Adrenal gland responses surgical castration and immunocastration by different compensatory manners to increase DHEA secretion.

Androgen from the testis and weak androgens from the adrenal cortex may interact with each other and affect their synthesis and secretion due to their similar functions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the compensatory effect of adrenal in rats after immunocastration and surgical castration, and the interaction between the hypothalamic-pituitary-testis (HPT) axis and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. 24 male SD rats aged 8 weeks were randomly divided into three groups and accepted treatments: surgical castration group, immunocastration group and control group. In both surgical castration and immunocastration groups, the secretion of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) hormones was significantly increased compared with the control group (p < 0.05). In the HPT axis of the immunocastration group, the KISS1 expression was up-regulated, whereas GPR54, LH and LHR expression were down-regulated (p < 0.05). The expression levels of CRH, POMC and MC2R genes were also significantly up-regulated (p < 0.05). In addition, in the immunocastration group, the expression of adrenal LHR mRNA expression was decreased (p < 0.05). The expression of HPT axis genes and adrenal LHR were up-regulated in the surgical castration group (p < 0.05). These results show that in both immunocastration and surgical castration, adrenal androgen is increased, suggesting that the adrenal gland plays a compensatory role. Moreover, it also shows that different castration treatments have effects on adrenal steroid secretion through different mechanisms.

Public and industry knowledge and perceptions of US swine industry castration practices.

In the United States (US), surgical castration of male piglets is typically performed without any form of analgesia. This may raise concerns with the public; however, there is no information regarding current public knowledge on swine industry practices in the US. In this study we gained insight into public knowledge and perception on castration with and without analgesia in comparison to knowledge of industry stakeholders on these same topics. Through an online survey, 119 respondents were asked four questions about castration in the US swine industry. Industry respondents were contacted via social media and networking. The general public sample was accessed through Mechanical Turk. Survey responses were categorised by experience (industry vs public). Industry respondents were more aware of practices compared to the general public. Most public respondents were unaware of castration practices and the lack of analgesia use. Respondents from rural communities were more aware of castration practices than (sub)urban communities and more aware of analgesia use than those from urban communities. Those with more education had greater awareness of castration practices (occurrence not frequency). Based on the results from this first US sample, knowledge on industry practices was especially lacking for public respondents, but also for a minority of industry respondents, indicating opportunities for education and further research on the topic.

RNA-seq coupling two different methods of castration reveals new insights into androgen deficiency-caused degeneration of submaxillary gland in male Sprague Dawley rats.

BACKGROUND: Salivary gland (SMG) degeneration and dysfunction are common symptoms that occur after sex hormone deprivation, but the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. Additionally, immunocastration, which causes drop of sex hormones, has been developed as an alternative to surgical castration, however whether it exerts similar effects as surgical castration on the salivary glands is unknown. Through histological and RNA-seq analysis, we assessed changes in morphology and transcriptome of SMG in response to immunocastration (IM) versus surgical castration (bilateral orchiectomy, ORC). RESULTS: Compared to entire males (EM), ORC caused severe degeneration of SMG in rats, as evidenced by both decreased (P < 0.01) SMG weight and organ index, and by decreased (P < 0.01) quantity of SMG acini and ducts. IM had minimal effects (P > 0.05) on SMG weight and organ index, but it still caused degeneration (P < 0.05) of the acini and ducts. Even though, the quantity of both SMG acini and ducts was much higher (P < 0.001) in IM than in ORC. Functional enrichment analysis of the common regulated genes by ORC/IM revealed disrupted epithelial cell development, angiogenesis, anatomical structure morphogenesis and enhanced cell death are associated with SMG degeneration in deprivation of androgens. Integrated data analysis shown that there existed a selective hyperfunction of SMG ribosome and mitochondrion in ORC but not in IM, which might be associated with more severe degeneration of SMG in ORC than in IM. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggested that both surgical castration and immunocastration caused SMG degeneration by disrupting epithelial cell development, angiogenesis, anatomical structure morphogenesis and enhancing cell death. But, surgical castration selectively induced hyperfunction of SMG ribosome and mitochondrion, thus causing more severe degeneration of SMG than immunocastration.

Adipose Tissue Gene Expression of Entire Male, Immunocastrated and Surgically Castrated Pigs.

Differences in adipose tissue deposition and properties between pig male sex categories, i.e., entire males (EM), immunocastrates (IC) and surgical castrates (SC) are relatively well-characterized, whereas the underlying molecular mechanisms are still not fully understood. To gain knowledge about the genetic regulation of the differences in adipose tissue deposition, two different approaches were used: RNA-sequencing and candidate gene expression by quantitative PCR. A total of 83 differentially expressed genes were identified between EM and IC, 15 between IC and SC and 48 between EM and SC by RNA-sequencing of the subcutaneous adipose tissue. Comparing EM with IC or SC, upregulated genes related to extracellular matrix dynamics and adipogenesis, and downregulated genes involved in the control of lipid and carbohydrate metabolism were detected. Differential gene expression generally indicated high similarity between IC and SC as opposed to EM, except for several heat shock protein genes that were upregulated in EM and IC compared with SC. The candidate gene expression approach showed that genes involved in lipogenesis were downregulated in EM compared with IC pigs, further confirming RNA-sequencing results.

Surgical castration versus chemical castration in donkeys: response of stress, lipid profile and redox potential biomarkers.

BACKGROUND: Castration is a husbandry practice raising important questions on the welfare and physiological status of farm animals. Searching for effective castration methods that minimally compromise the body physiology is worthy of attention. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the differential response of biological systems in donkeys to surgical castration versus the chemical one by CaCl2 with special emphasis on stress, lipid profile, and oxidative stress biomarkers. Donkeys were divided randomly and equally into two groups; the chemical (Ch) and surgical (S) groups (n = 6). The Ch group was chemically castrated by intratesticular injection of 20% CaCl2 dissolved in absolute ethanol. Blood samples were collected prior to castration and at 15, 30, 45, and 60 days after the beginning of experiment. RESULTS: Surprisingly, the Ch group at the end of the experiment was characterized by significantly higher cortisol level compared to the S group. TC and LDL-C levels in the S group significantly decreased at day 45, while TG levels significantly increased at days 45 and 60 in comparison with day 0. HDL-C levels at days 30 and 60 in the Ch group significantly increased in comparison with day 0. At day 30 post-castration, HDL-C was significantly higher and LDL-C was significantly lower in the Ch group than the S group. A significant elevation in TC and LDL-C was observed at day 45 and in HDL-C at the end of experimental duration in the Ch group when compared with the S group. TPX level was significantly lower and TAC was significantly higher in the Ch group at day 45 than the S group. CONCLUSION: Surgical castration evoked less stress and minor changes in lipid profile and oxidant/antioxidant balance relative to chemical castration by intratesticular 20% CaCl2 dissolved in absolute ethanol.

The application of polypropylene mesh for testicular prosthesis in surgical castration for patients with prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: To explore whether a polypropylene mesh is suitable for application as a new material for testicular prostheses. METHODS: The data of 65 patients with advanced prostate cancer who underwent surgical castration in hospital were collected and analyzed. Patients who preferred to undergo traditional orchidectomy (n = 16) were assigned to the control group, and patients who underwent subcapsular orchiectomy plus implantation of a polypropylene mesh testicular prosthesis (n = 49) were assigned to the experimental group. The presence of hematoma, infection, and other complications in patients in these two groups were investigated at 3 and 12 months following the surgery. The patients were also followed up using a self-designed testicular castration satisfaction questionnaire. RESULTS: A higher score indicated greater satisfaction. The mean score was 15.33 ± 2.85 in the experimental group and 4.63 ± 1.45 in the control group at 3 months after the surgery. The mean score was 14.92 ± 1.74 in the experimental group and 4.25 ± 1.61 in the control group at 12 months after the surgery. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant at the two time points (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with orchidectomy alone, patients were more satisfied with subcapsular orchiectomy plus the implantation of a polypropylene mesh testicular prosthesis for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer. Furthermore, the polypropylene mesh testicular prosthesis maintained its original character over the duration of the study, with a good long-term effect. Thus, implantation of a polypropylene mesh testicular prosthesis is indicated to be safe and effective, and polypropylene mesh is potentially useful as a new material for testicular prostheses.

Advanced prostate cancer with brain metastasis presenting with isolated severe headache without urinary symptoms.: Case report and literature review.

INTRODUCTION AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Brain metastases from prostate cancer are uncommon, occurring in fewer than 1 % of cases of metastatic prostate cancer. Brain metastasis can cause cerebral edema, neurologic symptoms, and may be misdiagnosed as primary brain tumors on imaging if thorough investigations are not done. It is difficult to identify and diagnose brain metastasis from prostate cancer since the intracranial metastatic process and presentation are poorly understood and limited to case studies. Most patients with brain metastases from prostate cancer exhibit a variety of metastatic symptoms; however, this patient's presentation was defined by only isolated intense headache. Our goal is to draw attention to the uncommon instance of brain metastases from prostate cancer in addition to reviewing the literature on the advances in treatment for prostatic cancer with metastasis to the brain. CASE PRESENTATION: We report the case of a 67-year-old male with metastatic prostate adenocarcinoma into the brain, presenting with isolated severe headache with no prostate cancer symptoms. Following extensive radiologic examination, metastatic deposits were detected in the left side of the brain with multiple intracerebral and cerebellar vermis lesions. Multiplanar T2 weighted abdominal pelvic MRI visualized the primary lesion in the prostate which was confirmed by histology. After a month following surgical castration, the patient reported resolved headache and resumed his daily activities. The patient's serum PSA decreased from 7.8 ng/ml to 0.3 ng/ml during a 12-months follow-up with no neurological symptoms. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: Prostate cancer rarely causes brain metastases, and the percentage of all brain metastases that originate from prostate cancer is seldom updated. It can be difficult to distinguish between primary brain lesions and metastatic brain prostate cancer, particularly when there is just one lesion present. Despite the recently developed diagnostic approaches, symptomatic patients exhibit a variety of clinical manifestations that vary depending on the location of the metastatic focus. These manifestations include headache, seizures, and focal neurological deficits, in addition to some common non-focal manifestations like confusion and memory deficits. Our patient had a PSA of 7.8 ng/ml at the beginning and the DRE results were normal, clinically prostate cancer was not thought to be the main cause of brain metastasis. Abdominal pelvic MRI was performed to investigate the primary lesion and confirmed the presence of prostate cancer with extra prostatic extensions. Adenocarcinoma prostate cancer was found to be the main cause when histopathology was done. CONCLUSION: This report reviews the literature on brain metastases from prostate cancer and points out that while very rare, brain metastases from prostatic cancer do occur and should not be overlooked, particularly in light of the recent advancements in prostatic cancer therapies that may extend the patient's survival. Gadolinium-enhanced MRI is necessary to confirm or rule out brain metastases if it is suspected, as well as to monitor prostate cancer patients.

Testosterone regulates thymic remodeling by activating glucocorticoid receptor signaling pathway to accelerate thymocyte apoptosis in male rats.

Thymic atrophy affects T cell generation and migration to the periphery, thereby affecting T cell pool diversity. However, the mechanisms underlying thymic atrophy have not been fully elucidated. Here, gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) immunization and surgical castration did not affect thymocyte proliferation, but significantly reduced the apoptosis and increased the survival rate of CD4-CD8-, CD4+CD8+, CD4+CD8-, and CD4-CD8+ thymocytes. Following testosterone supplementation in rats subjected to GnRH immunization and surgical castration, thymocyte proliferation remained unchange, but the apoptosis of CD4-CD8-, CD4+CD8+, CD4+CD8-, and CD4-CD8+ thymocytes significantly increased. Transcriptome analyses of the thymus after GnRH immunization and surgical castration showed a significant reduction in the thymus's response to corticosterone. Cholesterol metabolism and the synthesis and secretion of corticosterone were significantly reduced. Analysis of the enzyme levels involved in the corticosterone synthesis pathway revealed that corticosterone synthesis in thymocytes was significantly reduced after GnRH immunization and surgical castration, whereas exogenous testosterone supplementation relieved this process. Testosterone promoted thymocyte apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner, and induced corticosterone secretion in vitro. Blocking the intracellular androgen receptor (AR) signaling pathway did not significantly affect thymocyte apoptosis, but blocking the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) signaling pathway significantly reduced it. Our findings indicate that testosterone regulates thymus remodeling by affecting corticosterone synthesis in thymocytes, which activates GR signal transduction and promotes thymocyte apoptosis.

Differential Regulation of Male-Hormones-Related Enhancers Revealed by Chromatin Accessibility and Transcriptional Profiles in Pig Liver.

Surgical castration can effectively avoid boar taint and improve pork quality by removing the synthesis of androstenone in the testis, thereby reducing its deposition in adipose tissue. The expression of genes involved in testis-derived hormone metabolism was altered following surgical castration, but the upstream regulatory factors and underlying mechanism remain unclear. In this study, we systematically profiled chromatin accessibility and transcriptional dynamics in liver tissue of castrated and intact full-sibling Yorkshire pigs. First, we identified 897 differentially expressed genes and 6864 differential accessible regions (DARs) using RNA- and ATAC-seq. By integrating the RNA- and ATAC-seq results, 227 genes were identified, and a significant positive correlation was revealed between differential gene expression and the ATAC-seq signal. We constructed a transcription factor regulatory network after motif analysis of DARs and identified a candidate transcription factor (TF) SP1 that targeted the HSD3B1 gene, which was responsible for the metabolism of androstenone. Subsequently, we annotated DARs by incorporating H3K27ac ChIP-seq data, marking 2234 typical enhancers and 245 super enhancers involved in the regulation of all testis-derived hormones. Among these, four typical enhancers associated with HSD3B1 were identified. Furthermore, an in-depth investigation was conducted on the androstenone-related enhancers, and an androstenone-related mutation was identified in a newfound candidatetypical enhancer (andEN) with dual-luciferase assays. These findings provide further insights into how enhancers function as links between phenotypic and non-coding area variations. The discovery of upstream TF and enhancers of HSD3B1 contributes to understanding the regulatory networks of androstenone metabolism and provides an important foundation for improving pork quality.

Effects of local anesthesia and flunixin meglumine on the acute cortisol response, behavior, and performance of young dairy calves undergoing surgical castration.

This study assessed the effects of flunixin meglumine (FM) and a local anesthetic block (LA) on postcastration performance, plasma cortisol concentration, and behavior in dairy calves. Thirty 2- to 3-mo-old Holstein-Friesian bull calves were allocated to 5 treatments: castration with LA (2% lidocaine injected into the testes and subcutaneously), castration with FM (1.1mg/kg, i.v.), castration with LA+FM, castration without drugs (CC), and sham castration (SC). Castration was performed using a Newberry knife and Henderson castrating tool. Feed intake and body weight gain were recorded for 10d postcastration. Plasma cortisol concentration and behavior frequency and duration were monitored for 8h postcastration. Variables with repeated measures were analyzed using PROC MIXED (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC); one-way ANOVA was used for nonrepeated measures. No differences in feed intake or body weight gain were detected among groups. Calves in the CC, LA, and FM groups had transient (<60, <60, and <45 min, respectively) increases in plasma cortisol concentration after castration, with a second increase at 120 min in the LA group, whereas cortisol concentration remained at baseline in the LA+FM and SC groups. Mean cortisol concentrations were lower for calves in the LA+FM and SC groups than in the CC group. The area under the plasma cortisol concentration curve during the first 3h postcastration was greater in CC- and LA-treated calves than in SC controls. Castration without drugs was associated with higher frequencies of crouching and statue standing and less oral activity compared with SC controls. Administering LA alone before castration was associated with higher frequencies of head turning, statue standing, and postural changes, and less feeding behavior compared with SC controls. More leg lifting to groom was seen in LA+FM-treated calves than in SC controls. Calves administered FM alone before castration exhibited less crouching than CC calves, fewer postural shifts, and more feeding behavior than LA-treated calves. In summary, FM alone tended to shorten the duration of cortisol response and reduce crouching after surgical castration. Combining LA+FM eliminated the cortisol response to castration but was associated with more leg lifting behavior. Treatment with LA alone did not mitigate the cortisol response and was associated with several behavioral differences compared with SC, FM-treated, or FM+LA-treated calves. Results suggest that LA alone did not effectively control discomfort in young dairy calves castrated using the Henderson castration tool.

GnRH-immunocastration: an alternative method for male animal surgical castration.

Castration of male animals is intended to produce high-enhance quality of animal meat, prevent unpleasant taste, reduce aggressive behavior, and manage overbreeding. Over the years, Tranditional methods of mechanical and surgical castration have been employed over the years, but they fall short of meeting animal welfare requirements due to the associated risk of infection, pain, and stress. Immunocastration, specifically Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)-immunocastration, targeting the hypothalamic-pituitary-testis (HPT) axis, has emerged as an animal-friendly alternative to surgical castration, effectively addressing these issues. This review seeks to systematically summarize the principles, development, current applications and challenges of GnRH-immunocastration, offering insights into its role in promoting animal welfare.

Sutureless Technique for Surgical Castration in Adult Boars: A Feasibility Study.

The heterogeneity of Italian manufacturing processes results in the production of a large variety of pork products. In Sardinia, boars are raised and butchered to produce charcuterie. These animals are castrated before slaughter as androstenone would otherwise taint the meat, rendering it unfit for human consumption. However, to date, the literature concerning surgical orchiectomy in adult boars is limited. The goal of this study is to assess whether a sutureless swine orchiectomy procedure is feasible. Additionally, this study aims to determine the appropriate traction force needed to tie knots in the deferens duct of pigs of different weights and ages. Two groups were created: the first (n = 91) underwent orchiectomy by suture ligation; the second (n = 20) was castrated using the sutureless technique. Deferens ducts of animals in the first group (n = 182) were collected following castration, and their tensile strength was measured. Pearson's linear correlation was used to determine the relationship between the maximum traction force and weight and age groups. A correlation of 0.99 and 0.96 was shown between traction force and age and traction force and weight, respectively. In accordance with these results, sutureless castration was performed on 20 animals, calibrating the pulling force needed according to the age and weight of the boars. No complications were observed during the feasibility study, thus validating sutureless orchiectomy in adult boars.

Cardiovascular Effects of Androgen Deprivation Therapy in Prostate Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and cardiovascular events in men with prostate cancer. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a primary cause of noncancer mortality in men with prostate cancer. Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Medicare-linked data revealed that CVD was responsible for about a quarter of deaths among men with prostate cancer, with a focus on the role of ADT as a contributing cause. We performed a literature search in November 2021 utilizing search engines such as PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, and Google Scholar. Original publications with data published between 2006 and 2020 were used in the investigation of men with prostate cancer undergoing ADT treatment with a CVD outcome. Two reviewers independently examined the content of the studies and extracted data from the final papers after they had been validated for quality using quality assessment tools. A total of 14 observational studies and two randomized controlled trials are included in this systematic review. Sample sizes in the examined publications varied from 79 to 201,797 individuals. ADT was the intervention in all of the investigations. Seven of the included studies did not identify the type of ADT utilized; instead, they compared the outcomes of individuals who got ADT against those who did not. The specific type of ADT used is mentioned in the remaining nine studies included in the systematic review. Patients who got ADT, such as gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists, combination androgen blockade, surgical castration, and oral anti-androgen, are compared to those who did not receive ADT to discover who had a better prognosis. In conclusion, even though ADT has several negative metabolic side effects that increase the risk of cardiovascular toxicity, published research utilizing a variety of designs has demonstrated inconsistency in the impact of ADT on cardiovascular outcomes. While the risk of CVD should be considered when prescribing ADT, the findings suggest that it should not be considered a contraindication if the expected benefit is substantial.

Unmitigated Surgical Castration in Calves of Different Ages: Electroencephalographic and Neurohormonal Findings.

Castration is a common management procedure employed in North American cattle production and is known to cause a pain response. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of unmitigated surgical castration on the electroencephalography (EEG) responses and plasma substance P (SP) concentrations in calves of different ages under the same experimental conditions. Thirty male Holstein calves in three age categories [<6 weeks (6W); 3 months (3M); 6 months (6M); 10 calves per age group] were used in the study. Calves were subjected to a simulated castration session (SHAM) followed 24 h later by surgical castration (CAST) without analgesia. An EEG analysis was performed before the procedure (i.e., baseline), at treatment, and 0-5, 5-10, and 10-20 min post-treatment for both SHAM and CAST, respectively. Blood samples were collected immediately prior to both treatments (time 0) and again at 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12 h after both treatments. The EEG results showed a three-way interaction between treatment, age, and time for delta and beta absolute power, beta relative power, total power, and median frequency (p = 0.004, p = 0.04, p = 0.04, p = 0.03, and p = 0.008, respectively). Following CAST, EEG total power decreased, and median frequency increased relative to SHAM in 6W and 3M calves only following treatment. For 6W and 3M calves, delta and beta absolute power increased at CAST and at later time points relative to SHAM. Marginal evidence for two-way interactions was noted between time and treatment and between age and treatment on the concentration of SP (p = 0.068 and p = 0.066, respectively). Substance P concentrations decreased in CAST treatment compared to SHAM at the later times (8 h: p = 0.007; 12 h: p = 0.048); 6W calves showed lower SP concentration at CAST relative to SHAM (p = 0.017). These findings indicate variation in EEG responses and in SP concentrations following unmitigated surgical castration in calves and that these responses may be age specific. These EEG findings have implications for supporting the perception of the pain associated with surgical castration in young calves and emphasize the urgency of pain mitigation strategies during routine husbandry practices such as castration, as typically implemented in North American cattle management.

Vaccination against GnRH as a prelude to surgical castration of horses.

BACKGROUND: Surgical castration is one of the most frequently performed surgeries in horses and is associated with various post-surgical complications ranging in severity. OBJECTIVES: We investigated the effects of administering an anti-GnRH vaccine to colts for reduction of testis size on the incidence of complications associated with their subsequent surgical castration. STUDY DESIGN: Randomised open controlled trial. METHODS: Nineteen colts were randomly assigned to one of the three groups. Treatment Groups V1-57 and V2-100 received two treatments of Improvac® (Zoetis, South Africa) before their castration in the field on either Day 57 or Day 100 following first treatment, respectively. Controls similarly received placebo treatments followed by castration on Day 57. Serial measurements of testicular dimensions and serum samples for measuring serum testosterone concentrations (STCs) and anti-GnRH antibody titres (ABTs) were obtained pre- and post-vaccination and on the day of castration. Clinical data recorded for 10 days determined post-surgical complications. RESULTS: All vaccinated colts showed a baseline STC concentration at castration with a strong ABT response. Mean testicular volume of Groups V1-57 and V2-100 reduced by 49.7% and 30.8%, respectively, on Day 57 and this further reduced in Group V2-100 by 63.9% at castration on Day 100. Testis size was significantly correlated with post-surgical preputial (P = 0.001) and scrotal (P = 0.025) swelling. MAIN LIMITATIONS: A study population of young light horse breed colts and a relatively small sample size limited this pilot study. CONCLUSIONS: Administering two doses of Improvac® in colts 28 days apart prior to castration effectively reduced their testicular volumes with associated significant post-surgical improvement in both the incidence and degree of local swelling. These results may inform mitigation of potential post-surgical complications associated with castration in the field.

FSH promotes fat accumulation by activating PPARγ signaling in surgically castrated, but not immunocastrated, male pigs.

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) was recently implicated as a novel regulator of fat accumulation. Surgical castration causes high FSH concentrations and increases fat accumulation, whereas immunocastration results in low FSH concentrations and less fat in immunocastrated boars versus barrows. However, detailed information regarding the role of FSH in regulation of fat accumulation in male pigs is unclear. First, expression of FSH receptor was confirmed (real-time quantitative PCR) in subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissues (SAT and VAT, respectively) of boars. Then, surgical castration (high FSH model) was compared to immunocastration (low FSH model) to investigate potential roles of FSH in adipogenesis and fat accumulation. High FSH concentrations after surgical castration activated PPARγ signaling by upregulating expression of CREB (P < 0.05), and then recruited an array of PPARγ target adipogenic genes, including transcription factor (C/EBPα), long-chain fatty acid uptake (LPL), fatty acid de novo synthesis (FASN, ACACA) and lipid droplet formation (PLIN1) in both SAT and VAT, promoting fat accumulation in barrows. In contrast, much lower serum FSH concentrations in immunocastrates attenuated (P < 0.05) expressions of PPARγ and PPARγ target genes in both SAT and VAT, resulting in less fat accumulation in immunocastrated boars versus barrows. We concluded that the substantially elevated FSH concentrations in barrows promoted fat accumulation by activating the PPARγ signaling pathway in adipose tissues, whereas immunocastrates accumulated less fat due to low FSH.

Impact of Housing Condition on Welfare and Behavior of Immunocastrated Fattening Pigs (Sus scrofa domestica).

The aim of this study was to investigate whether the well-known positive effects of immunocastration on the behavior and welfare of pigs persist under varying environments. One hundred forty-four male pigs were studied with regard to their sex category (EM: entire males, IC: immunocastrates, BA: barrows) and housing environment (ENR: enriched, STD: standard, MIX: repeated social mixing). The vaccination of immunocastrates included two injections at the age of 12 and 22 weeks. Regardless of the housing conditions, frequencies of sexual and fighting behavior expressed by immunocastrates shifted from boar-like to barrow-like behavior after the second immunocastration vaccination (Mixed model analysis, p < 0.05). Penis biting decreased in IC after the second vaccination (Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, p = 0.036) and penile injuries were lower in IC animals compared to EM (Mixed model analysis, p < 0.001). Housing-dependent effects on behavior could also be observed in the animals at a relatively young age. Enriched housing showed a beneficial effect on play behavior (Chi-square test, p < 0.001) and the social mixing environment reduced the number of social nosing events (Mixed model analysis, p < 0.05). The positive effects of immunocastration thus are robust to all housing conditions assessed in this study.

Prostate Cancer Detected by Choroidal Tumor and Complete Response to Hormonal Therapy: Case Report and Literature Review of 24 Patients With Choroidal Metastasis From Prostate Cancer.

Metastatic choroidal tumors derived from prostate cancer are rare. In this study, we report a patient who manifested a choroidal tumor as the initial presenting sign of prostate cancer and review 23 patients with choroidal metastasis of prostate cancer in the literature to answer a clinical question how the choroidal metastases would respond to hormonal therapy. A 73-year-old man presented with a choroidal tumor in the right eye. He was in good health and had no previous history except for current hemodialysis in 3 years due to chronic renal failure as a sequel to glomerulonephritis. With the diagnosis of a probable metastatic tumor, positron emission tomography was performed to disclose high-uptake sites in multiple bones, lymph nodes, and the prostate, together with multiple nodular lesions in bilateral lungs on computed tomography (CT) scan. Serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) was elevated to 541 ng/mL, which supported prostate cancer as the primary site. He had degarelix injection, and the choroidal tumor resolved rapidly and became flat degeneration in a month. Prostate biopsy showed poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma, and he underwent surgical castration. He had no medication until 3 years later when he showed gradual increase of serum PSA up to 6.05 ng/mL and multiple bony metastases on CT scan. Bicalutamide, switched to enzalutamide and then to abiraterone, led to the undetectable level of serum PSA until the last visit with no relapse of the choroidal metastasis, 6.8 years after the initial visit. In the literature review of 24 patients with choroidal metastasis of prostate cancer, including this patient, 8 patients presented a choroidal tumor as the initial sign and the choroidal lesions mostly showed complete response to hormonal therapy. Among 13 patients who were frequently in the course of hormonal therapy, choroidal metastases showed complete or partial response to external beam radiation to the eye in 11 patients and episcleral plaque radiotherapy in 2 patients. In conclusion, metastatic choroidal tumors of prostate cancer would show good response to hormonal therapy when the therapy has not been initiated. Hormone-resistant choroidal metastases in the therapeutic course of prostate cancer could be managed successfully by external beam radiation to the eye.

Performance, carcass and meat quality of pigs submitted to immunocastration and different feeding programs.

The feed restriction of pigs aims to improve the nutrient utilization of the diet, reduce carcass fat and increase lean meat. Immunocastration is a painless, reversible technique that improves animal welfare, decreases boar taint in meat, leading to lower fat deposition and increases lean meat. This study aimed at evaluating either feeding (restricted) programs (FP) and castration categories (surgically castrated × immunocastration) in terms of pig performance, carcass traits and meat quality. Castration category and FP did not influence marbling, initial pH and drip loss in loin and ham. However, immunocastrated pigs presented lighter loins and hams with lower ultimate pH, compared to the surgically castrated pigs. The FP with lower feed volume resulted in higher ultimate pH. Immunocastrated males had a higher live weight than those surgically castrated. Also, the more the feed supply decreased, the better the feed conversion. Immunocastrates had lower carcass yields, however these pigs had their backfat thickness decreased and lean meat increased in the carcass, without affecting the loin depth.

Carcass Characteristics and Primal Pork Cuts of Gilts, Boars, Immunocastrates and Barrows Using AutoFOM III Data of a Commercial Abattoir.

The surgical castration of male piglets as a routine procedure in modern pig production is facing increasing societal criticism. Pork production with boars and immunocastrates are available alternatives, but both have low market shares as it is so far uncertain how the carcass characteristics and primal pork cuts of boars and immunocastrates will be estimated in comparison to barrows and gilts. This article therefore evaluates the impact of sex group (gilts, boars, immunocastrates and barrows) on carcass characteristics and primal pork cuts using AutoFOM III data from a commercial abattoir. In our study, weekly slaughter data from a total of n = 36,994 pigs between 2018 and 2019 were analyzed. The results show that gilts had the highest amount of pork per carcass of all sex groups, whereas non-significant differences between boars, immunocastrates and barrows could be observed. Boars had the highest lean meat content, followed by gilts, immunocastrates and finally barrows with the lowest lean meat content. These results suggest that both immunocastration and pork production with boars are sustainable techniques that can replace pork production with barrows without affecting carcass quality.