Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-wq2xx Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-23T17:19:17.069Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Immunological castration temporarily reduces testis size and function without long-term effects on libido and sperm quality in boars

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 October 2016

D. W. Lugar ,
M. L. Rhoads ,
S. G. Clark-Deener ,
S. R. Callahan ,
A. K. Revercomb ,
K. J. Prusa  and
M. J. Estienne
D. W. Lugar
Affiliation:
Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
M. L. Rhoads
Affiliation:
Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
S. G. Clark-Deener
Affiliation:
Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
S. R. Callahan
Affiliation:
Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
A. K. Revercomb
Affiliation:
Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
K. J. Prusa
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
M. J. Estienne*
Affiliation:
Tidewater Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Virginia Tech, Suffolk, VA 23437, USA
*
†E-mail: mestienn@vt.edu
Get access

Abstract

The objective was to determine the effects of immunization against gonadotropin-releasing hormone on reproductive characteristics in boars. A total of 72 boars were used in a randomized design with three treatments: single immunization (SI) (10 weeks of age) or double immunization (DI) (10 and 15 weeks of age) with Improvest® and intact controls (no Improvest®; CNT) (n=24/group). At 10, 15, 20, 25 and 40 weeks of age, blood was collected and serum harvested to evaluate testosterone concentrations. Testosterone concentrations were less for DI boars compared with CNT boars and SI boars at 20 and 25 weeks (P<0.001), but not at 40 weeks of age. At week 25, 18 pigs (n=6/group) were sacrificed and testes were removed, weighed and measured, and seminiferous tubules were examined and scored using histological slides of testes parenchyma. A sample of neck fat was assessed for boar taint aroma. All testicular measurements and weights and seminiferous tubule scores were less for DI boars compared with SI and CNT boars (P<0.001). More (P<0.05) SI and CNT boars had detectable boar taint aroma than DI boars. Libido was assessed at 32, 36, 47, 60 and 63 weeks of age and semen collected at 60 weeks of age was analyzed for indicators of quality. There were no effects of treatment (P=0.41) or treatment by week (P=0.71) on libido. Semen volume, gel weight and total number of sperm cells, determined in a subset of boars (n=3/treatment), were not different among treatments. Sperm concentration was greater for DI than SI (P=0.01), and tended to be greater for DI compared with CNT (P=0.10). Sperm motility tended to be greater for DI boars compared with CNT boars (P=0.066). In conclusion, our results show that there are no long-term effects of immunocastration on reproductive characteristics in boars.

Keywords

boarimmunocastrationlibidosemen
Type
Research Article
Information
animal , Volume 11 , Issue 4 , April 2017 , pp. 643 - 649
Copyright
© The Animal Consortium 2016 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bilskis, R, Sutkeviciene, N, Riskeviciene, V, Januskauskas, A and Zilinskas, H 2012. Effect of active immunization against GnRH on testosterone concentration, libido, and sperm quality in mature AI boars. Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 54, 33.Google Scholar
Bonneau, M, Dufour, R, Chouvet, C, Roulet, C, Meadus, W and Squires, EJ 1994. The effects of immunization against luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone on performance, sexual development, and levels of boar taint-related compounds in intact male pigs. Journal of Animal Science 72, 14–20.Google Scholar
Dunshea, FR, Colantoni, C, Howard, K, McCauley, I, Jackson, P, Long, KA, Lopaticki, S, Nugent, EA, Simons, JA, Walker, J and Hennessy, DP 2001. Vaccination of boars with a GnRH vaccine (Improvac) eliminates boar taint and increases growth performance. Journal of Animal Science 79, 2524–2535.Google Scholar
Einarsson, S, Andersson, K, Wallgren, M, Lundstrom, K and Rodriguez-Martinez, H 2009. Short- and long-term effects of immunization against gonadotropin-releasing hormone, using Improvac, on sexual maturity, reproductive organs, and sperm morphology in male pigs. Theriogenology 71, 302–310.Google Scholar
Estienne, MJ, Harper, AF, Knight, JW, Barb, CR and Rampacek, GB 2004. Sexual behavior after treatment with prostaglandin-F2α in boars with suppressed concentrations of gonadal steroids. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 89, 53–57.Google Scholar
Fabrega, E, Velarde, A, Cros, J, Gispert, M, Suarez, P, Tibau, J and Soler, J 2010. Effect of vaccination against gonadotropin-releasing hormone, using Improvac, on growth performance, body composition, behaviour, and acute phase proteins. Livestock Science 132, 53–59.Google Scholar
Falvo, RE, Chandrashekar, V, Arthur, RD, Kuenstler, AR, Hasson, T, Awoniyi, C and Schanbacher, BD 1986. Effect of active immunization against LHRH or LH in boars: reproductive consequences and performance traits. Journal of Animal Science 63, 986–994.Google Scholar
Jaros, P, Burgi, E, Stark, KDC, Claus, R, Hennessy, D and Thun, R 2005. Effect of active immunization against GnRH on androstenone concentration, growth performance and carcass quality in intact male pigs. Livestock Science 92, 31–38.Google Scholar
Kozink, DM, Estienne, MJ, Harper, AF and Knight, JW 2002. The effect of lutalyse on the training of sexually inexperienced boars for semen collection. Theriogenology 58, 1039–1045.Google Scholar
Kubale, V, Batorek, N, Skrlep, M, Prunier, A, Bonneau, M, Fazarinc, G and Candek-Potokar, M 2013. Steroid hormones, boar taint compounds, and reproductive organs in pigs according to the delay between immunocastration and slaughter. Theriogenology 79, 69–80.Google Scholar
Lealiifano, AK, Pluske, JR, Nicholls, RR, Dunshea, FR, Campbell, RG, Hennessy, DP, Miller, DW, Hansen, CF and Mullan, BP 2011. Reducing the length of time between slaughter and the secondary gonadotropin-releasing factor immunization improves growth performance and clears boar taint compounds in male finishing pigs. Journal of Animal Science 89, 2782–2792.Google Scholar
McGlone, JJ, Nicholson, RI, Hellman, JM and Herzog, DN 1993. The development of pain in young pigs associated with castration and attempts to prevent castration-induced behavioral changes. Journal of Animal Science 71, 1441–1446.Google Scholar
Moya, SL, Boyle, LA, Lynch, PB and Arkins, S 2008. Effect of surgical castration on the behavioural and acute phase responses of 5-day-old piglets. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 111, 133–145.Google Scholar
National Research Council (NRC) 2012. Nutrient requirements of swine, 11th edition. The National Academies Press, Washington, DC, USA.Google Scholar
Oliver, WT, McCauley, I, Harrell, RJ, Suster, D, Kerton, DJ and Dunshea, FR 2003. A gonadotropin-releasing factor vaccine (Improvac) and porcine somatotropin have synergistic and additive effects on growth performance in group-housed boars and gilts. Journal of Animal Science 81, 1959–1966.Google Scholar
Prunier, A, Mounier, AM and Hay, M 2005. Effects of castration, tooth resection, or tail docking on plasma metabolites and stress hormones in young pigs. Journal of Animal Science 83, 216–222.Google Scholar
Rikard-Bell, C, Curtis, MA, van Barneveld, RJ, Mullan, BP, Edwards, AC, Gannon, NJ, Henman, DJ, Hughes, PE and Dunshea, FR 2009. Ractopamine hydrochloride improves growth performance and carcass composition in immunocastrated boars, intact boars, and gilts. Journal of Animal Science 87, 3536–3543.Google Scholar
Rydhmer, L, Lundstrom, K and Andersson, K 2010. Immunocastration reduces aggressive and sexual behaviour in male pigs. Animal 4, 965–972.Google Scholar
Squires, EJ and Schenkel, FS 2010. Managing boar taint: focus on genetic markers. Proceedings of 10th London Swine Conference, 31 March–1 April 2010, London, Ontario, Canada, pp. 99–102.Google Scholar
Turkstra, JA, Zeng, Xy, van Diepen, JThM, Jongbloed, AW, Oonk, HB, van de Wiel, DFM and Meloen, RH 2002. Performance of male pigs immunized against GnRH is related to the time of onset of biological response. Journal of Animal Science 80, 2953–2959.Google Scholar
Wicks, N, Crouch, S and Pearl, CA 2013. Effects of Improvac and Bopriva on the testicular function of boars ten weeks after immunization. Animal Reproduction Science 142, 149–159.Google Scholar
Xue, JL and Dial, GD 1997. Raising intact male pigs for meat: detecting and preventing boar taint. Swine Health and Production 5, 151–158.Google Scholar
Yoshida, A, Miura, K and Shirai, M 1997. Evaluation of seminiferous tubule scores obtained through testicular biopsy examinations of nonobstructive azoospermic men. Fertility and Sterility 68, 514–518.Google Scholar
Zamaratskaia, G, Rydhmer, L, Andersson, HK, Chen, G, Lowagie, S, Andersson, K and Lundstrom, K 2008. Long-term effect of vaccination against gonadotropin-releasing hormone, using Improvac, on hormonal profile and behavior of male pigs. Animal Reproduction Science 108, 37–48.Google Scholar
Zamaratskaia, G and Squires, EJ 2009. Biochemical, nutritional, and genetic effects on boar taint in entire male pigs. Animal 3, 1508–1521.Google Scholar
Zeng, XY, Turkstra, JA, Jongbloed, AW, van Diepen, JThM, Meloen, RH, Oonk, HB, Guo, DZ and van de Wiel, DFM 2002. Performance and hormone levels of immunocastrated, surgically castrated and intact male pigs fed ad libitum high- and low-energy diets. Livestock Production Science 77, 1–11.Google Scholar