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Growth and development of testes in domesticated and hybrid (wild x domesticated) yak bulls

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 August 2016

Yan Ping ,
Pan Heping  and
Zhi Dejuan
Yan Ping
Affiliation:
Lanzhou Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Chinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences(LIASVM/CAAS), Lanzhou, Gansu 730050, People’s Republic of China
Pan Heping
Affiliation:
Food and Animal Science Department, Northwest College for Nationalities, Lanzhou, Gansu 730050, People’s Republic of China
Zhi Dejuan
Affiliation:
Lanzhou Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Chinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences(LIASVM/CAAS), Lanzhou, Gansu 730050, People’s Republic of China
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Abstract

Testicular tissue was studied in domesticated yak and in wild yak x domesticated yak (F1 and F2) bulls at 6, 12, 18 and 24 months of age by stereology for quantitative histology and by comparative studies on the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) isoenzyme spectrum, LDH activity and the percentage content of LDH isoenzymes in testes. The results indicated that all three types of yak were similar in both the characteristics of ultrastructure of testicular tissue and the degree of germ cell development. The process of spermatоgenesis was initiated and sperm were produced for the first time at the age of 12 months in all three yak types. All yak types exhibited similar age-related increases in weight of testes, volume density of both the seminiferous tubules and seminiferous epithelium and height of seminiferous epithelium but all these indexes were slightly affected by season. The number of LDH isoenzyme bands after electrophoresis varied with age as follows: four bands were present at 6 months of age, five bands at 12 and 18 months and six bands at 24 months of age. The sixth band was LDH-x, which appeared between the LDH4 and LDH5 band. These results indicated that yak bulls reach sexual maturity at 24 months of age and that puberty is not affected by infusion of wild strains.

Keywords

histologylactate dehydrogenasetestesultrastructureyaks
Type
Reproduction
Information
Animal Science , Volume 70 , Issue 3 , June 2000 , pp. 481 - 485
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 2000

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