Effect of <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> on Ram Sperm Quality After Experimental Infection
The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of experimental <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> infection on ram sperm quality. Five months old, pre-pubertal, rams were divided into four groups (<i>n</i> = 8 per group). Group A was the control group; the remaining animals receiv...
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-11-01
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Series: | Pathogens |
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Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/9/12/1004 |
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doaj-54a41626f8184779b1d64e774c633596 |
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record_format |
Article |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Theofanis Fais Nektarios Giadinis Elias Papadopoulos Georgia Brellou Alexandros Theodoridis Radu Blaga Delphine Le Roux Dimitra Bitchava Aikaterini Ntemka Constantin Boscos Ioannis Tsakmakidis |
spellingShingle |
Theofanis Fais Nektarios Giadinis Elias Papadopoulos Georgia Brellou Alexandros Theodoridis Radu Blaga Delphine Le Roux Dimitra Bitchava Aikaterini Ntemka Constantin Boscos Ioannis Tsakmakidis Effect of <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> on Ram Sperm Quality After Experimental Infection Pathogens <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> ram sperm testis epididymis puberty |
author_facet |
Theofanis Fais Nektarios Giadinis Elias Papadopoulos Georgia Brellou Alexandros Theodoridis Radu Blaga Delphine Le Roux Dimitra Bitchava Aikaterini Ntemka Constantin Boscos Ioannis Tsakmakidis |
author_sort |
Theofanis Fais |
title |
Effect of <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> on Ram Sperm Quality After Experimental Infection |
title_short |
Effect of <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> on Ram Sperm Quality After Experimental Infection |
title_full |
Effect of <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> on Ram Sperm Quality After Experimental Infection |
title_fullStr |
Effect of <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> on Ram Sperm Quality After Experimental Infection |
title_full_unstemmed |
Effect of <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> on Ram Sperm Quality After Experimental Infection |
title_sort |
effect of <i>toxoplasma gondii</i> on ram sperm quality after experimental infection |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
Pathogens |
issn |
2076-0817 |
publishDate |
2020-11-01 |
description |
The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of experimental <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> infection on ram sperm quality. Five months old, pre-pubertal, rams were divided into four groups (<i>n</i> = 8 per group). Group A was the control group; the remaining animals received <i>per os</i> (p.o.) 5000 oocysts per ram. Group B did not receive treatment post-infection (p.i.). Group C received sulphadimidine (intermuscular injection (i.m.) 33 mg/kg for eight days; every 48 hrs) two months p.i. and Group D received the same drug twice (24 hours p.i. and two months later). Blood samples were collected every 15 days to detect serum immunoglobulin G (IgG). Epididymal sperm samples were analyzed for concentration, kinetics, morphology/viability, functional membrane integrity, DNA integrity, and the presence of parasite DNA. Histopathological examination was performed on the testes. The IgG titres in infected groups raised two weeks p.i. and remained high for four months. Higher values were noticed in viability and functional membrane integrity in positive spermatozoa in the control group compared to other groups, level of significance <i>p</i> < 0.05. Abnormal sperm was higher in groups C and D vs. A and C vs. B (<i>p</i> < 0.05). <i>T. gondii</i> DNA was detected in three sperm samples of the infected rams (12.5%). Histopathology revealed similar findings with little variation among all infected groups, characterized mostly by increased interstitial connective tissue, non-purulent inflammation, and presence of seminiferous tubules with spermatogenic cell depletion, which increased gradually from D to C and B groups. In conclusion <i>Toxoplasmosis</i> in pre-pubertal age negatively affected mature ram sperm quality, while sulphadimidine administration failed to alter this. |
topic |
<i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> ram sperm testis epididymis puberty |
url |
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/9/12/1004 |
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AT theofanisfais effectofitoxoplasmagondiiionramspermqualityafterexperimentalinfection AT nektariosgiadinis effectofitoxoplasmagondiiionramspermqualityafterexperimentalinfection AT eliaspapadopoulos effectofitoxoplasmagondiiionramspermqualityafterexperimentalinfection AT georgiabrellou effectofitoxoplasmagondiiionramspermqualityafterexperimentalinfection AT alexandrostheodoridis effectofitoxoplasmagondiiionramspermqualityafterexperimentalinfection AT radublaga effectofitoxoplasmagondiiionramspermqualityafterexperimentalinfection AT delphineleroux effectofitoxoplasmagondiiionramspermqualityafterexperimentalinfection AT dimitrabitchava effectofitoxoplasmagondiiionramspermqualityafterexperimentalinfection AT aikaterinintemka effectofitoxoplasmagondiiionramspermqualityafterexperimentalinfection AT constantinboscos effectofitoxoplasmagondiiionramspermqualityafterexperimentalinfection AT ioannistsakmakidis effectofitoxoplasmagondiiionramspermqualityafterexperimentalinfection |
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doaj-54a41626f8184779b1d64e774c6335962020-12-01T00:02:00ZengMDPI AGPathogens2076-08172020-11-0191004100410.3390/pathogens9121004Effect of <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> on Ram Sperm Quality After Experimental InfectionTheofanis Fais0Nektarios Giadinis1Elias Papadopoulos2Georgia Brellou3Alexandros Theodoridis4Radu Blaga5Delphine Le Roux6Dimitra Bitchava7Aikaterini Ntemka8Constantin Boscos9Ioannis Tsakmakidis10Unit of Biotechnology of Reproduction, Farm Animals Clinic, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54627 Thessaloniki, GreeceFarm Animals Clinic, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54627 Thessaloniki, GreeceLaboratory of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, GreeceLaboratory of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54627 Thessaloniki, GreeceLaboratory of Animal Production Economics, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, GreeceUMR BIPAR, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, ANSES, Animal Health Laboratory, National Reference Laboratory for Foodborne Parasites, Université Paris-Est, INRA, 14 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, Maisons-Alfort, 94700 Paris, FranceUMR BIPAR, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, ANSES, Animal Health Laboratory, National Reference Laboratory for Foodborne Parasites, Université Paris-Est, INRA, 14 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, Maisons-Alfort, 94700 Paris, FranceVeterinary Laboratories Vet In Progress plus, 2 Kritis and Agias Theklas, 15343 Athens, GreeceUnit of Biotechnology of Reproduction, Farm Animals Clinic, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54627 Thessaloniki, GreeceUnit of Biotechnology of Reproduction, Farm Animals Clinic, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54627 Thessaloniki, GreeceUnit of Biotechnology of Reproduction, Farm Animals Clinic, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54627 Thessaloniki, GreeceThe aim of this study was to investigate the effect of experimental <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> infection on ram sperm quality. Five months old, pre-pubertal, rams were divided into four groups (<i>n</i> = 8 per group). Group A was the control group; the remaining animals received <i>per os</i> (p.o.) 5000 oocysts per ram. Group B did not receive treatment post-infection (p.i.). Group C received sulphadimidine (intermuscular injection (i.m.) 33 mg/kg for eight days; every 48 hrs) two months p.i. and Group D received the same drug twice (24 hours p.i. and two months later). Blood samples were collected every 15 days to detect serum immunoglobulin G (IgG). Epididymal sperm samples were analyzed for concentration, kinetics, morphology/viability, functional membrane integrity, DNA integrity, and the presence of parasite DNA. Histopathological examination was performed on the testes. The IgG titres in infected groups raised two weeks p.i. and remained high for four months. Higher values were noticed in viability and functional membrane integrity in positive spermatozoa in the control group compared to other groups, level of significance <i>p</i> < 0.05. Abnormal sperm was higher in groups C and D vs. A and C vs. B (<i>p</i> < 0.05). <i>T. gondii</i> DNA was detected in three sperm samples of the infected rams (12.5%). Histopathology revealed similar findings with little variation among all infected groups, characterized mostly by increased interstitial connective tissue, non-purulent inflammation, and presence of seminiferous tubules with spermatogenic cell depletion, which increased gradually from D to C and B groups. In conclusion <i>Toxoplasmosis</i> in pre-pubertal age negatively affected mature ram sperm quality, while sulphadimidine administration failed to alter this.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/9/12/1004<i>Toxoplasma gondii</i>ramspermtestisepididymispuberty |