The Use of Immunocontraception in the Regulation of Male Goat Sexual Activity
SSRN, ISSN: 1556-5068
2023
- 188Usage
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Article Description
In our experiment, we focused on continuous monitoring of the immunocontraceptive effect of Improvac vaccine on the sexual activity of sexually mature male goats, which was determined by measuring plasma testosterone levels, testicular biometric and ejaculate examination. The animals in the experimental group (n = 9) were administered two doses of 2 ml of Improvac® vaccine in a four-week interval; the animals in the control group (n = 5) received 2 ml of saline, respectively. Blood collection from the jugular vein, semen collection by electroejaculation and testicular measurements were performed at 14-day intervals. A total of 8 samples were collected from each animal. A statistically significant decrease (p <0.05) in testosterone concentration was observed as early as two weeks after the first dose. At the end of the experiment (16 weeks), eight goats reached the testosterone concentration level below the detection limit, while one goat still had a concentration of 0.47 nmol/L. There was no statistically significant change in testosterone levels in the control group. The testicular size was statistically significantly (p <0.01) smaller four weeks after the first dose. At the end of the experiment, the testicular size was approximately three times smaller (p <0.001) (67.56±8.2 cm2 vs. 22.45±4.22 cm2). Motility, as assessed by the CASA analyser, gradually decreased during the experiment and at the end of the experiment there was 0% motility in two goats, 1 % in one animal and 10 % in one animal, respectively. Azoospermia developed in five animals. There was no statistically significant reduction in sperm motility in the control group. The median sperm concentration decreased slightly from the beginning and was statistically significantly lower (p <0.01) at the end of the experiment (median 0, min.0 – max. 0.575x 106). The median sperm concentration in the control group remained unchanged. The sperm morphology also changed significantly during the experiment. A statistically significant (p < 0.0001) shift in the percentage of morphological changes was recorded eight weeks after the first administration. There were five animals with developed azoospermia in the experimental group at the end of the experiment, two with 100% morphologically altered sperm, one with 99% and one with 96% morphologically altered sperm, respectively. The median percentage of morphologically altered sperm in the control group was 11.5 %. Our results show that Improvac has a significant effect on the sexual function and sperm production in male goats.
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