine the antioxidant system parameters in boar spermatozoa fractions separated in an iodixanol solution. Semen samples of 27 boars, aged between 1.5 and 3 years, were collected in early autumn. Semen samples were centrifuged in a discontinuous iodixanol density gradient solution, and three semen fractions were obtained: spermatozoa with high motility, spermatozoa with very low motility, and abnormal spermatozoa. The values of total antioxidant status (TAS), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in each semen fraction were determined spectrophotometrically. In the abnormal spermatozoa fraction, the values of the TAS and the GSH-Px were significantly lower (P < 0.001), and the SOD was significantly higher than in fractions with high or very low spermatozoa motility (P < 0.001 and P < 0.05, respectively). The values of TAS, SOD and GSH-Px were significantly higher in spermatozoa with very low motility than in spermatozoa with high motility (P < 0.001). Higher values of SOD obtained in abnormal spermatozoa and spermatozoa with very low motility were associated with impaired spermatozoa function, motility and morphology. Significantly lower values of TAS and GSH-Px (P < 0.001) in abnormal spermatozoa indicate a decrease in antioxidative protection. The higher values of TAS and GSH-Px obtained in spermatozoa with very low motility than in spermatozoa with high motility could indicate enhanced antioxidative protection due to the increased production of the reactive oxygen species. Determination of antioxidant parameters in different semen fractions may help to explain the potential causes of infertility in boars. Key words: antioxidant, iodixanol, semen, boar Negativni ucinci prekomjerno stvorenih reaktivnih kisikovih spojeva (ROS) u sjemenu nerasta neutraliziraju se antioksidacijskim obrambenim mehanizmima. Buduci da oplodnja i pohrana sjemena ovise o udjelu subpopulacija spermija (frakcija) u sjemenu cilj je ovog istrazivanja bio odrediti pokazatelje antioksidacijskoga sustava u frakcijama spermija nerasta odvojenih u otopini jodiksanola. Uzorci sjemena 27 rasplodnih nerasta u dobi od 1,5 do 3 godine dobiveni su rucnom fiksacijom penisa, jednokratno u ranu jesen. Uzorci su bili centrifugirani u otopini jodiksanola diskontinuiranog gradijenta gustoce, a dobivene su tri frakcije spermija: velike gibljivosti, vrlo male gibljivosti i patoloski oblici. U dobivenim frakcijama spermija odredivane su vrijednosti ukupnog antioksidacijskog statusa (engl. pokrata TAS), superoksid dismutaze (engl. pokrata SOD) i glutation peroksidaze (engl. pokrata GSH-Px) pomocu spektrofotometra. Vrijednosti TAS-a i GSH-Px-a bile su znacajno manje (P < 0,001), a SOD-a znacajno veca u patoloskih oblika spermija u odnosu na spermije velike ili vrlo male gibljivosti (P < 0,001, odnosno P < 0,05). U spermijima vrlo male gibljivosti utvrdene su znacajno vece vrijednosti TAS-a, SOD-a i GSH-Px-a u odnosu na spermije velike gibljivosti (P < 0,001). Znacajno vece vrijednosti SOD-a, dobivene u abnormalnim spermijima i u spermijima vrlo male gibljivosti, povezane su s poremecenom funkcijom, morfologijom i gibljivoscu spermija. Najmanje vrijednosti TAS-a i GSH-Px-a utvrdene u patoloskih oblika spermija upucuju na smanjenu antioksidacijsku zastitu. Znacajno vece vrijednosti TAS-a i GSH-Px-a utvrdene u spermijima vrlo male gibljivosti u odnosu na spermije velike gibljivosti (P < 0,001) mogle bi upucivati na pojacan antioksidacijski obrambeni odgovor zbog pojacanog stvaranja ROS-a. Moze se zakljuciti da podatci o antioksidacijskim pokazateljima i njihova usporedba medu dobivenim frakcijama spermija mogu pomoci u pojasnjenju uzroka neplodnosti nerasta. Kjucne rijeci: antioksidansi, jodiksanol, spermiji, nerast
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