THE PRESENCE OF GONADOTROPHINS IN SEMEN OF EGYPTIAN

Transcription

1 Bulletin of Egypt. Soc. Physiol, Sci. THE PRESENCE OF GONADOTROPHINS IN SEMEN OF EGYPTIAN BUFFALO BULLS Shawky Soliman Ibrahim, Abed Aboul-Ela, Abdel Salam Ibrahim El Azab. Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Vet, Med, Beni Suef. Department of Artificial Insemination, Pyramid Res. Inst, for Animal Reproduction. In an attempt to determine the presence of gonadotrophins in semen of farm animals, ejaculates were collected from (12) healthy and sexually mature buffalo bulls, Besides, blood samples were collected from all animals, S e m and seminal plasma were separated by centrifugation. FSH and LH levels were determined using the immunoassay methods. The results revealed that gonadotrophins are present at considerable levels both in semen and seminal plasma, INTRODUCTION There is a shortage in buffalo bull population,which is considered as one of the main problems in animal bre~eding in Egypt, Therefore, in order to face such challenge, it has been necessary to furnish basic in- formation concerning the reproductive pattern,sexual desire and semen characteristics, In this respect, during the last few decades, profuse studies have been carried out to elucidate the physical characte-

2 ristics and biochemical composition of buffalo bull semen & 50 However, such studies did not involve the hormonal activity of semen, On the other hand, the estrogenic and androgenic activities 6 of human and bovine semen were reported. Bearing in mind that FSH and LH regulate the testicular fun- ctions and the secretory activities of male acces- sory organs, the presence of these two hormones semen is quite possible. in It is intended by the pre- sent study to determine the presence or absence of gonadotrophins in ejaculated semen of mature buffalo bulls, MATERIAL AND METHODS Collection of samples : Semen was collected twice weekly, for (6) weeks from (12) sexually mature buffalo bulls, Soon after collection, each ejaculate was subjected to the rou- tine scheme of semen evaluation. A small part was kept frozen as whole semen and the rest of the eja- culate was centrifuged to separate the seminal pla- 0 sma which was kept at -20 C, A blood samples was collected weekly from each animal, centrifuged and serum was kept at -20 c, Preparation of FSH and LH and their antisera : FSH and LH were prepared from fresh pituitary glands collected from slaughtered mature buffaloes. The two hormones were prepared and purified according to the methods of Fraenkel-Conret et alm7 and Li et

3 a1.8 with modification of ~boul-l3lag0 FSH and LH antisera were prepared by injecting the hormones in healthy mature male rabbits as outlined by 10 Tadeusz Scgency, Serum and seminal FSH and LH contents were de- termined by haemoagglutination inhibition immuno- 12 assay according to wide1' and Schuurs RESULTS Mean values of ejaculte volume (ml), motility (%) 6 and sperm concentration (X 10 /ml) are presented in Table (I), There were no significant differe- nces between the two age groups in the ejaculate volume or motility (%), ration was significantly (P (0.01) B ( more than 3 years), Meanwhile, sperm concent- higher in group Data presented in Table (2) show that the levels of FSH and LH in serum were several times higher than their levels in whole semen or seminal plasma, It is apparent that FSH and LH increased significantly in the higher age, y DISCUSSION It is a fact that the reproductive efficiency and testicular potentials improved with the advancement of age towards maturity, Therefore, the higher quality of semen in group B (more than 3 years) is acceptable, However, the values recorded for semen of

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5 TABLE (2) : FSII and LH levels (i,u/'nil) in serum, whole semen and seminal plasma of buffalo bulls of two age groups. SERUM WHOLE SEMEN SEMINAL PLASMA FSH LH FSH LH FSH LH Group (A) : less than 3 years Group (B): More than 3 years Overall mean , ,003 1f0~008 -t-oeoo2 1,18* Om14* 0.03* Oa21* 0.03*' ~ 0 ~ & 0, O.lla ~ e, * : Valuea within the same column are signo different at (P 40.05). ** : Values within the same column are sign. different at (P <0.005). a : Overall means having the letter (s) are sign different at (Y(0.05).

6 bulls in group A ( less than 3 years) approach the normal values recorded in previous studies 2,3 8' 4 Looking through the results presented in Table (2), it can be noticed that the overall means of serum FSH and LH are higher than values recorded in a previous study, El-Azab et all3. This variation can be attributed to the difference in methodology as well as the management. It is clearly obvious that FSH level in serum of older bulls ( ,09) was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than its level in young bulls. This finding can explain the sig- nificant difference in sperm concentration between the two age groups, Table (1). Meanwhile, the si- milarity in serum LH levels in the two groups means that androgens production and sexual desire were nearly similar, It is of interest to note the presence of FSH and LH at considerable levels in whole semen and seminal plasma, Table (2). However, further inves- tigations are in need to clarify what and how gona- dotrophins contributed to the ejaculate, REEERENCES 1) Hafez, E.S.E. and Darwish, Y.H,: Effect of e jaculation on semen characteristics in the buffalo, J. Agric, Sci, 47 : , ) Oloufa, M.M.; Sayed, AoAo and Badreldin, A, I. L, Seasonal variation in reaction time of.egyptian buffalo bulls and physico-chemical charac-

7 teristics of their semen, Ind, J. Dairy Sci, 12, ) El-Azab, A,I, : Studies on some factors affec- ting semen production in buffalo bulls, M. V. Sc, Thesis, Cairo Univ, ) Ibrahim, SoS,: The contribution of the diffe- rent parts of the reproductive system to the ejaculate of the Buffalo bull, ph, D. Thesis, Cairo Univ, ) El Azab, A. I.; Rakha, A.Mo; Aboul Fadle, NOSe and Ibrahim, S,So: Interaction of season and nutrition on buffalo semen : 11-Chemical com- position. Egypt, J.Veto Sci, 20 (2) : ) McCulagh, P.E. and Schaffenberg, C,A,: Hormonal activity in semen, J. Cline Endocrin, 11 : ) Fraenkel-Conrat, H.L.; Simpson, M.E. and Evans, H.M.: Chemistry of anterior pituitary hormones, In The Hormones, Ed. by G, Pincus and K.V. Thi- a m, vol. I , Acad, Press Inc, New York, 1940, 8) Li,C,H,; Simpson, M.E. and Evans, HOMO: Initthe Hormones", Ed. by G. Pincus and K,V, Thiamnn vol, I, , Acad. press Inc New York. 1942, 9) Aboul-Ela, Ao: Changes in the anterior pituitary of the buffalo in relation to overian activity,, MoV.Sc, Thesis, Cairo, Univ, 1981,

8 10) Tadeusz-Scgency : Attempts to determine immu- nologically the activity of pregnant mare's s erum gonadotrophin, Bull. Vet, Ins to Pulaway vol. 13 : , 1974, 11) Wide, Lo: An immunological method for the assay of human chorionic gonadotrophin, Acta Endocrinol, 41, supple 70, 12) Schuurs, A.H.W.M.: Agglutination inhibition reactions for determination of gonadotrophin, 1st symposium, Imrnunoassay of gonadotrophins, Stockholm, p, , 13) El-Azab, E,Ao; Farahat, A,A.; Soliman, M.K, ; Yousef, A. H., and Soliman FoAo : Endocrine dis- turbances associated with weak sexual desire in Governmental Friesian and buffalo bulls, Egyp, J. Physiol. Scio 1 (2) : , 1974.

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