NE US
Academic Publishers
Advances in Animal and Veterinary Sciences
June 2019 | Volume 7 | Issue 6 | Page 434
INTRODUCTION
V
itamin E and selenium are essential nutrients in sheep
and cow reproduction through indispensable for many
biological processes as semen quality and spermatogene-
sis ( Jerry, 1996; Marin- Guzman et al., 1997; Yousef et
al., 2003; Koyuncu and Yerlikaya, 2007). Selenium is an
essential dietary trace element required for biosynthe-
sis of testosterone to maintain male fertility (Brown and
Arthur, 2001). Both testis and epididymis require exog-
enous supplied selenium in order to synthesize a variety
of known selenoproteins which had role in spermiogenesis
and post testicular sperm maturation (Ali et al., 2009). Re-
quirements of selenium for sheep are 0.1–0.2 ppm/kg DM
(NRC, 1985). In malesfed on a low selenium diet, hypog-
onadism was reported as well as production was reduced,
semen quality was deteriorated and sperm structure and
fertilization ability were impaired (Kleene, 1993; Ahsan et
al., 2014). Supplementation with selenium enhanced re-
productive performance in sheep (Ali et al., 2009; Marai et
al., 2009). Selenium supplementation to lambs improved
growth rates and testicular development in sheep (Kumar
et al., 2009). Vitamin E can combat the oxidative stress by
interrupting the chain reaction of lipid peroxidation and
scavenging the reactive oxygen species (ROS) (Niki and
Noguchi, 2004; Peris et al., 2007). Vitamin E can stabi-
lized cell membranes containing polyunsaturated lipids
(Fukuzawa et al., 1977). Vitamin E and cholesterol pro-
tected ram spermatozoa against cold shock and oxidative
stress (Benhenia et al., 2016). Te reproductive efciency
of growing ram lambs can be afected by nutritional sta-
tus (Ghorbankhani et al., 2015). Ultrasound scanning was
suitable for examination of testes and epididymis of rams,
so as to interpretation of uncertain clinical fndings and
Research Article
Abstract | Te aim of the present study was to determine the efect of the combination of vitamin E and selenium
injection on ram reproductive efciency. Eight mature healthy Barki Egyptian rams were injected twice/ weekly
with 5 mg Sodium selenite and 450 mg vit E for one month. Ultrasound measurements of the scrotal contents
and all accessory sex gland and collection of blood samples were done one week before the start of the experiment
and one week after the end of experiment. Results revealed that scrotal circumference was increased signifcantly
after treatment.Te breadth of testes, epididymal tail length and breadth were increased signifcantly after treatment.
Tere were signifcant diferences in measurements of length and breadth of accessory genital glands (vesicular gland
and bulbourethral gland). In addition, the breadth of ampullae and pars disseminata of prostate gland was increased
signifcantly after treatment. Treated rams showed higher values for serum testosterone, in contrast FSH was decreased
signifcantly. While, there was no signifcant diference in LH level. Our data suggest that injections combination
of vit E and selenium during the non-breeding season could enhance testosterone concentrations, thereby improve
reproductive efciency of Barki rams.
Keywords | Rams, Selenium, Vitamin E, Testosterone, Ultrasonography
HAMED T. ELBAZ*, EMAD M. ABDEL RAZEK
Efect of Vitamin E and Selenium Injections on the Testes and
Accessory Sex Glands of Barki Rams During Non-Breeding Season
Received | November 04, 2018; Accepted | January 19, 2019; Published | April 08, 2019
*Correspondence | Hamed T Elbaz, Teriogenology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sadat City, Menofa, Egypt; Email: hamed-
vet2020@yahoo.com
Citation | Elbaz HT, Abdel Razek EM (2019). Efect of vitamin E and selenium injections on the testes and accessory sex glands of barki rams during non-breed-
ing season. Adv. Anim. Vet. Sci. 7(6): 434-440.
DOI | http://dx.doi.org/10.17582/journal.aavs/2019/7.6.434.440
ISSN (Online) | 2307-8316; ISSN (Print) | 2309-3331
Copyright © 2019 Elbaz and Abdel Razek. Tis is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestrict-
ed use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Teriogenology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sadat City, Menofa, Egypt.