ARS | Publication request: COMPARISON OF TESTICULAR AND EPIDIDYMAL SPERM CONTENT IN ANGUS, BRAHMAN, AND ROMOSINUANO BULLS

Submitted to: Journal of Animal Science
Publication Type: Abstract
Publication Acceptance Date: June 4, 2003
Publication Date: August 1, 2003
Citation: Koch, J.W., Tatman, S.R., Chase, C.C., Welsh, Jr., T.H., Randel, R.D. 2003. Comparison of testicular and epididymal sperm content in angus, brahman, and romosinuano bulls. Journal of Animal Science Vol. 81,(Suppl.2)P 13.

Technical Abstract: Excessive heat can be detrimental to spermatogenesis in bulls. The objective was to determine if testicular and epididymal sperm content and daily sperm production (DSP) of tropically-adapted Bos taurus (Romosinuano, R; n =10) is more similar to that of temperate Bos taurus (Angus, A; n = 7) or tropically-adapted Bos indicus (Brahman, B; n = 8) bulls. Sperm content was determined via microscopy in homogenates of testicular parenchyma and epididymal sections from each sexually mature bull. Romosinuano had greater (P < 0.01) testicular sperm content /g of parenchyma and DSP /g than A with B bulls being intermediate (sperm content /g, 73.8 vs 56.9 and 64.6 x one million, respectively; DSP/g, 13.9 vs 10.7 and 12.2 x one million, respectively). Brahman had greater (P < 0.001) testicular sperm content and DSP than R and A bulls which were similar (sperm content, 41.6 vs 28.5 and 20.6 x one billion, respectively; DSP, 7.8 vs 5.4 and 3.9 x one billion, respectively). Brahman bulls had greater (P < 0.01) total caput sperm content than R and A bulls which were similar (6.0 vs 3.7 and 3.4 x one billion, respectively). Brahman also had greater (P < 0.01) corpus sperm content/g than R but both breeds were greater (P < 0.01) than A bulls (650.9 vs 381.9 vs 179.6 x one million, respectively). Brahman had greater (P < 0.01) total corpus sperm content than R and A bulls (1662.3 vs 427.4 and 219.5 x one million, respectively). Romosinuano had greater (P < 0.01) cauda sperm content/g than B and A bulls (1915.3 vs 1307.9 and 852 x one million, respectively). Brahman and R had greater (P < 0.01) total cauda sperm content than A bulls (7.0 and 6.9 vs 2.8 x one billion, respectively). We conclude that testicular and epididymal sperm content and DSP of tropically-adapted Bos taurus bulls are more similar to tropically-adapted Bos indicus bulls than to temperate Bos taurus bulls raised in the subtropics. Key Words: Testis, Epididymis, Bulls