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The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of exogenous oxytocin and PGF2a on seminal quality and libido sexualis in bucks. To investigate the role of these hormones on male fertility, semen samples from 20 Norduz bucks (3-4 years of age) were collected with an artificial vagina twice a week with five replications in breeding season. Bucks were randomly assigned to five groups, control group was administered with 2 mL of sodium chloride, 0.9% (w/v)) i.m., whilst the experimental groups were administered with oxytocin 10 IU, i.v. (Group 1, n = 5), oxytocin 20 IU, i.v. (Group 2, n = 5), PGF2a 5 mg, i.m. (Group 3, n = 5) or PGF2a 10 mg, i.m. (Group 4, n = 5) 20 min before each collection. There was no statistical difference between the treatment groups in terms of motility (P>0.05). However, semen volume, concentration, abnormal spermatozoa rate, intact membrane rate and libido results were statistically significant among the different groups (P<0.05). As a result, administration of 20 IU oxytocin twenty minutes prior to semen collection in bucks did not improve overall semen quality, however, libido, semen volume, and sperm concentrations were increased. In contrast to oxytocin, PGF2a administration has led to a slight decrease in libido and has shown moderate effects on semen quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to compare the use and effectiveness of two different stains, one fixative solution and Motile Sperm Organelle Morphology Examination (MSOME) on morphological characteristics of spermatozoa in fresh dog semen samples from epididymis. After routine castration, cauda epididymides were collected from 20 dog testes. Morphological abnormalities were evaluated by using Hancock's buffered formol saline solution, the aniline blue stain, Diff-Quik stain and MSOME analysis in epididymal semen. Conventional semen analysies and MSOME were simultaneously performed on the same sample from each dog. Percentage of abnormal spermatozoa, head abnormality and acrosomal defects were significantly higher in samples with two different staining methods and one fixative solution than MSOME technique. It was concluded that the usage of the Aniline blue stain may be an efficient method for evaluating the sperm morphology of dog semen. Although no correlation was established amoung four different methods on sperm morphology assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) and oxytocin have been used to improve reproductive performance in many mammalian species, including humans. The aim of the present study was to determine their effects on sperm quality when extended stallion semen was enriched with PGF2α or oxytocin. In this study, 16 healthy adult stallions, each 15-22 years old, were used. Five ejaculates from each stallion were collected with an artificial vagina during breeding season. Thereafter, gel-free semen was divided into 7 aliquots and diluted with an INRA96 semen extender. The following different treatments were evaluated: 3 with only PGF2α (10, 20, and 40 µg/mL) and 3 with only oxytocin (2, 3, and 4 IU/mL). Sperm quality was evaluated before and after applying the different treatments. In vitro addition of oxytocin to semen did not show improvement in any of the sperm quality parameters measured. However, sperm supplementation with 40 µg of PGF2α caused a significant increase (P < 0.05) in diluted semen motility. We concluded that the addition of PGF2α to elder stallions' semen may help maintain sperm motility. Future research might assess the effects of PGF2α on fertility. Our results were based on in vitro evaluations, and thus further fertility trials are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]