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Studies on camel semen. I. Electroejaculation and some aspects of semen characteristics
Animal Reproduction Science, 12 (1986) 213-222
213
Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., Amsterdam - - Printed in The Netherlands
S t u d i e s on C a m e l S e m e n I. E l e c t r o e j a c u l a t i o n a n d S o m e A s p e c t s o f S e m e n Characteristics M.D. TINGARI 1., M.M. EL-MANNA 2, A.T.A. RAHIM s, A.K. AHMED 1and M.H. HAMAD 2
1Department of Anatomy, 2Department of Physiology and Biochemistry and 3Department of Surgery, Obstetrics, Gynaecologyand A.I., College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Resources, King Faisal University, P.O. Box 1757, AI-Ahsa 31982 (Saudi Arabia) *Present address: Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Khartoum, P.O. Box 32, Khartoum North (Sudan) (Accepted 25 March 1986)
ABSTRACT Tingari, M.D., El-Manna, M.M., Rahim, A.T.A., Ahmed, A.K. and Hamad, M.H., 1986. Studies on camel semen. I. Electroejaculation and some aspects of semen characteristics. Anita. Reprod. Sci., 12."213-222. A method for collection of camel semen by electroejaculation has: been described f o r the first time. The volume of the ejaculates obtained was slightly lower than that obtained using an artificial vagina. The sperm count was considerably higher, but other parameters including pH, percentage of live sperm and sperm dimensions were comparable to: those of ejaculates Collected by the artificial vagina. The camel spermatozoon is generally'smaller than those of 5ther animals. The head is somewhat elliptical in shape and slightly tapering at the base. Mean sperm~dimensions for the head, middle piece and tail in pm were 5,5, 6,9 and 35.6 respectively; total sPerm length was 48.0/~m, ~ ~ .... .
INTRODUCTION
?
Rutting male camels turn vicious and ~become unmanageable (Leonard, 1894). Various behaviourat manifestations are observedand the animals could cause serious injury unless gently and carefully approache:d. Collection of semen by the use of an artificial vagina, such a s that described b y Abdel-Raouf and E1-Naggar (1964) could be hazardous,and an electroejaculation procedure is here described as a safer alternative. A. study ~ofthe biophysical properties of these ejaculates and sperm morphology was also undertaken. :
0378-4320/86/$03.50
© 1986 Elsevier Science Publishers B.V.
214
"
Fig. 1. Temporary rope halter is in position. A half hitch is passed around the flexed forelegs. Hindlegs are also restrained, with the flexed hocks secured closelytogether. MATERIALS AND METHODS Semen was collected during the rutting season (see Tingari et al., 1984) from 50 camels (Camelus dromedarius) which were presented for ante-mortern examination a t A1,Hassa municipal slaughterhouse. In addition, weekly collections were made from a group of four camels held in enclosures at the University F a r m and fed on barley and sCraw. The animals were in good condition and apparently healthy, and had no contact with females.
Method of restraint and preparation of the animals The animal was gently approached and a temporary rope halter was made in accordance with the description p r e s e n t e d by L e a h y and Barrow (1953). This involved looping a rope around the neck and applying a bowline knot which was tightly secured at the throat so that the nose piece would not draw down (Fig, 1 ). A bight was then made in the standing part of the rope and passed through a loop and over the camel's nose. T h e nose piece was pulled lightly when the halter was in use. The animal was then under partial control, and b y tapping gently on its forelegs it would come down to a sitting position.
215
Fig. 2. A half hitch is passed around the flexed forelegs.
A half hitch was formed on a separate rope, passed around the flexed forelegs and secured in position by a bowline knot ( Figs. 1, 2). The free part of the rope was then thrown over the camel's neck and the same procedure was repeated for the other leg. Restraint of the hindlegs involved the use of a loop of rope thrown around the pastern from back to front and applying a slip knot. The same rope was passed around the camel's back, just behind the hump, looped around the other pastern, and tied by a bowline k n o t (Fig. 1 ). Another rope was passed around each of the flexed hocks which were then secured closely together by a slip k n o t (Fig. 1). It was important to place a cotton pad to act as a cushion under t h e r o p e s passing over the neck and back. T h e animal now was under full control. F a e c a l material was removed from the terminal part of the rectum which was then rinsed with normal saline. The anal orifice was lubricated with K-YJelly ( J o h n s o n J o h n s o n ) in preparation for the insertion.oft.he probe and mild electrical stimulation. T h e animal responded immediately to t h a t b y fallingto a lateral recumbent position (Figs. 3, 4). The head and neck were then firmly secured on the ground by at least two or three attendants. It was again important to provide a cotton p a d or other soft material under the head and for protection of the eyes.
216
Fig. 3. Probe inserted into rectum and a mild stimulus given.
Fig. 4. The animal responded to mild stimulation by falling to a lateral recumbent position. The head and neck are firmly secured by attendants.
217
Fig. 5. A rope thrown around the thighs (arrow) with attendants pulling at free ends. External genitalia are exposed ( double arrow). Restraint was completed b y throwing a rope around the thighs just behind the knees and pulling at the free ends by about four attendants (Fig. 5). The genital region was now exposed. It was cleaned using water and saline, and then dried.
Electroejaculation A 12-volt.bull ejaculator (Alfred Cox Surgical Ltd. ) was used. This consisted of two main parts, a rectal probe and a switch box connected to a 12-volt car battery. T h e probe was lubricated and the entire length was inserted into the rectum. Application of the electrical stimuli consisted of turning on the switch control slowly clockwise, slowly anticlockwise to 4.5 or even 6. This resulted in a slow steady rise from 0 voltage to initial peak voltage over a period of 1 min. Peak voltage was determined by the physical response of the animal showing violent muscular contractions; utmost care was needed to keep it under control. The current was maintained at this peak for about 10 s and then returned gradually to zero. Following that erection was achieved although it was not always appreciable, and protrusion of the penis was only occasionally observed. The stimulus was repeated as soon as possible, and within 5 min the first eja-
218
culate was obtained. Further stimulation resulted in more ejaculates, and up to five have been made over a period of 15 min. Expulsion of semen was aided by massage of the penis. When repeated attempts to collect semen by electroejaculation were unsuccessful, manual massage of the pelvic genitalia was applied. The prostategland, the ampulla ductus deferentis and pelvic urethra were stroked repeatedly. Intervals of rest were given with sufficient amounts of semen being collected from the tip of the slightly protruded but flaccid penis or from the prepuce. The ejaculated semen was received in a graduated centrifuge tube via a funnel, preferably plastic.
Semen analysis The volume of a whole electroejaculate from a given male was measured in a graduated centrifuge tube to the nearest 0.1 ml. Colour and consistency were assessed by direct visual examination, and abnormal change in colour or deposits were recorded: The consistency was graded as very thick creamy, thick creamy, thin creamy, thin milky, cloudy, less cloudly and clear. The viscosity was also noted. The reaction was measured with pH paper in the range of 6-9 and at 0.5 grade intervals. Mass motility of spermatozoa was assessed in a small drop of semen placed on an ordinary glass slide and examined under low power in the light microscope. A rating of 0-5 was given according to the intensity of the swirling bands (Moule, 1965). Individual motility was studied in semen diluted with one or two drops of citrate buffer (pH 6.9). A drop of the diluted semen was examined under a cover slip using high power magnification: The percentage of individual spermatozoa displaying progressive motility across the field was estimated; grading was expressed directly as 0-10 (Zemjanis, 1969). The concentration of spermatozoa per mm a of semen was determined by direct cell count on the improved Neubaur haemocytometer; a 1 : 200 dilution with formal saline was made in a standard red blood cell dilution pipette. The proportion of live to dead spermatozoa in each ejaculate was recorded by using nigrosin-eosin vital stain freshly prepared (Campbell et al., 1965). The percentage Df spermatozoa considered as dead was calculated from 200 cells, each 100 from a different field on the slide. The same slide was used to study the morphology and to determine the incidence of normal and abnormal spermatozoa. The number of morphologically atypical spermatozoa was determined under high power magnification from a total of 100 cells. The types of abnormalities were classified and recorded (Zemjanis, 1962). Sperm dimensions were measured with the aid of a calibrated eyepiece.
219 TABLE 1 Ejaculates obtained from farm animals Animal no.
No. of collections
Volume of ejaculate (ml)
Mean vol. of ejaculate (ml) Mean ± s.e.
1 2 3 4
10 12 6 8
2.1-9.0 1.0-8.3 1.2-5.5 1.0-6.0
5.0±2.3 4.2!1.9 3.2!1.5 2.7±1.6
Total mean
3.7
RESULTS T h e v o l u m e o f e j a c u l a t e s collected f r o m t h e s l a u g h t e r h o u s e a n i m a l s w a s in t h e r a n g e o f 1 - 9 m l w i t h a m e a n o f 4.0 _+2.1. D e t a i l s o f e j a c u l a t e s f r o m t h e f a r m a n i m a l s a r e g i v e n in T a b l e 1 w i t h t h e r a n g e o f t h e v o l u m e o b t a i n e d , m e a n a n d s t a n d a r d e r r o r (s.e.) for e a c h m a l e . A s u m m a r y o f t h e a n a l y s e s o f t h e l a t t e r e j a c u l a t e s is p r e s e n t e d in T a b l e 2. T h e p r e d o m i n a n t colour o f t h e e j a c u l a t e w a s w h i t e c r e a m y a l t h o u g h w h i t i s h g r e y w a s o c c a s i o n a l l y o b s e r v e d . D e g r e e o f v i s c o s i t y w a s a s u b j e c t of i n d i v i d u a l v a r i a t i o n , r a n g i n g f r o m t h i n t o t h i c k . T h e m a s s m o t i l i t y w a s classified as p o o r p r o g r e s s i v e . N o r m a l s p e r m a t o z o a c o n s t i t u t e d a m e a n v a l u e o f 84%. B e n t tails a n d loose h e a d s w e r e t h e p r e d o m i n a n t a b n o r m a l i t i e s o b s e r v e d t h r o u g h o u t t h i s i n v e s t i g a t i o n (Fig. 6 ) .
Morphological features of the spermatozoa L i k e t h o s e o f t h e m a j o r i t y o f a n i m a l species, t h e m a t u r e s p e r m a t o z o o n c o n sists of a h e a d , m i d d l e - p i e c e a n d tail ( Fig. 6 ) . T h e h e a d is s o m e w h a t elliptical TABLE2 Biophysical characters of semen Semen character Ejaculate volume pH Mass motility Individual motility Sperm count Live sperm Normal sperm
(ml) (0- 5) (0-10) ( X 106/ram3) (%) (%)
Mean value
Range
3.8 7.8 1.8 3.7 0.8 43 84
2.3 - 6.4 7.6 - 8.0 1.0 - 2.6 2.50- 5.25 0.4 - 1.3 25 -66 60 -92
220
Fig. 6. Sper,natozoa in ejaculated camel semen. The elliptical head is largely covered by the acros0mal cap. One spermatozoon shows a coiled tail and another a cytoplasmic droplet. Nigrosineosin stain. × 1000.
in shape and slightly tapering at the base. The acrosomal cap is closely applied to its apical half. The dimensions are given in Table 3. A cytoplasmic droplet is commonly present (Fig. 6). DISCUSSION
The results demonstrated that electroejaculation is an effective and safe method for collection of semen from t h e camel. The maximum volume of ejaculate of 9 ml obtained in this study is much lower t h a n that reported by AbdelRaouf and E1-Naggar (1978) using an artificial vagina; they claimed values as high as 12.6 ml. This is rather puzzling since it was shown also that semen samples collected from the bull by electroejaculation are usually of larger volTABLE 3 Sperm dimensions (~um) mean+ s.e.m. Head
Acrosome
length
width
length
5.53-0.4
3.6+__0.5 2.2+0.1
Middle -piece
Tail
length
width
length
width
length
6.93-1.0
!.0-0.3
35.6+1.7
0.7+0.1
48,0+ 1.0
Total
221 TABLE 4 Comparative characters of ejaculates Character
Ejaculate volume (ml) range mean pH Sperm nos. )< 106/ram 3 (mean) Live sperm ( % ) mean Normal sperm ( % ) Sperm dimensions (ttm) head acrosome middle-piece tail total length
Abdel-Raouf and E1-Naggar (1978)
Present authors
4.3-12.6 8.5 8.6 0.4 55
1.0-9.0 3,9 7.8 0.8 43 84
5.6 2.4 7.3 34.2 47.2
5.5 2.2 6.9 35.6 48.0
ume than samples obtained with the artificial vagina (Foote, 1974 ). Moreover, it is generally accepted that electroejaculation often yields ejaculates which are far more voluminous than those collected by means of the artificial vagina (Mann, 1964). Although the present study offers no explanation for the relatively smaller volume of ejaculate reported herein, it should be noted that ejaculate volumes vary widely among individuals of the same species (Mann, 1964). A comparison of some of the characters included in this study with those reported by Abdel-Raouf and Ei-Naggar (1965, 1978) is given in Table 4. The sperm density in semen collected by electroejaculation is almost double that collected by the artificial vagina as reported by Abdel-Raouf and E1-Naggar (1978). This is well in accord with earlier findings which confirmed that the total sperm count of an electroejaculate far exceeds values of bull semen collected by means of an artificial vagina (Mann, 1964; Foote, 1974). As indicated by Abdel-Raouf and E1-Naggar (1965), the shape of the head of camel spermatozoa is elliptical and thus differs from the general ovoid shape characteristic of spermatozoa of Artiodactyla. The dimensions of the spermatozoa noted in the present study compare well with those reported by AbdelRaouf and E1-Naggar (1965). These authors compared the dimensions of the camel spermatozoa with those of spermatozoa of other species. With the exception of that of the boar, the camel spermatozoon is smaller than those of other domestic animals including bull, buffalo, ram, ass and stallion. Lengths of head and middle piece of the camel spermatozoon are shorter than those of other animals while its tail is longer than that of boar and stallion spermatozoa and shorter than all others.
222 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS T h i s work was s u p p o r t e d b y a g r a n t AR-2-10, Saudi A r a b i a n N a t i o n a l C e n t r e for Science a n d T e c h n o l o g y ( S A N C S T ) . W e are grateful t o Dr. A.S. R a m o s a n d Dr. A.A. A l y for t h e i r initial h e l p , to A.H. S a a d a n d K. E 1 - J o u f for t e c h n i c a l a s s i s t a n c e a n d M.A.O. T i n a y for p h o t o g r a p h y .
REFERENCES Abdel-Raouf, M. and EI-Naggar, M.A., 1964. Studies on reproduction in camels (Camelus dromedarius). I. Mating technique and collection of semen. J. Vet. Sci. UAR, 1: 113-119. Abdel-Raouf, M. and E1-Naggar, M.A., 1965. Studies on reproduction in camels (Camelus dromedarius). II. The morphology of the camel spermatozoa. J. Vet. Sci. UAR, 2: 1-11. Abdel-Raouf, M. and E1-Naggar, M.A., 1978. Studies on reproduction in camels (Camelus dromedarius). VI. Properties and constituents of ejaculated semen. VIIIth International Congress on Animal Reproduction and Artificial Insemination, Cracow. Campbell, R.C., Dott, H.M. and Glover, T.D., 1965. Nigrosin-eosin as a stain for differentiating live and dead spermatozoa. J. Agric. Sci., 48: 1-8. Foote, R.H., 1974. Artificial insemination. In: E.S.E. Hafez (Editor), Reproduction in Farm Animals, 3rd edn. Lea and Febiger, Philadelphia, PA, pp. 409-431. Leahy, J.R. and Barrow, P., 1953. Restraint of Animals. 2nd edn. Cornell Campus Store, Ithaca, NY, 269 pp. Leonard, A.G., 1894. The Camel. Longmans Green, London. Mann, T., 1964. The Biochemistry of Semen and of the Male Reproductive Tract. Methuen, London, 493 pp. Moule, K., 1965. Field Investigation with Sheep, a Manual of Techniques. Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organization, Australia. Tingari, M.D., Ramos, A.S., Gaili, E.S.E., Rahma, B.A. and Saad, A.H., 1984. Morphology of the testis of the one-humped camel in relation to reproductive activity. J. Anat., 139: 133-143. Zemjanis, R., 1962. Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques in Animal Production. Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore, MD. Zemjanis, R., 1969. Semen examination. In: W. Modway, J.E. Prier and J.S. Wilkinson (Editors), Textbook of Veterinary Clinical Pathology. Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore, MD.
213
Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., Amsterdam - - Printed in The Netherlands
S t u d i e s on C a m e l S e m e n I. E l e c t r o e j a c u l a t i o n a n d S o m e A s p e c t s o f S e m e n Characteristics M.D. TINGARI 1., M.M. EL-MANNA 2, A.T.A. RAHIM s, A.K. AHMED 1and M.H. HAMAD 2
1Department of Anatomy, 2Department of Physiology and Biochemistry and 3Department of Surgery, Obstetrics, Gynaecologyand A.I., College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Resources, King Faisal University, P.O. Box 1757, AI-Ahsa 31982 (Saudi Arabia) *Present address: Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Khartoum, P.O. Box 32, Khartoum North (Sudan) (Accepted 25 March 1986)
ABSTRACT Tingari, M.D., El-Manna, M.M., Rahim, A.T.A., Ahmed, A.K. and Hamad, M.H., 1986. Studies on camel semen. I. Electroejaculation and some aspects of semen characteristics. Anita. Reprod. Sci., 12."213-222. A method for collection of camel semen by electroejaculation has: been described f o r the first time. The volume of the ejaculates obtained was slightly lower than that obtained using an artificial vagina. The sperm count was considerably higher, but other parameters including pH, percentage of live sperm and sperm dimensions were comparable to: those of ejaculates Collected by the artificial vagina. The camel spermatozoon is generally'smaller than those of 5ther animals. The head is somewhat elliptical in shape and slightly tapering at the base. Mean sperm~dimensions for the head, middle piece and tail in pm were 5,5, 6,9 and 35.6 respectively; total sPerm length was 48.0/~m, ~ ~ .... .
INTRODUCTION
?
Rutting male camels turn vicious and ~become unmanageable (Leonard, 1894). Various behaviourat manifestations are observedand the animals could cause serious injury unless gently and carefully approache:d. Collection of semen by the use of an artificial vagina, such a s that described b y Abdel-Raouf and E1-Naggar (1964) could be hazardous,and an electroejaculation procedure is here described as a safer alternative. A. study ~ofthe biophysical properties of these ejaculates and sperm morphology was also undertaken. :
0378-4320/86/$03.50
© 1986 Elsevier Science Publishers B.V.
214
"
Fig. 1. Temporary rope halter is in position. A half hitch is passed around the flexed forelegs. Hindlegs are also restrained, with the flexed hocks secured closelytogether. MATERIALS AND METHODS Semen was collected during the rutting season (see Tingari et al., 1984) from 50 camels (Camelus dromedarius) which were presented for ante-mortern examination a t A1,Hassa municipal slaughterhouse. In addition, weekly collections were made from a group of four camels held in enclosures at the University F a r m and fed on barley and sCraw. The animals were in good condition and apparently healthy, and had no contact with females.
Method of restraint and preparation of the animals The animal was gently approached and a temporary rope halter was made in accordance with the description p r e s e n t e d by L e a h y and Barrow (1953). This involved looping a rope around the neck and applying a bowline knot which was tightly secured at the throat so that the nose piece would not draw down (Fig, 1 ). A bight was then made in the standing part of the rope and passed through a loop and over the camel's nose. T h e nose piece was pulled lightly when the halter was in use. The animal was then under partial control, and b y tapping gently on its forelegs it would come down to a sitting position.
215
Fig. 2. A half hitch is passed around the flexed forelegs.
A half hitch was formed on a separate rope, passed around the flexed forelegs and secured in position by a bowline knot ( Figs. 1, 2). The free part of the rope was then thrown over the camel's neck and the same procedure was repeated for the other leg. Restraint of the hindlegs involved the use of a loop of rope thrown around the pastern from back to front and applying a slip knot. The same rope was passed around the camel's back, just behind the hump, looped around the other pastern, and tied by a bowline k n o t (Fig. 1 ). Another rope was passed around each of the flexed hocks which were then secured closely together by a slip k n o t (Fig. 1). It was important to place a cotton pad to act as a cushion under t h e r o p e s passing over the neck and back. T h e animal now was under full control. F a e c a l material was removed from the terminal part of the rectum which was then rinsed with normal saline. The anal orifice was lubricated with K-YJelly ( J o h n s o n J o h n s o n ) in preparation for the insertion.oft.he probe and mild electrical stimulation. T h e animal responded immediately to t h a t b y fallingto a lateral recumbent position (Figs. 3, 4). The head and neck were then firmly secured on the ground by at least two or three attendants. It was again important to provide a cotton p a d or other soft material under the head and for protection of the eyes.
216
Fig. 3. Probe inserted into rectum and a mild stimulus given.
Fig. 4. The animal responded to mild stimulation by falling to a lateral recumbent position. The head and neck are firmly secured by attendants.
217
Fig. 5. A rope thrown around the thighs (arrow) with attendants pulling at free ends. External genitalia are exposed ( double arrow). Restraint was completed b y throwing a rope around the thighs just behind the knees and pulling at the free ends by about four attendants (Fig. 5). The genital region was now exposed. It was cleaned using water and saline, and then dried.
Electroejaculation A 12-volt.bull ejaculator (Alfred Cox Surgical Ltd. ) was used. This consisted of two main parts, a rectal probe and a switch box connected to a 12-volt car battery. T h e probe was lubricated and the entire length was inserted into the rectum. Application of the electrical stimuli consisted of turning on the switch control slowly clockwise, slowly anticlockwise to 4.5 or even 6. This resulted in a slow steady rise from 0 voltage to initial peak voltage over a period of 1 min. Peak voltage was determined by the physical response of the animal showing violent muscular contractions; utmost care was needed to keep it under control. The current was maintained at this peak for about 10 s and then returned gradually to zero. Following that erection was achieved although it was not always appreciable, and protrusion of the penis was only occasionally observed. The stimulus was repeated as soon as possible, and within 5 min the first eja-
218
culate was obtained. Further stimulation resulted in more ejaculates, and up to five have been made over a period of 15 min. Expulsion of semen was aided by massage of the penis. When repeated attempts to collect semen by electroejaculation were unsuccessful, manual massage of the pelvic genitalia was applied. The prostategland, the ampulla ductus deferentis and pelvic urethra were stroked repeatedly. Intervals of rest were given with sufficient amounts of semen being collected from the tip of the slightly protruded but flaccid penis or from the prepuce. The ejaculated semen was received in a graduated centrifuge tube via a funnel, preferably plastic.
Semen analysis The volume of a whole electroejaculate from a given male was measured in a graduated centrifuge tube to the nearest 0.1 ml. Colour and consistency were assessed by direct visual examination, and abnormal change in colour or deposits were recorded: The consistency was graded as very thick creamy, thick creamy, thin creamy, thin milky, cloudy, less cloudly and clear. The viscosity was also noted. The reaction was measured with pH paper in the range of 6-9 and at 0.5 grade intervals. Mass motility of spermatozoa was assessed in a small drop of semen placed on an ordinary glass slide and examined under low power in the light microscope. A rating of 0-5 was given according to the intensity of the swirling bands (Moule, 1965). Individual motility was studied in semen diluted with one or two drops of citrate buffer (pH 6.9). A drop of the diluted semen was examined under a cover slip using high power magnification: The percentage of individual spermatozoa displaying progressive motility across the field was estimated; grading was expressed directly as 0-10 (Zemjanis, 1969). The concentration of spermatozoa per mm a of semen was determined by direct cell count on the improved Neubaur haemocytometer; a 1 : 200 dilution with formal saline was made in a standard red blood cell dilution pipette. The proportion of live to dead spermatozoa in each ejaculate was recorded by using nigrosin-eosin vital stain freshly prepared (Campbell et al., 1965). The percentage Df spermatozoa considered as dead was calculated from 200 cells, each 100 from a different field on the slide. The same slide was used to study the morphology and to determine the incidence of normal and abnormal spermatozoa. The number of morphologically atypical spermatozoa was determined under high power magnification from a total of 100 cells. The types of abnormalities were classified and recorded (Zemjanis, 1962). Sperm dimensions were measured with the aid of a calibrated eyepiece.
219 TABLE 1 Ejaculates obtained from farm animals Animal no.
No. of collections
Volume of ejaculate (ml)
Mean vol. of ejaculate (ml) Mean ± s.e.
1 2 3 4
10 12 6 8
2.1-9.0 1.0-8.3 1.2-5.5 1.0-6.0
5.0±2.3 4.2!1.9 3.2!1.5 2.7±1.6
Total mean
3.7
RESULTS T h e v o l u m e o f e j a c u l a t e s collected f r o m t h e s l a u g h t e r h o u s e a n i m a l s w a s in t h e r a n g e o f 1 - 9 m l w i t h a m e a n o f 4.0 _+2.1. D e t a i l s o f e j a c u l a t e s f r o m t h e f a r m a n i m a l s a r e g i v e n in T a b l e 1 w i t h t h e r a n g e o f t h e v o l u m e o b t a i n e d , m e a n a n d s t a n d a r d e r r o r (s.e.) for e a c h m a l e . A s u m m a r y o f t h e a n a l y s e s o f t h e l a t t e r e j a c u l a t e s is p r e s e n t e d in T a b l e 2. T h e p r e d o m i n a n t colour o f t h e e j a c u l a t e w a s w h i t e c r e a m y a l t h o u g h w h i t i s h g r e y w a s o c c a s i o n a l l y o b s e r v e d . D e g r e e o f v i s c o s i t y w a s a s u b j e c t of i n d i v i d u a l v a r i a t i o n , r a n g i n g f r o m t h i n t o t h i c k . T h e m a s s m o t i l i t y w a s classified as p o o r p r o g r e s s i v e . N o r m a l s p e r m a t o z o a c o n s t i t u t e d a m e a n v a l u e o f 84%. B e n t tails a n d loose h e a d s w e r e t h e p r e d o m i n a n t a b n o r m a l i t i e s o b s e r v e d t h r o u g h o u t t h i s i n v e s t i g a t i o n (Fig. 6 ) .
Morphological features of the spermatozoa L i k e t h o s e o f t h e m a j o r i t y o f a n i m a l species, t h e m a t u r e s p e r m a t o z o o n c o n sists of a h e a d , m i d d l e - p i e c e a n d tail ( Fig. 6 ) . T h e h e a d is s o m e w h a t elliptical TABLE2 Biophysical characters of semen Semen character Ejaculate volume pH Mass motility Individual motility Sperm count Live sperm Normal sperm
(ml) (0- 5) (0-10) ( X 106/ram3) (%) (%)
Mean value
Range
3.8 7.8 1.8 3.7 0.8 43 84
2.3 - 6.4 7.6 - 8.0 1.0 - 2.6 2.50- 5.25 0.4 - 1.3 25 -66 60 -92
220
Fig. 6. Sper,natozoa in ejaculated camel semen. The elliptical head is largely covered by the acros0mal cap. One spermatozoon shows a coiled tail and another a cytoplasmic droplet. Nigrosineosin stain. × 1000.
in shape and slightly tapering at the base. The acrosomal cap is closely applied to its apical half. The dimensions are given in Table 3. A cytoplasmic droplet is commonly present (Fig. 6). DISCUSSION
The results demonstrated that electroejaculation is an effective and safe method for collection of semen from t h e camel. The maximum volume of ejaculate of 9 ml obtained in this study is much lower t h a n that reported by AbdelRaouf and E1-Naggar (1978) using an artificial vagina; they claimed values as high as 12.6 ml. This is rather puzzling since it was shown also that semen samples collected from the bull by electroejaculation are usually of larger volTABLE 3 Sperm dimensions (~um) mean+ s.e.m. Head
Acrosome
length
width
length
5.53-0.4
3.6+__0.5 2.2+0.1
Middle -piece
Tail
length
width
length
width
length
6.93-1.0
!.0-0.3
35.6+1.7
0.7+0.1
48,0+ 1.0
Total
221 TABLE 4 Comparative characters of ejaculates Character
Ejaculate volume (ml) range mean pH Sperm nos. )< 106/ram 3 (mean) Live sperm ( % ) mean Normal sperm ( % ) Sperm dimensions (ttm) head acrosome middle-piece tail total length
Abdel-Raouf and E1-Naggar (1978)
Present authors
4.3-12.6 8.5 8.6 0.4 55
1.0-9.0 3,9 7.8 0.8 43 84
5.6 2.4 7.3 34.2 47.2
5.5 2.2 6.9 35.6 48.0
ume than samples obtained with the artificial vagina (Foote, 1974 ). Moreover, it is generally accepted that electroejaculation often yields ejaculates which are far more voluminous than those collected by means of the artificial vagina (Mann, 1964). Although the present study offers no explanation for the relatively smaller volume of ejaculate reported herein, it should be noted that ejaculate volumes vary widely among individuals of the same species (Mann, 1964). A comparison of some of the characters included in this study with those reported by Abdel-Raouf and Ei-Naggar (1965, 1978) is given in Table 4. The sperm density in semen collected by electroejaculation is almost double that collected by the artificial vagina as reported by Abdel-Raouf and E1-Naggar (1978). This is well in accord with earlier findings which confirmed that the total sperm count of an electroejaculate far exceeds values of bull semen collected by means of an artificial vagina (Mann, 1964; Foote, 1974). As indicated by Abdel-Raouf and E1-Naggar (1965), the shape of the head of camel spermatozoa is elliptical and thus differs from the general ovoid shape characteristic of spermatozoa of Artiodactyla. The dimensions of the spermatozoa noted in the present study compare well with those reported by AbdelRaouf and E1-Naggar (1965). These authors compared the dimensions of the camel spermatozoa with those of spermatozoa of other species. With the exception of that of the boar, the camel spermatozoon is smaller than those of other domestic animals including bull, buffalo, ram, ass and stallion. Lengths of head and middle piece of the camel spermatozoon are shorter than those of other animals while its tail is longer than that of boar and stallion spermatozoa and shorter than all others.
222 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS T h i s work was s u p p o r t e d b y a g r a n t AR-2-10, Saudi A r a b i a n N a t i o n a l C e n t r e for Science a n d T e c h n o l o g y ( S A N C S T ) . W e are grateful t o Dr. A.S. R a m o s a n d Dr. A.A. A l y for t h e i r initial h e l p , to A.H. S a a d a n d K. E 1 - J o u f for t e c h n i c a l a s s i s t a n c e a n d M.A.O. T i n a y for p h o t o g r a p h y .
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