SEMEN QUALITY AND PLASMA TESTOSTERONE CONCENTRATIONS AFTER UNILATERAL LIGATION OF TESTICULAR BLOOD VESSELS IN MALE GOATS AND RAMS

Abstract

This study was carried out to monitor changes in the semen quality and plasma testosterone concentrations for 20 weeks following unilateral ligation of testicular vessels in three male goats and two rams. One male goat and one ram were used as untreated controls. Ejaculates from the experimental animals were collected fortnightly and evaluated for physical characteristics. Weekly blood samples were taken by jugular venepuncture and analyzed for plasma testosterone concentration by radio-immunoassay. The ejaculatory volume showed a decreasing trend in all male goats including the control, as the study advanced. Similarly. in all treated male goats and rams, total number of sperms per �jaculate decreased and remained lower than the pre-treatment values. The percentages of dead and morphologically abnormal spermatozoa were higher ami those of motile spermatozou lower in �jaculates collected during weeks 1-7 after treatment than the pretreatment values. The plasma testosterone concentmtions showed a wide variation and were rel�atively lower in the treated than the control animals of both species. However, the number of animals used in the study was too small to dmw any tirm conclusions.