Seminal selenium concentrations and spermatozoal abnormalities in beef bulls

The relationship between seminal selenium (Se) concentration and spermatozoal abnormalities in 24 Angus and 12 Simmental bulls maintained on a Se adequate diet was studied. Two semen samples were collected by electroejaculation 50 days apart from each bull. Measurements of primary and secondary spermatozoal abnormalities, seminal Se concentration, and blood plasma Se concentration were determined at each semen collection. The mean (chi +/- SD ) Se concentration of semen (0.535 +/- 0.267) was approximately 8 fold greater than the Se concentration of blood plasma (0.069 +/- 0.066) and the values were similar for both collections. Spermatozoa concentration was correlated (r = 0.50; P<.01) with seminal Se concentration; however, seminal Se concentration was not highly correlated (P<.01) with primary spermatozoal abnormalities (r = -0.29) and secondary spermatozoal abnormalities (r = 0.16). This study indicates that the Se concentration of semen is high relative to blood plasma in bulls maintained on a Se adequate diet; however, the seminal Se concentration is not highly correlated with spermatozoal abnormalities.     

Seminal ribonuclease of bulls - biosynthesis in normal and orchitic bulls and correlation with blood plasma hormone levels

In sexually mature and healthy bulls, seminal ribonuclease (AS RNase) is synthesized in the distal part of the corpus epididymidis, the cauda epididymidis, the ampullary glands and the seminal vesicles. Indirect immunofluorescence demonstrated AS RNase binding to the cytoplasmic droplets of bull spermatozoa.In bulls with orchitis, AS RNase synthesis decreases in accordance with the degree of damage to the Leydig cells and the drop in the blood plasma testosterone level. The organ most sensitive to decreased testosterone levels, from the aspect of AS RNase synthesis, is the epididymis and the least sensitive are the seminal vesicles. Hypertrophy of the adrenal cortex (in particular of the zona fasciculata and the zona reticularis) and elevated adrenocortical secretion - demonstrated by a raised cortisol concentration in the blood plasma of severely orchitic bulls - failed to inhibit AS RNase synthesis. Injections of Gn RH-LH and HCG raised the blood plasma cortisol, but not testosterone, concentrations in bulls with very severe orchitis. This also indicates serious damage to the Leydig cells in these bulls.     

The effect of vesiculectomy on seminal characteristics in the stallion.

Successful unilateral extirpation of an inflamed seminal vesicle in a stallion led to systematic trials of the influence of a reduction and absence of the secretion of this gland upon semen characteristics. Operations were performed by the method described for the bull. The volume of ejaculates dropped and sperm concentration per ml increased in each of 2 stallions from which the seminal vesicles had been uni- or bi-laterally removed. Total sperm number and motility remained uninfluenced, but the percentage of eosin-stained spermatozoa increased in the unilaterally operated stallion and the percentage of abnormal spermatozoa increased significantly in both. Concentration of citric acid per ml and per ejaculate was significantly reduced after bilateral vesiculectomy. Ergothioneine concentration per ml increased in the unilaterally and in the bilaterally operated stallion.     

Active immunization of prepubertal bulls against testosterone: Seminal and testicular characteristics after puberty

Twenty-four Holstein bull calves were immunized at 1.0 month of age against either testosterone-17-hemisuccinate-human serum albumin (treated bulls) or against human serum albumin alone (control bulls). Booster injections were given monthly through five months of age. Bulls were reimmunized at six months of age with testosterone-17-hemisuccinate-equine serum albumin (treated bulls) or equine serum albumin alone (control bulls). At 12 months of age, eight treated and eight control bulls were electroejaculated twice daily for two days and then castrated. The remaining four bulls in each group were electroejaculated and castrated at 18 months of age. Active immunization against testosterone significantly elevated the binding of (3)H-testosterone in plasma within four weeks. Body weights of bulls were not affected by treatment. Concentrations of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) in plasma were generally not altered by treatment. At castration at 12 months of age, testosterone-immunized bulls tended to have greater (P < 0.15) parenchymal weights and had 30% greater (P < 0.07) daily sperm production (DSP) rates than control bulls; seminal characteristics (motility and intact acrosomes) were not affected. At 18 months of age, testosterone-immunized bulls had 21% greater (P < 0.07) parenchymal weights and 35% greater (P < 0.04) DSP rates than control bulls; again, seminal characteristics were not affected. It appears that prepubertal active immunization against testosterone is a potential means of increasing testicular size and sperm production rates in postpubertal bulls.     

Picosecond spectroscopy: applications in biochemistry. Part I: Techniques

A number of sources of picosecond optical pulses and the means by which they may be used to investigate fast molecular processes have been described. In addition, it should be pointed out that most of these techniques can be extended to take advantage of other properties of the laser pulses; in particular, the polarization is of use in measuring time-dependent antisotropy. The state of the art is now the generation of 30fs pulses; it seems likely that this is all the time resolution that one is likely to need for investigating biological and other molecular processes as at such short times the uncertainty principle leads to a considerable loss of spectral resolution.     

Seminal quality and sperm production in beef bulls with chronic dietary vitamin A deficiency and subsequent re-alimentation

Sixteen Hereford bulls (16 mo of age, 462 kg average body weight) were used in each of 2 yr to evaluate the effects of hypovitaminosis A on seminal quality and sperm production. Bulls were fed a high-concentrate diet with (+VIT) or without (-VIT) supplemental Vitamin A until the apparent onset of hypovitaminosis A (28 and 32 wk in Year 1 and 2, respectively). Half of the bulls on each treatment were then slaughtered and those remaining were re-alimented with Vitamin A. Plasma retinol concentration in -VIT bulls reached a nadir at approximately 25 wk. In Year 1, the proportion of progressively motile spermatozoa was lower in -VIT bulls after 17 wk but returned to that of the +VIT group after re-alimentation. The proportion of spermatozoa with primary morphological defects appeared to be greater in -VIT bulls compared to +VIT bulls by 26 and 24 wk in Year 1 and 2, respectively. The incidence of these defects declined in -VIT bulls upon re-alimentation, and approached the incidence observed in +VIT bulls by 8 to 12 wk of re-alimentation. Hypovitaminosis A decreased paired testes weight, daily sperm production, and epididymal sperm reserves but did not affect daily gain. Prolonged dietary Vitamin A deficiency impaired semen quality and sperm production in the absence of other clinical symptoms. However, under practical feeding conditions, diets that result in long-term, marginal Vitamin A deficiency or a relatively short-term absence of Vitamin A intake probably would have minimal effects on spermatogenesis.     

Early organogenesis of the embryonic chick thyroid. I. Morphology and biochemistry

Early organogenesis of the embryonic chick thyroid can be separated into five distinct phases. (1) A placode is first recognized at 48 hr in the midventral pharynx. Its cells are compact, undergo extensive blebbing, and possess apical microfilaments. (2) Vesicle formation coincides with the organization of the microfilaments into pronounced bundles with dense midbodies along their lengths. (3) The vesicle detaches from the pharynx, and as the lumen disappears the band of microfilaments dissipates. The primordium now consists of a loose mass of interior cells with a compact surface cell layer. (4) The primordium elongates laterally and divides to form the bilateral glands. (5) After division, mesenchymal and vascular invasion occur constructing the cords which will give rise to follicles. Thyroxine accumulation is first detected with the recognition of the primordium and increases logarithmically until the vesicle begins to detach from the pharynx. Accumulation of hormone then plateaus until invasion occurs and again increases until after hatching. DNA analyses describe a similar profile for cell numbers with a concomitant plateau. Thus, synthesis of thyroid hormones coincides with the appearance of the primordium, is restricted to the primordium, and describes a concerted profile similar to that found in the pancreas (Rutter et al., 1968).     

Aerosolized manganese SOD decreases hyperoxic pulmonary injury in primates. I.Physiology and biochemistry

Simonson, Steven G., Karen E. Welty-Wolf, Yuh-Chin T. Huang,David E. Taylor, Stephen P. Kantrow, Martha S. Carraway, James D. Crapo, and Claude A. Piantadosi. Aerosolizedmanganese SOD decreases hyperoxic pulmonary injury in primates. I. Physiology and biochemistry. J. Appl.Physiol. 83(2): 550-558, 1997.Prolonged hyperoxia causes lung injury andrespiratory failure secondary to oxidative tissue damage mediated, inpart, by the superoxide anion. We hypothesized that aerosol treatmentwith recombinant human manganese superoxide dismutase (rhMnSOD) wouldattenuate hyperoxic lung damage in primates. Adult baboons wereanesthetized and ventilated with 100% oxygen for 96 h or until death.Six animals were treated with aerosolized rhMnSOD (3 mg · kg¹ · day¹in divided doses), and six control animals did not receive enzyme therapy. Physiological variables were recorded every 12 h, and ventilation-perfusion ratio relationships were evaluated by using themultiple inert-gas elimination technique. After the experiments, surfactant composition and lung edema were measured. We found thatrhMnSOD significantly decreased pulmonary shunt fraction (P < 0.01) and preserved arterialoxygenation (P < 0.01) during hyperoxia. The rhMnSOD increased lung phospholipids,phosphatidylcholine and disaturated phosphatidylcholine, and decreasedlung edema in this model. Testing of higher and lower doses of MnSOD (1 and 10 mg · kg¹ · day¹)in two other groups of baboons produced variable physiological protection, suggesting a "window" of effective dosage. Weconclude that aerosolized MnSOD (3 mg · kg¹ · day¹)affords significant preservation of pulmonary gas exchange during hyperoxic lung injury.

     

Seminal inhibin--prospects for immunocontraception.

Passive immunization of adult rats, hamsters and marmosets with rabbit anti-seminal inhibin resulted in complete or partial block of fertility. The antiserum treatment presumably neutralized endogenous inhibin resulting in an unopposed rise in circulating FSH. This probably led to a refractoriness of the testes to FSH resulting in complete spermatogenic arrest. Nevertheless, there was no change in the mating behaviour of the animals. The antibodies also affected the epididymal spermatozoa by causing large scale agglutination.