Monthly Dynamics of Plasma Elements, Hematology, Oxidative Stress Markers, and Hormonal Concentrations in Growing Male Shiba Goats (Capra hircus) Reared in Tokyo-Japan

Abstract

From a clinical point of view, the establishment of laboratory variables during the first few months of an animal’s life helps clinicians to make sure they base their medical decisions on laboratory values for the specific breed and age group. The present study aimed to investigate the monthly dynamics in some plasma elements, hematology, reproductive hormones, and oxidative stress marker profiles during the first five months of age (neonatal and peri-puberty stage) in male Shiba goat’s kids. Sixteen kids were investigated from the first to the fifth month (M1 to M5), and the data were presented as the statistical difference between them. Whole blood and plasma samples were collected monthly for analysis of basal hematology, plasma elements concentration (trace elements: Cu, Zn, Se, Fe, and Cr; macroelements: Ca and Mg), circulating hormones (cortisol, FSH, LH, IGF1, immunoreactive inhibin, testosterone, T3, and T4), and oxidative stress markers (MDA, CAT, SOD, and GPX). The results showed age-related changes in the observed parameters. The fifth month recorded the lowest level of almost all investigated minerals, except for Cr. Plasma hormone levels revealed age-dependent increases in IGF-1 and testosterone, age-related decreases in T3 and T4, and non-significant changes in cortisol and FSH. Besides, the concentrations of inhibin and LH were significantly higher at M1–M3 compared with M4–M5. Plasma SOD, GPX, and CAT were increased with age. In conclusion, age-related changes and a distinction of age in months was found necessary to interpret the laboratory results, specifically in terms of age in months and the peri-puberty stage in young goats, which are important to follow up the age-specific diseases, reproductive status, and treatment follow-ups in this stage.

Semen Quality, Testicular Characteristic, Biochemical Profile and Histopathology of Testes of Goats Under Heat Stress Conditions

“…The concentrations of reproductive hormones in the blood are most commonly used as an effective indicator for testicular function (Mandour et al;2022). In the current study, testosterone concentration was significantly reduced in summer compared to the winter, indicating that as the length of the day lengthened and ambient temperatures rose, testosterone level decreased.…”

“…Jugular vein puncture was used to collect plasma into vacutainer tubes without anticoagulant (Essawi et al, 2021;Mohamed et al, 2021a). Tube was centrifuged at 3000 g/15 minutes.…”

Coenzyme Q10 Supplementation enhances testicular volume and hemodynamics, reproductive hormones, sperm quality, and seminal antioxidant capacity in goat bucks under summer hot humid conditions

“…Monitoring the circulating reproductive hormones offers a deep insight into the physiological functions of the testes as well as the pituitary–gonadal axis (Samir et al 2020 ; Mandour et al 2022 ). In the current study, there were marked increases in the T values of the CoQ10 treated compared to untreated males.…”

Novel color M-mode echocardiography for non-invasive assessment of the intraventricular pressure in goats: Feasibility, repeatability, and the effect of sedation

“…The present study includes only adult male goats with small sample size. The number of goats in Japan has a limited distribution since goats are infrequently accepted as food for humans and are mostly used for research and educational purposes by elementary students ( 51 , 52 ). Male goats were selected to avoid the biased results from female reproductive cycles that should be addressed in another study.…”