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Reproductive hormones are essential to mating systems, behavior, fertility, gestation, parturition, and lactation in mammals and understanding the role of hormones in these processes is essential for species conservation. Sirenia is a unique order of marine mammals that include manatees, dugongs, and the extinct Steller's sea cow. Extant Sirenian species are all listed as vulnerable due to habitat loss, cold stress, boat strike trauma, harmful algal bloom toxicity, entanglements, and illegal hunting. Therefore, successful reproduction is essential to maintaining and increasing Sirenian populations. Understanding Sirenian reproductive behavior, endocrinology, and mating strategies will aid conservation and management efforts to protect and provide the proper conditions for successful reproduction. The objectives of this review were to synthesize the current knowledge regarding reproductive cycles and endocrinology of Sirenians and identify knowledge gaps for future investigation. The current literature on Sirenian reproductive physiology reports reproductive seasonality, sexual maturation, estrous cyclicity and acyclicity, pregnancy, and sex differences. However, there remain significant knowledge gaps on the cyclicity and pulsatile release of gonadotropins, maturation in females, and characterization of pregnancy hormone profiles throughout gestation. To date, there is no explanation for confirmed pattern for ovarian acyclicity, nor understanding of the function of the numerous accessory corpus luteum described in manatees. Research including a greater number of longitudinal and postmortem studies on a wider variety of wild manatee populations are important first steps. Taken together, understanding the reproductive endocrinology of these vulnerable and threatened species is critical for policy and management decisions to better inform protection initiatives., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Sperm characteristics, such as sperm morphology and sperm morphometry are important in assessing sperm quality. This is especially important for the management and conservation of endangered and exotic species, like the Florida manatee, where information of this nature is extremely limited. In this study, we fill this knowledge gap to better understand the reproductive physiology of Florida manatees by conducting the first extensive analysis of sperm morphometry and ultrastructure. Sperm were retrieved from the vas deferens of nine recently deceased Florida manatees. Computer-aided sperm morphology analysis (CASMA) was used for morphometric analysis and laser-scanning confocal microscopy and electron microscopy were used for structural and ultrastructural characterization. Our findings reveal new morphometric and structural data for the Florida manatee spermatozoon. Twelve morphometric features of Florida manatee sperm were quantified with some approximately 1.5-2 times larger than those previously reported. Ultrastructurally, the Florida manatee spermatozoon followed a mammalian structural pattern with an ovate-shaped head, midpiece containing 84-90 mitochondria, and a flagellum. However, unique ultrastructural features were identified. Distinct, rectangular-like enlargement of four outer dense fibers surrounding the axoneme was evident, which may provide additional tensile strength to counteract the forces on sperm transiting the female reproductive tract. Likewise, strong localization of F-actin fibers within the midpiece may function to maintain sperm integrity within the female reproductive tract. These findings highlight the potential effects of sexual selective pressures on sperm size and structure in the Florida manatee and provide avenues for research on the occurrence of sperm competition in this species., (© 2021 The Authors. The Anatomical Record published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Association for Anatomy.)

In species that copulate during non-conceptive periods, such as humans and bonobos, sexual intercourse is known to be pleasurable for females. Dolphins also copulate throughout the year, largely to establish and maintain social bonds 1 . In dolphins, the clitoris is positioned in the anterior aspect of the vaginal entrance 2 , where physical contact and stimulation during copulation is likely. Clitoral stimulation seems to be important during female-female sexual interactions in common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), which rub each other's clitorises using snouts, flippers, or flukes 3 . Determining a sexual pleasure response in animals not amenable to neurobehavioral examination is difficult, but investigation of the clitoris may elucidate evidence of functionality. In this study, we assessed macro- and micromorphological features of the clitoris in common bottlenose dolphins to examine functional features, including erectile bodies with lacunae, extensible collagen and/or elastin fibers, and the presence and location of sensory nerves. Our observations suggest the clitoris of dolphins has well-developed erectile spaces, is highly sensitive to tactile stimulation, and is likely functional. VIDEO ABSTRACT., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Limited information is available regarding male reproductive physiology in West Indian manatees ( Trichechus manatus ). Currently, only basic ultrastructural and morphometric descriptions of the spermatozoon exist; however, there are no reports evaluating any seminal characteristics in this species. Therefore, the aim of the study was to fill current gaps in knowledge regarding semen parameters in West Indian manatees by collecting and characterizing multiple ejaculate samples from a single, adult West Indian manatee. Samples were analyzed for the following semen parameters: volume, agglutination, pH, osmolality, viscosity, concentration, total sperm number, motility and kinematic parameters, morphology, plasma membrane integrity, acrosome integrity, chromatin maturation, and chromatin condensation. All macroscopic semen parameters varied to some extent between samples. Total and progressive motility was high for ejaculates 2 to 5, exceeding 97 and 89%, respectively; however, these parameters decreased dramatically throughout ejaculates 6 and 7. Across all samples, curvilinear velocity, straight-line velocity, and average pathway velocity represented the largest significant differences ( p < 0.001) between each of the progression velocity subgroups (rapid, medium, slow). Sperm characteristics, including acrosome integrity (79.8%), chromatin condensation (93.1%), and chromatin maturation (99.5%) were very high; however, high numbers of morphologically abnormal sperm were present (52.9%) and plasma membrane integrity was low (45.1%). These results are the first of their kind for this species and suggest high semen quality, based on multiple ejaculates, in this male West Indian manatee., (Copyright © 2020 Cowart, Collins, Mignucci-Giannoni, Alejandro-Zayas, Rivera-Guzman and Larkin.)

CASE DESCRIPTION A 20-year-old female south-central black rhinoceros ( Diceros bicornis minor ) was evaluated because of an acute onset of CNS deficits. CLINICAL FINDINGS The rhinoceros had no history of illness. Clinical signs included acute lethargy, ataxia, and decreased appetite. Hematologic abnormalities included leukocytosis with neutrophilia and a profound left shift. Results of serum biochemical analysis revealed hypophosphatemia but no other abnormalities. Results of a quantitative PCR assay for West Nile virus and an assay for anti- Neosporum caninum antibodies in serum were negative; the patient was seropositive for multiple Leptospira serovars. TREATMENT AND OUTCOME Antimicrobials and anti-inflammatory agents were administered, but the condition of the rhinoceros worsened overnight; despite treatment with additional anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial agents, IV fluids, and thiamine, it became obtunded and died of respiratory arrest ≤ 24 hours later. Necropsy revealed severe, diffuse, suppurative, and histiocytic meningo-encephalomyelitis involving the cerebrum, cerebellum, and spinal cord. Amebic trophozoites were observed on histologic examination of affected tissue. Infection with Naegleria fowleri was confirmed by results of immuno-histochemical analysis and a multiplex real-time PCR assay. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Findings suggested that south-central black rhinoceros are susceptible to the free-living ameba N fowleri . Ameba-induced meningoencephalomyelitis should be considered as a differential diagnosis for rhinoceros that have an acute onset of neurologic signs. Diagnosis of N fowleri infection in an animal has a profound public health impact because of potential human exposure from the environment and the high fatality rate in people with N fowleri infection.

Aim: Butyrate is a major gut microbiota-derived metabolite. Reduced butyrate-producing bacteria has been reported in the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR), a model of hypertension characterized by dysfunctional autonomic nervous system and gut dysbiosis. Here, we demonstrate a potential mechanism for butyrate in blood pressure regulation., Methods: High-performance liquid chromatography and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry were performed to measure butyrate levels in feces and serum. Ussing chamber determined butyrate transport in colon ex vivo. Real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry evaluated expression of butyrate transporter, Slc5a8, in the colon. Mean arterial blood pressure was measured in catheterized anesthetized rats before and after a single butyrate intracerebroventricular injection. Activity of cardioregulatory brain regions was determined by functional magnetic resonance imaging to derive neural effects of butyrate., Results: In the SHR, we demonstrated elevated butyrate levels in cecal content, but diminished butyrate levels in circulation, possibly due to reduced expression of Slc5a8 transporter in the colon. In addition, we observed lower expression levels of butyrate-sensing receptors in the hypothalamus of SHR, likely leading to the reduced effects of centrally administered butyrate on blood pressure in the SHR. Functional magnetic resonance imaging revealed reduced activation of cardioregulatory brain regions following central administration of butyrate in the SHR compared to control., Conclusion: We demonstrated a reduced availability of serum butyrate in the SHR, possibly due to diminished colonic absorption. Reduced expression of butyrate-sensing receptors in the SHR hypothalamus may explain the reduced central responsiveness to butyrate, indicating microbial butyrate may play a role in blood pressure regulation., (© 2019 Scandinavian Physiological Society. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)