Hormonal analysis and biomarkers of seminal plasma in sheep submitted to testicular insulation

• Grant number: 22/08431-0
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: November 01, 2023
• End date: October 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Reproduction
• Principal Investigator: Eunice Oba
• Grantee: Eunice Oba
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Fabiana Ferreira de Souza

Abstract

The Brazilian sheep industry has a reproductive management carried out mainly under naturalgrazing conditions, so, although the production of the species is considered well adapted to their respective regions and climatic characteristics, the identification of males with greaterresistance to heat stress can optimize the reproductive and management of breeding in tropical and subtropical areas, for which it is necessary to carry out more studies on the effect of heat stress in this species, as there are gaps mainly in the proteomics of the seminal plasma ofthese animals, such as different expression, or increased expression of some seminal plasmaprotein due to testicular heat stress. The objective of the project is to evaluate the effects of testicular degeneration induced by heat stress in sheep under the proteomics of seminalplasma and testicular alterations, in addition to studying testicular morphometric, as well asB-mode and Doppler thermographic and ultrasound. Twenty-four rams with an average age of12 months will be used, reproductively tested, and the experiment will be conducted at the"Laboratory of Biotechnology Studies Applied to Sheep and Goats Reproduction" of theDepartment of Veterinary Surgery and Animal Reproduction, FMVZ - UNESP, in themunicipality of Botucatu-SP. The 24 animals will be separated into groups of four animalseach. Six experimental groups will be formed; Eight animals will be in the control group (notinsulated) and 16 animals will be submitted to scrotal insulation (IF48: Insulated for 48 hours,fertile; IF72: insulated for 72 hours, fertile; II48: insulated for 48 hours, infertile; II72 hours, infertile; and eight animals will not be submitted to the scrotal insulation process (NIF: fertile not insulated and NII: infertile not insulated). After the insulation process, these animals will be tested weekly during the spermatogenesis period. Seminal evaluations of volume, appearance, motility and morphology of the sperm, as well as thermographic andultrasonographic evaluation of B-mode and Doppler of the testes. Before the insulationprocess, in the fourth and eleventh week after degeneration, they will be tested for theproteomics of the seminal plasma to evaluate the seminal protein profile of the animals. (AU)