Epididymal Sperm Granuloma and Antisperm Antibodies in Donkeys.
Abstract: This study aimed to describe and compare semen parameters (pre-freeze and post-freezing) and antisperm antibodies (ASA) of donkeys with epididymal sperm granuloma and healthy controls. Feral donkeys (n = 10) castrated in a concurrent study were enrolled in the present experiment. Three donkeys had unilateral granulomas, two donkeys had bilateral granulomas, whereas the remaining five had grossly normal epididymides. The granulomas were either single or multiple, firm, well-circumscribed, tan to red, and 1-5 mm in size. Upon incision, abundant, thick, tan to white-yellow fluid was recovered. Histopathology revealed epithelioid macrophages, multinucleated giant cells, and abundant sperm cell fragments with mineralized cellular debris. Each epididymis was dissected, and semen harvested for cryopreservation. Semen was assessed for sperm motility parameters, plasma membrane integrity, and mitochondrial membrane potential. All donkeys had semen cryopreserved in a standard manner. In addition, post-thaw semen from all donkeys was assessed for ASA (IgG and IgA), acrosome integrity and morphology. Post-thaw, the progressive sperm motility and the percentage of sperm with an intact plasma membrane were reduced in donkeys with sperm granuloma (P = 0.04). There was no difference in total sperm motility, morphology, or damaged acrosome across groups (P > 0.05). Three donkeys with sperm granuloma (60%) displayed increased IgG and IgA ASA. In conclusion, sperm granulomas only marginally affected sperm quality and resulted in IgG ASA binding to sperm with damaged plasma membrane. It remains to be determined if sperm granuloma and ASA affect fertility in donkeys.
Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Inc.
Publication Date: 2021-03-23 PubMed ID: 33993945DOI: 10.1016/j.jevs.2021.103450Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
Summary
This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.
This paper studies the impact of epididymal sperm granuloma and antisperm antibodies (ASA) on donkey semen parameters. The researchers find that while sperm granulomas minimally affect semen quality, they lead to ASA binding with sperm that have a damaged plasma membrane. They have yet to determine if this affects donkey fertility.
Objective of the Study
- The research sought to examine and contrast the semen parameters, both before and after freezing, and ASA levels in donkeys that had epididymal sperm granulomas relative to healthy control subjects.
Methodology
- Ten feral donkeys, neutered in a parallel study, were chosen for the experiment. Of these, three had unilateral granulomas, two had bilateral granulomas, and the remaining five had normal epididymides.
- The granulomas were either singular or multiple, clearly defined, and ranged from 1-5mm in size. They were filled with plentiful, thick, yellow-white fluid.
- Upon dissection, each epididymis was subjected to semen extraction for the purposes of cryopreservation. The semen was then analyzed for sperm movability parameters, as well as for the integrity of plasma and mitochondrial membranes.
- In addition, after the thawing process, the semen from all donkeys was examined for ASA levels (IgG and IgA antibodies), acrosome integrity and morphology.
Findings
- Post-thaw results showed that the donkeys with sperm granulomas experienced a decrease in sperm motility and a reduction in the number of sperm with intact plasma membranes. However, this had no effect on the total sperm motility, morphology or the number of damaged acrosomes.
- Those donkeys with sperm granuloma showed increased IgG and IgA ASA levels.
Conclusion
- The research concluded that sperm granulomas only had a marginal impact on semen quality. They resulted in an increased likelihood of the IgG ASA binding to sperm which had damaged plasma membranes. However, it’s currently unknown whether sperm granulomas or ASA affect overall fertility in donkeys.
Cite This Article
APA
Podico G, Lago-Alvarez Y, Carossino M, Ferrer MS, Arnold CE, Canisso IF.
(2021).
Epididymal Sperm Granuloma and Antisperm Antibodies in Donkeys.
J Equine Vet Sci, 101, 103450.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2021.103450 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, Urbana IL.
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, Urbana IL.
- Louisiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory and Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA.
- Department of Large Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA.
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX.
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, Urbana IL. Electronic address: canisso@illinois.edu.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Epididymis
- Equidae
- Granuloma / veterinary
- Male
- Semen Analysis / veterinary
- Semen Preservation / veterinary
- Sperm Motility
- Spermatozoa
Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Podico G, Spencer KM, Magalhaes HB, Canisso IF. Semen Quality of the First and Second Ejaculates Collected from Breeding Inactive Stallions after Cooling and Freezing. Vet Sci 2023 Feb 21;10(3).
- Wang Z, Zeng S, Wang Y, Wang T, Qu H, Zhu Y, Li J. Reproductive Disorders in Donkeys: Current Evidence and Update. Animals (Basel) 2024 Aug 28;14(17).
Use Nutrition Calculator
Check if your horse's diet meets their nutrition requirements with our easy-to-use tool Check your horse's diet with our easy-to-use tool
Talk to a Nutritionist
Discuss your horse's feeding plan with our experts over a free phone consultation Discuss your horse's diet over a phone consultation
Submit Diet Evaluation
Get a customized feeding plan for your horse formulated by our equine nutritionists Get a custom feeding plan formulated by our nutritionists
