title: Fibrotic lesions in the testis of bulls and relationship to semen quality.
abstract: Ultrasonography of the testes was done in bulls at three locations in western Canada (n=325) and one in Argentina (n=387) to determine the prevalence of fibrotic lesions and to examine the relationship between fibrotic lesions and location, age, breed, right compared with left testes, testis size and semen quality. Fibrotic lesions were common in the testes of bulls raised under intensive rearing conditions in western Canada as well as in the more extensive rearing conditions of Argentina. Fibrotic lesions appeared as early as 5-6 months of age and the number of cases continued to increase until at least 12-14 months of age. The severity of lesions increased in some cases during this period; however, it appears that the development of lesions occurred during a finite period of pubertal development. It is unlikely that the prevalence of lesions is influenced by breed, right compared with left testes or testis size. The cause of the lesions is unknown, but there was an association between the development of fibrotic lesions and an outbreak of BRSV disease in Argentina in one group of bulls. There was some indication that during the active process that leads to fibrosis spermatogenesis is adversely affected; however, the presence of a large number of fibrotic lesions that may occupy as much as 50% of the testis parenchyma did not preclude the production of a greater percentage of sperm with normal morphology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada S7N 5B4. albert.barth@usask.ca
authors.forename: Albert D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Barth
authors.forename: Leonel
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Alisio
authors.forename: Mariano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Avilés
authors.forename: Andres A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Arteaga
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: Steven H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Hendrick
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002470:Cell Survival; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011786:Quality Control; D012661:Semen / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D013076:Sperm Count; D013733:Testicular Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D013737:Testis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014463:Ultrasonography