Testicular histological features and sperm quality in healthy dogs of different body weight

Abstract

The aim of this study was to define the histological structure oftesticular parenchyma in healthy mongrel dogs and the relationshipsbetween the seminal quality and the microscopic testicular findings.Two groups were performed: group 1 (n=10), dogs weighting<10 kgand group 2 (n=8), males weighting between 10 and 25 kg. Semenwas collected and seminal quality was evaluated (please, add brieflyseminal parameters evaluated). Then, males were orchidectomized andtestes were processed, assessing different histological parameters:number of seminiferous tubules, seminiferous tubule diameter andnumber of Sertoli and Leydig cells by seminiferous tubule. Resultsshowed that the semen volume (2nd fraction) and the total number ofspermatozoa were higher (p<0.01) in group 2 (0.7 vs. 1.9 ml and376.19106vs. 981.29106spermatozoa, dogs<10 kg and dogs10–25 kg, respectively); however, it did not find any significantdifferences in the other of seminal parameters between groups. Inaddition, the number of seminiferous tubules, with or withoutspermatozoa, and the number of Sertoli and Leydig cells weresignificantly higher in group 1. By contrast, the seminiferous tubulesdiameter was higher in group 2 (276.5 vs. 306.7lm, group 1 vs. group2, p<0.05). This study confirmed that the dog weight has a directrelationship with the testicular parenchyma structure and, therefore,with the sperm production