Effect of <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> on Ram Sperm Quality after Experimental Infection
Theofanis Fais,
Nektarios Giadinis,
Elias Papadopoulos,
Georgia Brellou,
Alexandros Theodoridis,
Radu Blaga,
Delphine Le Roux,
Dimitra Bitchava,
Aikaterini Ntemka,
Constantin Boscos,
Ioannis Tsakmakidis
Affiliations
Theofanis Fais
Unit of Biotechnology of Reproduction, Farm Animals Clinic, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54627 Thessaloniki, Greece
Nektarios Giadinis
Farm Animals Clinic, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54627 Thessaloniki, Greece
Elias Papadopoulos
Laboratory of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Georgia Brellou
Laboratory of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54627 Thessaloniki, Greece
Alexandros Theodoridis
Laboratory of Animal Production Economics, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Radu Blaga
UMR BIPAR, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, ANSES, Animal Health Laboratory, National Reference Laboratory for Foodborne Parasites, Université Paris-Est, INRA, Paris, 14 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 94700 Maisons-Alfort, France
Delphine Le Roux
UMR BIPAR, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, ANSES, Animal Health Laboratory, National Reference Laboratory for Foodborne Parasites, Université Paris-Est, INRA, Paris, 14 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 94700 Maisons-Alfort, France
Dimitra Bitchava
Veterinary Laboratories Vet in Progress plus, 2 Kritis and Agias Theklas, 15343 Athens, Greece
Aikaterini Ntemka
Unit of Biotechnology of Reproduction, Farm Animals Clinic, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54627 Thessaloniki, Greece
Constantin Boscos
Unit of Biotechnology of Reproduction, Farm Animals Clinic, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54627 Thessaloniki, Greece
Ioannis Tsakmakidis
Unit of Biotechnology of Reproduction, Farm Animals Clinic, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54627 Thessaloniki, Greece
The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of experimental Toxoplasma gondii infection on ram sperm quality. Five months old, pre-pubertal, rams were divided into four groups (n = 8 per group). Group A was the control group; the remaining animals received per os (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 h) two months p.i. and Group D received the same drug twice (24 h 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 p p T. gondii 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 Toxoplasmosis in pre-pubertal age negatively affected mature ram sperm quality, while sulphadimidine administration failed to alter this.
