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The influence of secondary hypocuprosis on the reproductive development and fertility of juvenile rams
Thesis (MSc) -- University of Stellenbosch, 1995.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2012
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| _version_ | 1867613951395627008 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Fromme, Bernhard Johannes |
| author2 | Morgenthal, J. C. |
| author_browse | Fromme, Bernhard Johannes Morgenthal, J. C. |
| author_facet | Morgenthal, J. C. Fromme, Bernhard Johannes |
| author_sort | Fromme, Bernhard Johannes |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MSc) -- University of Stellenbosch, 1995. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/54896 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:44:18.274Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2012 |
| publishDateRange | 2012 |
| publishDateSort | 2012 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/54896 The influence of secondary hypocuprosis on the reproductive development and fertility of juvenile rams Fromme, Bernhard Johannes Morgenthal, J. C. Van Niekerk, C. H. Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Science. Dept. of Microbiology. Rams -- Fertility Rams -- Reproduction Sheep -- Fertility Sheep -- Reproduction Copper in animal nutrition Copper -- Physiological effect Hypocupremia Dissertations -- Microbiology Thesis (MSc) -- University of Stellenbosch, 1995. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of copper deficiency on the fertility and pubertal development in rams. The deficiency/excesses of trace elements, such as copper, are of practical and economic importance, as they result in disease, stock loss and low production and reproduction rates (Chapter 1). Copper deficiency was induced by the supplementation of molybdenum and sulphate to a balanced diet (Chapter 2). These copper-antagonistic minerals effectively reduced the ram’s liver copper concentrations to copper deficient levels (50 μg/g), without affecting the liver concentrations of other minerals such as iron, zinc and manganese and resulted in severe systemic copper deficiency. Copper deficiency was observed to result in a variety of clinical abnormalities, such as stunted growth, loss in wool crimp, bone abnormalities, low testis mass and libido. A normocytic normochromic anaemia also rapidly developed in the copper deficient rams as characterised by suppressed red blood cell counts, percentage haematocrit, haemoglobin concentration, increased white blood cells and a normal mean cell volume and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration. In Chapter 3, copper deficiency was demonstrated to result in poor semen samples collected from the Adult and Pubertal groups, while semen production was dramatically delayed in the Prepubertal groups. The copper deficient groups produced semen samples of infertile quality, as characterised by low semen volumes, semen colour intensity, sperm concentration, percentage live sperm, sperm motility, fructose concentration and consumption, and a high percentage abnormally formed sperm. In Chapter 4 copper deficiency was demonstrated to suppress testosterone secretion in all the copper deficient groups, irrespective of age. The testosterone secretion profiles of the Prepubertal copper deficient group showed that puberty was delayed, since their control groups achieved mature reproductive conditions as supported by the testosterone and semen evaluations. In Chapter 5 hypocuprosis negatively influenced gonadotropin secretion in Prepubertal, Pubertal and Adult rams. During the treatment, the copper deficient groups exhibited a significant (p<0.01) decrease in LH secretion, with the most pronounced suppression occurring towards the end of the experiment. The induced copper deficiency influenced the LH secretion profiles negatively, with the most pronounced effect on the pulse frequency, especially in the juvenile copper deficient groups. The weekly FSH secretion profiles were also markedly suppressed in both the Pubertal and Prepubertal copper deficient groups. As with LH, the decrease in FSH secretion commenced after five to six weeks on the treatment. This occurred in parallel to the clinical observations such as loss in wool crimp and the development of anaemia, however, before the suppression in testosterone secretion. This is evidence that copper deficiency exerts its negative influence on fertility from hypothalamic-pituitary level. Hypocuprosis had a suppressive effect on the histology of the testis, reproductive tract and accessory sex glands (Chapter 6). The copper deficient groups had a relatively (to their control groups) normal spermatocytogenesis up to the primary spermatocyte stage, but spermiogenesis was markedly suppressed. The induced copper deficiency had a progressively suppressive effect on the morphology of the seminiferous tubules, especially in the Prepubertal copper deficient group, of which the seminiferous lumens had not appeared at a time when their control groups were fully developed, indicating a severely retarded puberty. The rete testis, epididymis, ductus deferens and ampulla developed marginally in the Prepubertal copper deficient group, and was retarded and regressed in the older copper deficient groups, by exhibiting markedly flatter epithelia with less secretory activity, presumably as a result of the suppressed testosterone secretion. The accessory sex glands consisting of the seminal vesicles, prostate and bulbourethral glands were, in comparison to their respective control groups, considerably underdeveloped with flatter epithelia containing cells with notably less cytoplasm and marginal secretory activity. Copper deficiency had a suppressive effect on the fertility and pubertal development of rams mediated through suppressed gonadotropin secretion. Masters 2012-08-27T11:36:48Z 2012-08-27T11:36:48Z 1995 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/54896 en Stellenbosch University 305 pages : ill. application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Rams -- Fertility Rams -- Reproduction Sheep -- Fertility Sheep -- Reproduction Copper in animal nutrition Copper -- Physiological effect Hypocupremia Dissertations -- Microbiology Fromme, Bernhard Johannes The influence of secondary hypocuprosis on the reproductive development and fertility of juvenile rams |
| title | The influence of secondary hypocuprosis on the reproductive development and fertility of juvenile rams |
| title_full | The influence of secondary hypocuprosis on the reproductive development and fertility of juvenile rams |
| title_fullStr | The influence of secondary hypocuprosis on the reproductive development and fertility of juvenile rams |
| title_full_unstemmed | The influence of secondary hypocuprosis on the reproductive development and fertility of juvenile rams |
| title_short | The influence of secondary hypocuprosis on the reproductive development and fertility of juvenile rams |
| title_sort | influence of secondary hypocuprosis on the reproductive development and fertility of juvenile rams |
| topic | Rams -- Fertility Rams -- Reproduction Sheep -- Fertility Sheep -- Reproduction Copper in animal nutrition Copper -- Physiological effect Hypocupremia Dissertations -- Microbiology |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/54896 |
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