Seminoperitoneum in a Dog with a History of a Vasectomy: Case Report.

An 8 yr old male German shorthaired pointer was presented on July 4, 2022, for acute abdominal and testicular pain. The dog was vasectomized at an unknown age under the care of his previous owners. The dog had an enlarged, painful left testis, scrotal edema, and an enlarged, nonpainful prostate. Abdominal ultrasound revealed mild peritoneal and retroperitoneal effusion, orchiepididymitis, enlarged ductus deferentes and testicles, and suspected benign prostatic hyperplasia versus prostatitis. Peritoneal effusion cytology revealed seminoperitoneum with marked neutrophilic inflammation. Peritoneal effusion aerobic culture and Brucella canis rapid slide agglutination test were negative. The dog was hospitalized overnight with IV antibiotic therapy and analgesics. The following day, the dog's abdominal pain, testicular pain, and scrotal edema were resolved. The dog was discharged and castrated after completion of antibiotic therapy and complete resolution of clinical signs. Testicular histopathology results were not available. Seminoperitoneum is uncommon in dogs and is a rare diagnosis for dogs with acute abdominal pain. This is the second known reported case of a seminoperitoneum in a vasectomized dog.

Three-dimensional morphometry of the testis in dog using design-unbiased stereology.

Testis is considered the main organ of the male reproductive system. Dogs are used as a suitable experimental model of testicular diseases in humans. From the veterinary aspect, several disorders have been reported to affect the testis in dogs. Thus, the objective of the present study was to investigate the morphometrical features of the dog testis using design-based stereology. The testes of six male dogs were used. Isotropic, uniform random sections were obtained and processed for light microscopy. Testicular total volume and the fractional volume of the seminiferous tubules, interstitial tissue and germinal epithelium were measured using the Cavalieri's estimator and the point counting system. Germinal epithelial surface area was estimated using test lines, and total length of seminiferous tubules was analysed using the counting frames. The total volume of testis was calculated 13.64 ± 1.94 cm3 . The relative volume fractions of the seminiferous tubules, interstitial tissue and germinal layer expressed as a percentage of total testicular volume were found to be 75.87 ± 6.11%, 23.68 ± 5.15% and 64.15 ± 4.82%, respectively. The surface area of the germinal layer was 915.25 ± 150.48 cm2 . The thickness of germinal layer was estimated to be 96.18 ± 10.72 µm. The total length of seminiferous tubules measured 290.8 ± 35.86 m. No statistical difference in investigated parameters was found between the left and right testes (p > 0.05). Our data might contribute to the male reproductive knowledge, help develop experimental studies in this field and possibly lead to advancement in the diagnosis and treatment of testicular diseases in the dog.

Identification of molecular biomarkers associated with disease progression in the testis of bulls infected with Besnoitia besnoiti.

Breeding bulls infected with Besnoitia besnoiti may develop sterility during either acute or chronic infection. The aim of this study was to investigate the molecular pathogenesis of B. besnoiti infection with prognosis value in bull sterility. Accordingly, five well-characterized groups of naturally and experimentally infected males were selected for the study based on clinical signs and lesions compatible with B. besnoiti infection, serological results and parasite detection. A broad panel of molecular markers representative of endothelial activation and fibrosis was investigated and complemented with a histopathological approach that included conventional histology and immunohistochemistry. The results indicated the predominance of an intense inflammatory infiltrate composed mainly of resident and recruited circulating macrophages and to a lesser extent of CD3+ cells in infected bulls. In addition, a few biomarkers were associated with acute, chronic or subclinical bovine besnoitiosis. The testicular parenchyma showed a higher number of differentially expressed genes in natural infections (acute and chronic infections) versus scrotal skin in experimental infections (subclinical infection). In subclinical infections, most genes were downregulated except for the CCL24 and CXCL2 genes, which were upregulated. In contrast, the acute phase was mainly characterized by the upregulation of IL-1α, IL-6 and TIMP1, whereas in the chronic phase, the upregulation of ICAM and the downregulation of MMP13, PLAT and IL-1α were the most relevant findings. Macrophages could be responsible for the highest level of gene regulation in the testicular parenchyma of severely affected and sterile bulls, and all these genes could be prognostic markers of sterility.

Tubular ectasia of the rete testis in an Angus bull.

An 18-month-old Angus bull presented to Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine for a routine breeding soundness evaluation and lameness evaluation. He was classified as deferred potential breeder due to a lameness and was donated to the university. Following treatment, the bull's lameness resolved. He passed the breeding soundness examination in accordance with the Society for Theriogenology standards. However, avascular dilated areas at the level of the mediastinum testis of the right testicle were detected via Doppler ultrasonography. A high level of vascularity is routinely seen with neoplasia, such as teratomas. Due to the lack of vascularity, a presumptive diagnosis of tubular ectasia of the rete testis was made. The bull was castrated. The right testicle was submitted for histopathology revealing a definitive diagnosis of tubular ectasia of the rete testis.

Assessment of the accuracy of testicular dysfunction detection in male donkey (Equus asinus) with the aid of colour-spectral Doppler in relation to plasma testosterone and serum nitric oxide levels.

This study aimed to determine the usefulness of colour and pulsed Doppler modes for the accurate diagnosis of donkeys suffering from subfertility to determine whether testicular vascularity assessment could be an indicator for sperm functionality. The study sample was composed of 10 male donkeys with normospermia (control group) and 10 donkeys with hypospermia. Animals underwent scrotal circumference measurement, testicular Doppler examination, seminal evaluation, blood sampling and hormonal assay. Semen volume and concentration were significantly (p ≤ .05) lower in the subfertile group (30.25 ± 1.22 ml and 89.44 ± 2.55 × 106 /ml) as compared with the control group (82.76 ± 1.65 ml and 452.78 ± 1.25 × 106 /ml), and total sperm/ejaculation was significantly (p ≤ .05) higher in the normal donkeys (28.30 ± 2.32 × 109 /total ejaculated) as compared with the subfertile group. Intratesticular coloured area showed a marked decline in the hypospermic males. There was no significant difference between the two groups in testosterone level, although the normal group showed an increase in nitric oxide metabolites. Both Doppler indices of the three branches of the testicular artery were elevated significantly (p ≤ .05) in abnormal donkeys, whereas Doppler peak systolic and end-diastolic velocities were increased in the normal group. Male donkeys with subfertility demonstrated lower arterial vascularity parameters in the form of intratesticular coloured area and blood flow rate; therefore, the most optimal parameters for differentiating subfertile hypospermic from normospermic donkeys were found to be the two Doppler indices, velocities parameters, testicular blood flow rate and nitric oxide levels.

Newcastle disease virus induces testicular damage and disrupts steroidogenesis in specific pathogen free roosters.

Newcastle disease (ND), which is caused by Newcastle disease virus (NDV), can cause heavy economic losses to the poultry industry worldwide. It is characterised by extensive pathologies of the digestive, respiratory, and nervous systems and can cause severe damage to the reproductive system of egg-laying hens. However, it is unknown whether NDV replicates in the male reproductive system of chickens and induces any pathologies. In this study, we selected a representative strain (i.e. ZJ1) of the most common genotype (i.e. VII) of NDV to investigate whether NDV can induce histological, hormonal, and inflammatory responses in the testes of specific pathogen free (SPF) roosters. NDV infection increased the expression of toll like receptor TLR3, TLR7, MDA5, IFN-α, IFN-ß, IFN-γ, IL-8, and CXCLi1 in the testes of NDV-infected roosters at 5 days post-infection (dpi). Severe histological changes, including decrease in the number of Sertoli cells and individualized, shrunken spermatogonia with pyknotic nuclei, were observed at 3 dpi. At 5 dpi, the spermatogenic columns were disorganized, and there were fewer cells, which were replaced by necrotic cells, lipid vacuoles, and proteinaceous homogenous material. A significant decrease in the plasma concentrations of testosterone and luteinizing hormone (LH) and the mRNA expression of their receptors in the testes, steroidogenic acute regulatory protein, cytochrome P450 side-chain cleavage enzyme, and 3ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase in the NDV-infected group was observed relative to those in the control group (P < 0.05). Collectively, these results indicate that NDV infection induces a severe inflammatory response and histological changes, which decrease the steroidogenesis.

Histopathologic Prevalence and Severity of Testicular Oocytes in Smallmouth Bass from Two Archival Collections.

During recent decades, survey studies have documented the widespread presence of oocytes in the testes of male Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu collected from surface waters throughout the United States. There are few published reports of testicular oocytes (TO) in Smallmouth Bass before the 1990s, so it is difficult to know how long this has been occurring. Consequently, this study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence and severity of TO occurrence in whole fish specimens from two archival collections-the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History in Suitland, Maryland, and Cornell University's Museum of Vertebrates in Ithaca, New York. Gonads were excised from 167 preserved male Smallmouth Bass that were originally collected between 1875 and 2004, and routine histologic sections were prepared and examined. The severity of TO was determined using a semiquantitative scoring system. Overall, 52.1% of male Smallmouth Bass were found to have TO. Affected fish had been collected in 11 of the 18 represented states, and TO were found in specimens harvested during decades as early as the 1880s and 1900s. Unfortunately, the small number of samples acquired at the earliest time periods precluded analyses of prevalence and severity trends over time. The results of this study demonstrated that the phenomenon of TO in male Smallmouth Bass is at least a century old and confirmed the widespread nature of this finding throughout the species' historic range. Further research efforts should focus on determining the baseline prevalence of TO in laboratory-reared male Smallmouth Bass that have not been exposed to endocrine active substances or the effects of experimental estrogen exposure on such fish.

Hyaline Arteriolosclerosis in 30 Strains of Aged Inbred Mice.

During a screen for vascular phenotypes in aged laboratory mice, a unique discrete phenotype of hyaline arteriolosclerosis of the intertubular arteries and arterioles of the testes was identified in several inbred strains. Lesions were limited to the testes and did not occur as part of any renal, systemic, or pulmonary arteriopathy or vasculitis phenotype. There was no evidence of systemic or pulmonary hypertension, and lesions did not occur in ovaries of females. Frequency was highest in males of the SM/J (27/30, 90%) and WSB/EiJ (19/26, 73%) strains, aged 383 to 847 days. Lesions were sporadically present in males from several other inbred strains at a much lower (<20%) frequency. The risk of testicular hyaline arteriolosclerosis is at least partially underpinned by a genetic predisposition that is not associated with other vascular lesions (including vasculitis), separating out the etiology of this form and site of arteriolosclerosis from other related conditions that often co-occur in other strains of mice and in humans. Because of their genetic uniformity and controlled dietary and environmental conditions, mice are an excellent model to dissect the pathogenesis of human disease conditions. In this study, a discrete genetically driven phenotype of testicular hyaline arteriolosclerosis in aging mice was identified. These observations open the possibility of identifying the underlying genetic variant(s) associated with the predisposition and therefore allowing future interrogation of the pathogenesis of this condition.

The prevalence of ultrasonographic abnormalities and histopathologic lesions is high in testes of yearling tropical hair rams.

Ultrasonography is commonly used to examine testes as part of a breeding soundness examination in sheep, especially, in cases of infertility or when gross testicular abnormalities are present. A descriptive, prospective, prevalence study was conducted to characterize the ultrasonographic, histopathologic, and spermatozoal morphology abnormalities present in a group of yearling tropic hair rams on the island of St. Kitts. Hyperechoic and shadowing abnormalities increased over a 6 month study period. Hyperechoic abnormalities were present in one or both testes in 89% (25/28) of yearling rams and 71% (40/56) of testes at castration. Shadowing abnormalities were present in one or both testes in 46% (13/28) of rams and 34% (19/56) of testes at castration. Shadowing was present more with moderate and severe hyperechoic abnormalities, with few testes in the mild category having any shadowing. As hyperechoic and shadowing abnormalities increased in severity, so did the severity of microscopic lesions including increased interstitial cellularity/fibrosis, interstitial mineralization, seminiferous tubules mineralization (hyperechoic only), and chronic lymphoplasmacytic orchitis. There were no spermatozoal morphologic abnormalities other than an increase in distal cytoplasmic droplets. The study findings detail a pathologic event in this group of yearling rams that has an unknown etiology. Potential causes may include scrotal insulation, trauma, infectious causes, immunity alterations, nutritional imbalances, and ingestion of a toxin. Further studies are required to elucidate the causative agent.

Genetic and genomic analyses of testicular hypoplasia in Nellore cattle.

Reproductive performance is a key indicator of the long-term sustainability of any livestock production system. Testicular hypoplasia (TH) is a morphological and functional reproductive disorder that affects bulls around the world and consequently causes major economic losses due to reduced fertility rates. Despite the improvements in management practices to enhance performance of affected animals, the use of hypoplastic animals for reproduction might contribute to expand the prevalence of this disorder. The aim of this study was to identify genomic regions that are associated with TH in Nellore cattle by performing a genome-wide association study (GWAS) and functional analyses. Phenotypic and pedigree data from 47,563 animals and genotypes (500,689 Single Nucleotide Polymorphism, SNPs) from 265 sires were used in this study. TH was evaluated as a binary trait measured at 18 months of age. The estimated breeding values (EBVs) were calculated by fitting a single-trait threshold animal model using a Bayesian approach. The SNP effects were estimated using the Bayes C method and de-regressed EBVs for TH as the response variable (pseudo-phenotype). The top-15 ranking windows (5-adjacent SNPs) that explained the highest proportion of variance were identified for further functional and biological network analyses. The posterior mean (95% highest posterior density) of the heritability for TH was 0.16 (0.08; 0.23). The most important genomic windows were located on BTA1, BTA3, BTA4, BTA5, BTA9, BTA22, BTA23, and BTA25. These windows explained together 22.69% of the total additive genetic variance for TH. Strong candidate genes associated with metabolism and synthesis of steroids, cell survival, spermatogenesis process and sperm motility were identified, which might play an important role in the expression of TH. Our findings contribute to a better biological understanding of TH and future characterization of causal variants might enable improved genomic prediction of this trait in beef cattle.

Anti-Müllerian hormone as a biomarker for acute testicular degeneration caused by toxic insults to stallion testes.

Recently, anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) was validated as a reliable marker of testicular damage caused by various chemotherapy drugs in humans and in mice. In horses, the reference values of AMH concentrations in normal stallions, during different seasons of a year, have been recently reported. However, this hormone was not evaluated in subfertile or infertile stallions with testicular damage. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the effects of experimentally induced testicular degeneration on the concentration of AMH in stallions. Severe but transient testicular degeneration was induced in six Miniature horse stallions, in two, separate experiments (three stallions in each experiment), by the administration of a single dose of the contraceptive compound RTI-4587-073(l). Six different stallions served as controls (three stallions in each experiment). Treated and control stallions were switched between the experiments. Concentrations of AMH were determined in 78 samples of blood plasma collected during the first experiment and in 24 samples collected during the second experiment. Furthermore, the expression of AMH in 30 samples of testicular parenchyma, collected from these stallions during the second experiment, was also evaluated, using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and objectively analyzed using computerized methods. During the first experiment, the concentrations of AMH in blood increased significantly in treated stallions (P < 0.05), reaching a 62-151% change from the baseline by day 10 after treatment, before gradually decreasing to the pretreatment levels. There was no change in blood AMH concentration in control stallions. Only a trend to increase AMH concentration was observed in treated stallions during the second experiment (P = 0.055). The labeling for immunoreactive AMH in the Sertoli cells gradually increased after treatment, which was confirmed by the significantly increased IHC optic density score value (P < 0.05) and significantly decreased percentage contribution of negative pixels at fourth week after treatment (P < 0.05). We concluded that AMH is a promising candidate as a biomarker of testicular damage in stallions caused by toxic insults that lead to testicular degeneration.

Endocrine disruption, oxidative stress, and testicular damage induced by 4-nonylphenol in Clarias gariepinus: the protective role of Cydonia oblonga.

Exposure to xenoestrogens like 4-nonylphenol (NP) is recognized by disrupting endocrine functions and causes reproductive dysfunction in male fish. The present study aimed at investigating the 4-nonylphenol propensity to induce oxidative stress and hormonal disturbances in male catfish and at studying the protective role of quince (Cydonia oblonga). To fulfill this aim, catfish Clarias gariepinus were exposed to pure 100 µg/L 4-NP and to quince the leaf extract added to 4-NP, both for 15 days. The 4-NP exposure induced a marked increase in 17ß-estradiol (E2), LH, and cortisol, while thyroid hormone (TSH, T3), testosterone (T), and FSH levels noticeably decreased; however, 4-NP had no effect on T4 level. Moreover, 4-NP exposure was accompanied by histological impairments in testes. Existence of 4-NP was associated with oxidative damage as evidenced by the significant increase (p < 0.05) of the enzymes, superoxidase dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), acetylcholinesterase (AchE), glutathione s-transferase, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and malondialdehyde (MDA). Adding quince was effective to neutralize hormonal levels and to repair the testicular histological alterations. In response to quince remedy, the enzymes AchE and MDA reduced significantly (p < 0.05), while limited or no response was detected for other tested enzymes. Our results concluded that quince can antagonize 4-NP toxicity in catfish, confirming that quince leaf extract displayed antioxidant activities against the toxicity of hazardous chemicals.

Occurrence of dioctophymosis in canines within a riparian zone of the Río de La Plata watercourse, in Ensenada, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina.

Dioctophymosis is a parasitic disease occasioned by the so-called "giant kidney worm", Dioctophyme renale, a nematode with an indirect life cycle. This parasite's definitive host is the mink, Mustela vison, though numerous wild and domestic mammals as well as man can serve as final hosts. The worms also can be in ectopic locations in the body. We surveyed 692 canines by ecography, urine sampling, surgery, necropsy, and clinical examination and diagnosed 244 cases of dioctophymosis (35.3%). Of the cases of dioctophymosis identified, 30.7% were obtained by ecography, 45.9% by urinalysis, and 17.6% by both those techniques -in addition to positive findings through surgery (2.5%), necropsy (2.5%), and the spontaneous elimination of the parasites (0.8%). Cases of dioctophymosis were observed in animals as young as 4months of age up to 15years. The frequency of D. renale diagnosis throughout the sampling period varied significantly. There was a statistically significant association between risk factors (swimming in the river, eating frogs, fish or eels, drinking ditch water) and the prevalence of infection. It was discussed the period missing after infection in canines.

Does bovine besnoitiosis affect the sexual function of chronically infected bulls?

Bovine besnoitiosis is a reemerging disease in Europe. The clinically Besnoitia besnoiti infection in bulls is characterized by fever, nasal discharge, and orchitis in the acute phase and by scleroderma in the chronic phase. However, in many bulls, B besnoiti infection remains at a subclinical stage. Bull infertility is an economically relevant consequence of besnoitiosis infection. It is not clear, however, if semen quality returns to normal levels when infected animals have clinically recovered. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between chronic besnoitiosis and bull sexual function in a region of eastern France, where the disease is reemerging, by comparing semen quality and genital lesions in 11 uninfected, 17 subclinically infected, and 12 clinically infected bulls. The presence of anti-B besnoiti antibodies was detected by Western blot test. Semen was collected by electroejaculation. Bulls clinically infected with B besnoiti showed significantly more genital tract alterations than uninfected or subclinically infected bulls. No relationship was evidenced between besnoitiosis infectious status and semen quality, whereas a significant relationship was noted between genital lesions and semen score. This means that in the absence of moderate to severe genital lesions, chronic bovine besnoitiosis is unlikely to alter semen quality. However, as the presence of infected animals could lead to spread of the disease, culling or separation of clinically infected bulls from the remaining healthy animals is strongly recommended.

Acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) elastography of testicular disorders in dogs: preliminary results / Elastografia acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) de afecções testiculares em cães: resultados iniciais

The aim of this study was to describe the use of acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) elastography in the evaluation of testicular disorders in dogs. Eighteen dogs with testicular disorders (thirty-six testicles) were assessed. Echotexture, size, contours and margins of testes were analysed by ultrasonography. Deformities and tissue stiffness (greyscale and homogenous or heterogeneous) were evaluated by qualitative elastography and shear velocity was determined quantitatively. Subsequent to orchiectomy, testicular samples were collected for histopathology analysis and thirty-six disorders were identified. Qualitative elastography revealed that normal healthy testicular tissues were homogenous and not pliable while the affected testicles had alterations in tissue stiffness and homogeneity. The values obtained for quantitative elastography of the testicular tissues were: normal/healthy - 1.30±0.12 m/s; degenerated - 0.97±0.08 m/s; atrophied - 2.00±0.35 m/s; hypoplastic - 0.82±0.2 m/s; cystic - 1.32±0.18 m/s; orchitis - 2.68±0.42 m/s; interstitial cell tumours - 3.32±0.65 m/s; sertolioma - 2.99±0.07 m/s and leydigoma - 2.73±0.37. ARFI elastography of abnormal testes proved to be an applicable and complementary technique in the diagnosis of testicular disease in dogs.

O objetivo deste estudo foi descrever o uso da elastografia ARFI (acoustic radiation force impulse) para avaliar as afecções testiculares em cães. Dezoito cães com distúrbios testiculares (36 testículos) foram avaliados. Ecotextura, tamanho, contornos e margens dos testículos foram avaliados por meio da ultrassonografia modo-B. A presença de deformidades e a rigidez tecidual (escala de cinza; homogênea ou heterogênea) foram avaliadas pela elastografia qualitativa; e a velocidade de cisalhamento foi determinada pela avaliação quantitativa. Amostras dos tecidos testiculares foram coletadas após orquiectomia para o diagnóstico histopatológico. Após ultrassonografia, orquiectomia e histopatologia, foram identificados 36 distúrbios em tecidos testiculares. Durante a elastografia qualitativa, os tecidos normais apresentaram-se homogêneos e não deformáveis; os testículos alterados demonstraram alterações na rigidez tecidual e de sua homogeneidade. Para a elastografia quantitativa, os valores obtidos foram: tecidos normais - 1,30±0,12m/s; degenerados - 0,97±0,08m/s; atrofiados - 2,00±0,35m/s; hipoplásicos - 0,82±0,2m/s; cistos - 1,32±0,18m/s; orquite - 2,68±0,42m/s; tumores de células intersticiais - 3,32±0,65m/s; sertolioma - 2,99±0,07m/s; e leydigoma - 2,73±0,37m/s. A elastografia ARFI de testículos anormais em cães demonstrou ser uma técnica aplicável e complementar para o diagnóstico de doenças testiculares nessa espécie animal.

Testicular lesions and antler abnormalities in Colorado, USA mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus): a possible role for epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus.

Antler abnormalities of deer and other cervids often result from testicular lesions and decreased levels of testosterone, inhibiting normal cycles of antler growth. Affected males have antlers with retained velvet, numerous short, misshapen points ("cactus bucks"), and failure to shed these abnormal antlers annually. In Colorado, US, we observed a high occurrence of "cactus bucks" in mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) populations after management efforts to increase the number of mature male deer in the state. Affected males consistently had antibody to epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus serotype 2 (EHDV-2), and examination of the testes of these animals demonstrated nonspecific end-stage lesions of chronic inflammation, fibrosis, and mineralization. To examine more acute stages of testicular lesions, and to screen for EHDV specifically within the testes, we sampled 16 male mule deer from affected herds, but with essentially normal antlers (n = 14) or retained velvet only (n = 2). Testicular and epididymal lesions identified from these samples included necrotizing vasculitis (n = 2), hemorrhage (n = 6), edema (n = 2), seminiferous tubular necrosis (n = 5), orchitis (n = 5), epididymitis (n = 10), hypospermia (n = 6), and end-stage lesions of seminiferous tubular loss (n = 2), fibrosis (n = 2), and mineralization (n = 2). Each of the 16 cases was blindly scored on the basis of number of histologic lesions, with a median score of two. Five of seven (71%) testes that were PCR positive for EHDV had lesion scores above the median, whereas none of the nine (0%) EHDV PCR-negative testes had lesion scores above the median, suggesting an association between testicular lesions and detection of EHDV RNA in the testes (P = 0.003). Although the role of EHDV infection remains unconfirmed, the association between testicular and epididymal lesions and presence of EHDV RNA in the affected tissues suggests that cactus buck antlers may be a sequela of EHDV infection.

Testicular disorder of sex development in four cats with a male karyotype (38,XY; SRY-positive).

The molecular background of disorders of sex development (DSD) in cats is poorly recognized. In this study we present cytogenetic, molecular and histological analyses of four cats subjected for the analysis due to ambiguous external genitalia. Three cases, with rudimentary penises and an abnormal position of the urethral orifice, represented different types of hypospadias. The fourth case had a normal penis, a blind vulva and spermatogenetically active testes. Histological studies showed structures typical of testes, but spermatogenic activity was observed in two cats only. All the cats had a normal male chromosome complement (38,XY) and the Y-chromosome linked genes (SRY and ZFY) were also detected. Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), with the use of the feline BAC probe harboring the SRY gene, excluded the possibility of chromosome translocation of the Y chromosome fragment carrying the SRY gene onto another chromosome. Sequencing of four candidate genes (SRY--sex determining region Y; AR--androgen receptor; SRD5A2--steroid-5-alfa reductase 2 and MAMLD1--mastermind-like domain containing (1) revealed one SNP in the SRY gene, one common polymorphism in exon 1 of the AR gene (tandem repeat of a tri-nucleotide motif--CAG), six polymorphisms (5 SNPs and 1 indel) in the SRD5A2 gene and one SNP in the MAMLD1 gene. Molecular studies of the candidate genes showed no association with the identified polymorphisms, thus molecular background of the studied DSD phenotypes remains unknown.

Isolation of Aureimonas altamirensis, a Brucella canis-like bacterium, from an edematous canine testicle.

Microbiological and histological analysis of a sample from a swollen testicle of a 2-year-old Border Collie dog revealed a mixed infection of the fungus Blastomyces dermatitidis and the Gram-negative bacterium Aureimonas altamirensis. When subjected to an automated microbial identification system, the latter isolate was provisionally identified as Psychrobacter phenylpyruvicus, but the organism shared several biochemical features with Brucella canis and exhibited agglutination, albeit weakly, with anti-B. canis antiserum. Unequivocal identification of the organism was only achieved by 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing, ultimately establishing the identity as A. altamirensis. Since its first description in 2006, this organism has been isolated infrequently from human clinical samples, but, to the authors' knowledge, has not been reported from a veterinary clinical sample. While of unknown clinical significance with respect to the pathology observed for the polymicrobial infection described herein, it highlights the critical importance to unambiguously identify the microbe for diagnostic, epidemiological, infection control, and public health purposes.

Use of colour and spectral Doppler ultrasonography in stallion andrology.

Doppler ultrasonography is an important tool in the andrological evaluation in humans; however, this method is not so extensively used by equine andrologists. Spectral or pulse Doppler is a useful non-invasive method for the early diagnosis of subfertility problems in the male, especially those triggered by vascular disturbance. The identification of any disturbance in the blood flow of the testis is crucial for a correct diagnosis of various testicular and scrotal disorders but also to monitor the therapeutic outcome following treatment. The aim of this review is to provide an update on the current use of colour and spectral Doppler ultrasound in stallion andrology, and to promote the use of this technique during the soundness reproductive examination of the stallion, as this particular branch of reproductive medicine is receiving increasing interest.