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Declining semen quality and steadying seminal plasma ions in heat-stressed boar model

  • Original Article
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Reproductive Medicine and Biology

Abstract

Purpose

There are increasing concerns about infertility of male exposure to high environmental temperatures. Nevertheless, the relationship between heat and accessory sex gland secretion underlying the high ambient temperature-induced poor semen quality has not yet been addressed.

Methods

In the present study, five boars were used as an animal model to evaluate semen quality and the secretory function of accessory sex glands. After the boars received 3 days of heat exposure, semen collection was standardized to 18 continual times with a 3-day interval to determine the semen variables of semen volume, semen concentration, abnormal spermatozoa, seminal plasma composition, and testosterone level in the seminal plasma and serum.

Results

The total sperm count was lowest by the end of week 2. The higher abnormal spermatozoa percentage were observed by the end of week 2 and persisted until week 6 after heat exposure. Additionally, there was no significant change in semen volume, testosterone level, and concentrations of ions and total protein in the seminal plasma before and after heat exposure.

Conclusions

A single 3-day heat exposure caused poor semen quality, but did not disturb accessory sex gland secretion in boars. Declining semen quality might be mainly due to the damaged germ cells, which were sensitive to elevated temperature in hot summer months.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported in part by the National Nature Science Foundation of China (No. 31272485 and No. 31402116), Qing Lan Project.

Conflict of interest

Yansen Li, Aihua Wang, Kazuyoshi Taya, and ChunMei Li declare that they have no competing interests.

Human rights

This article does not contain any studies with human subjects performed by any of the authors.

Animal studies

All institutional and national guidelines for the care and use of laboratory animals were followed.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1 Weigang Road, Nanjing, 210095, People’s Republic of China

    Yansen Li & ChunMei Li

  2. Laboratory of Semen Quality Test, Rudong Livestock Improvement Station, Nantong, 226000, People’s Republic of China

    Aihua Wang

  3. Laboratory of Veterinary Physiology, Cooperative Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, Japan

    Kazuyoshi Taya

  4. Department of Basic Veterinary Science, The United Graduate School of Veterinary Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan

    Kazuyoshi Taya

Authors
  1. Yansen Li
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  2. Aihua Wang
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  3. Kazuyoshi Taya
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  4. ChunMei Li
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to ChunMei Li.

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Li, Y., Wang, A., Taya, K. et al. Declining semen quality and steadying seminal plasma ions in heat-stressed boar model. Reprod Med Biol 14, 171–177 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12522-015-0205-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12522-015-0205-9

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