A survey of congenital reproductive abnormalities in rams in abattoirs in South west England

Lesions of the prepuce and penis in rams: A retrospective study

In the ovine reproductive management, a thorough breeding soundness evaluation including specific inspection of the male genital tract represents a valuable tool for assessing the reproductive potential of a selected subject and for diagnosing genital disorders. During examination, accurate inspection on penis and prepuce is necessary, since conditions affecting these structures may hamper regular coitus. Records from 1270 males undergoing breeding soundness evaluation (n = 1232) or admitted for genital disorders to the Section of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (n = 38) of the Department of Veterinary Medicine, were collected, and lesions of penis and prepuce were therefore classified. The data collected revealed that 47/1270 rams examined presented lesions of the penis and prepuce. The most frequent condition was urolithiasis accounting for over 2% of the cases, followed by lack of the urethral process (0.39% incidence), lack of the glans penis and hypospadias (0.23% cases). Moreover, most of the conditions (40%) were observed in animals less than 2 years old, suggesting the importance of a careful breeding soundness evaluation in animals at young age.

Developmental exposure to real-life environmental chemical mixture programs a testicular dysgenesis syndrome-like phenotype in prepubertal lambs

Current declines in male reproductive health may, in part, be driven by anthropogenic environmental chemical (EC) exposure. Using a biosolids treated pasture (BTP) sheep model, this study examined the effects of gestational exposure to a translationally relevant EC mixture. Testes of 8-week-old ram lambs from mothers exposed to BTP during pregnancy contained fewer germ cells and had a greater proportion of Sertoli-cell-only seminiferous tubules. This concurs with previous published data from fetuses and neonatal lambs from mothers exposed to BTP. Comparison between the testicular transcriptome of biosolids lambs and human testicular dysgenesis syndrome (TDS) patients indicated common changes in genes involved in apoptotic and mTOR signalling. Gene expression data and immunohistochemistry indicated increased HIF1α activation and nuclear localisation in Leydig cells of BTP exposed animals. As HIF1α is reported to disrupt testosterone synthesis, these results provide a potential mechanism for the pathogenesis of this testicular phenotype, and TDS in humans.

Etiology of Hypospadias: A Comparative Review of Genetic Factors and Developmental Processes Between Human and Animal Models

Hypospadias is a congenital anomaly of the penis with an occurrence of approximately 1 in 200 boys, but the etiology of the majority of hypospadias has remained unknown. Numerous genes have been reported as having variants in hypospadias patients, and many studies on genetic deletion of key genes in mouse genital development have also been published. Until now, no comparative analysis in the genes related literature has been reported. The basic knowledge of penile development and hypospadias is mainly obtained from animal model studies. Understanding of the differences and similarities between human and animal models is crucial for studies of hypospadias. In this review, mutations and polymorphisms of hypospadias-related genes have been compared between humans and mice, and differential genotype–phenotype relationships of certain genes between humans and mice have been discussed using the data available in PubMed and MGI online databases, and our analysis only revealed mutations in seven out of 43 human hypospadias related genes which have been reported to show similar phenotypes in mutant mice. The differences and similarities in the processes of penile development and hypospadias malformation among human and commonly used animal models suggest that the guinea pig may be a good model to study the mechanism of human penile development and etiology of hypospadias.

Clinical, cytogenetic and molecular genetic characterization of a tandem fusion translocation in a male Holstein cattle with congenital hypospadias and a ventricular septal defect

Hypospadias, disorder of sex development (DSD), is a sporadic congenital abnormality of the genital region in male ruminants, which is characterized by a non-fused urethra during fetal development. Detailed clinical examination classified the hypospadias phenotype of a male Holstein calf studied here as the perineal type. In combined use of cytogenetic analysis and whole genome sequencing, a non-mosaic, pseudo-monosomy 59, XY + tan(18;27) was detected. This chromosomal aberration had its origin in a tandem fusion translocation of the bovine autosomes (BTA) 18 and 27 with an accompanying loss of genomic sequences mainly in the distal end of BTA 18 and the proximal end of BTA 27. The resulting phenotype included hypospadias, growth retardation and ventricular septal defect.

Scrotal enlargement in rams and bucks in Qassim region, central of Saudi Arabia: clinical and ultrasonographic findings and seroprevalence of brucellosis

The aim of this study was to clarify the causes of scrotal enlargement in rams and bucks in Qassim region of Saudi Arabia. Enlarged scrotal contents of rams and bucks (n = 153) were examined by visual inspection, palpation, and ultrasonography. Blood samples were obtained and tested for Brucella sp. infection. Clinical and ultrasonographic findings showed that scrotal enlargement was mainly associated with orchitis, peri-orchitis, and epididymitis. Miscellaneous findings were scrotal hernia, scrotal hematoma, and hydrocele. The frequencies of orchitis, peri-orchitis, and epididymitis were 47.4, 21.1, and 14.1% in Awassi rams; 54.5, 21.7, and 8.7% in Najdi rams; 52.3, 20.5, and 9.1% in Ardi bucks; and 50, 16.7, and 16.7% in Damascus bucks, respectively. Orchitis was associated with no-abscess formation (23%), single-abscess formation (15.4%), and multiple-abscesses formation (61.6%). Peri-orchitis was characterized by hard consistency, atrophy of the testes, and extensive connective tissue formation. Epididymitis was observed mainly at the tail of the epididymis (82.4%) but rarely at the head (17.6%). Epididymitis was associated in many cases with abscessation (70.6%). Males with orchitis, peri-orchitis, and epididymitis were positive for Brucella melitensis and Brucella ovis in the frequency of 21.3% and 48.8%, respectively. In conclusion, scrotal enlargement in rams and bucks in Qassim region is caused mainly by inflammation of the testis and/or epididymis and associated tremendously with brucellosis seropositivity.

Tell-tale testicles: observations of morphological abnormalities in small, spatially restricted mainland quokka (Setonix brachyurus) populations

The quokka (Setonix brachyurus) exists in spatially restricted populations in the northern jarrah forest in south-west Western Australia. Observations were made of adult male quokkas exhibiting morphological anomalies (cryptorchidism and micropthalmia) that may be indicative of inbreeding within these populations. Despite the presence of males with abnormalities that could potentially affect their fertility, most females captured were carrying a pouch young or feeding a joey at foot. Field researchers and managers should routinely report abnormalities seen in wild captured animals. Reduced genetic diversity of quokka populations in the northern jarrah forest may not be the key threatening process and preservation of habitat may be more important to ensure persistence of populations. Future management of this species in the northern jarrah forest should include up-to-date occurrence mapping across their range using targeted camera trap surveys and management of habitat to improve connectivity between populations.