Trypanosomiasis-induced infertility in dromedary (Camelus dromedarius) bulls: changes in plasma steroids concentration and semen characteristics.

The effect of Trypanosomiasis on concentrations of plasma steroids and semen characteristics was studied in 24 dromedary bulls. Based upon the parasitological and serological diagnosis, 18 bulls were found infected with Trypanosoma evansi (Group 2) and six were found to be free from infection and served as controls (Group 1). The infected animals exhibited signs of anaemia indicated by the decrease of packed cell volume (PCV) and haemoglobin concentration (Hb), pale mucus membranes, weight loss, lethargy, weakness and dullness. However, five animals (27.8%) of the infected group revealed elevated rectal temperatures and three animals (16.7%) revealed testicular degeneration upon palpation of their scrotal contents. Concentrations of plasma oestradiol-17beta (86.5 +/- 8.6 pg/ml versus 232.5 +/- 74.4 pg/ml) and testosterone (4.8 +/- 0.7 ng/ml versus 2.7 +/- 1.5 ng/ml) were significantly different (P < 0.05) between the control and infected bulls. Evaluation of the semen collected by electroejaculation and evaluated by a computerized cell motion analyzer revealed normal semen characteristics in the control animals compared to deteriorated ones in the infected bulls. There were highly significant (P < 0.01) decreases in sperm count (12.2 +/- 1.3/ml versus 6.5 +/- 4.9 x 10(6)/ml), motility percentage (68.2 +/- 6.7% versus 27.4 +/-15.6%), percentage of live spermatozoa (73.2 +/- 8.3% versus 35.8 +/- 8.2%) and increases in percentage of morphological abnormalities (3.3 +/- 0.6% versus 15.9 +/- 1.0%) in the infected group. An examination of the plasma hormonal profiles and semen characteristics in the infected bulls indicated that altered Sertoli cell function due to formation of immune complexes in four bulls (Group 2A), pituitary dysfunction in six bulls (Group 2B), testicular degeneration in three bulls (Group 2C) and finally trypanotolerancy in five bulls (Group 2D) are possible factors responsible for poor semen characteristics and infertility induced by T. evansi infection in dromedary bulls.

Intratesticular morphometric, cellular and endocrine changes around the pubertal period in dromedary camels.

We obtained the paired testes from 66 clinically healthy camels during two consecutive breeding seasons. Testicular tissues were examined for peripubertal changes in histological structure as well as spermatogenic and steroidogenic activities. Cellular sizes (length microm x width microm) increased linearly (P< 0.05) throughout the first three years of the animal's life for Leydig cells and between two and a half and five years of age for Sertoli cells. A clear increase in the percentage of tubules demonstrating primary and secondary spermatocytes occurred between less than one and five years and a cohort of elongated spermatids was produced in 3.5 +/- 0.2% tubules in males of two and a half years old; the appearance of spermatozoa in 3.1 +/- 0.3% tubules was evident six months later. The basal values for intratesticular and plasma concentrations of oestradiol-17 beta and testosterone respectively, were measured in all animals up to one and a half years for oestradiol-17 beta and three years for testosterone. Thereafter, both steroids increased markedly (P< 0.01) peaking to 269.5 +/-27.1 pg/g and 83.4 +/- 8.3 pg/mL at three years for oestradiol-17 beta and to 164.7 +/- 16.8 ng/g and 6.8 +/- 0.7 ng/mL at five years for testosterone. The results suggested that a steroid hormonal shift around four and a half to five years of age could demarcate the beginning of pubertal period which culminates with the production of the first ejaculum containing higher concentrations of spermatozoa by dromedary camels of six years old.