Journal Article

Outcomes of dietary alpha-lipoic acid on testicular vascularization, steroid hormones, and seminal quality in aged Baladi bucks

Salama, Ali, Yehia, Shimaa G., Samir, Haney, Emam, Ibrahim A., El-Sherbiny, Hossam R., Fathi, Mohamed, Abdelnaby, Elshymaa A., Salem, Noha Y., Ramadan, Eman S.

2024

Overview

Background Senescence is accompanied by a progressive decrease in male reproductive performance, mainly due to oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction. Alpha lipoic acid (ALA) is a potent antioxidant, that diffuses freely in aqueous and lipid phases, possessing anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic properties. This study aimed to examine the effects of supplemental dietary ALA on testicular hemodynamics (TH), circulating hormones, and semen quality in aged goats. Twelve Baladi bucks were divided into two groups ( n  = 6 each); the first fed a basic ration and served as a control group (CON), while the second received the basic ration supplemented with 600 mg ALA/ kg daily for consecutive eight weeks (ALA). Results There were improvements in testicular blood flow in the ALA group evidenced by a lower resistance index (RI) and pulsatility index (PI) concurrent with higher pampiniform-colored areas/pixel (W3-W6). There were increases in testicular volume and decreases in echogenicity (W3-W5; ALA vs. CON). Compared to the CON, ALA-bucks had higher serum concentrations of testosterone, estradiol, and nitric oxide (W3-W5). There were enhancements in semen traits (progressive motility, viability, morphology, and concentration, alanine aminotransferase enzyme) and oxidative biomarkers (catalase, total antioxidant capacity, and malondialdehyde). Conclusions ALA dietary supplementation (600 mg/kg diet) improved aged bucks’ reproductive performance by enhancing the testicular volume, testicular hemodynamics, sex steroids, and semen quality.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: 17β-Estradiol / Aging / Alanine transaminase / Alpha-lipoic acid / Animal Feed - analysis / Animals / antioxidant activity / Antioxidants / Antioxidants - pharmacology / Apoptosis / Biomarkers / Blood flow / blood serum / Blood vessels / catalase / Diet / Diet - veterinary / Dietary Supplements / Doppler / estradiol / Food and nutrition / Goats / Gonadal Steroid Hormones - blood / Hemodynamics / Hormones / Inflammation / lipids / Lipoic acid / Male / Males / malondialdehyde / Medicine / Medicine & Public Health / Nitric oxide / Oxidative stress / Physiological aspects / Quality management / reproductive performance / Semen / Semen - drug effects / Semen Analysis - veterinary / semen quality / Senescence / Sperm / Steroid hormones / Testes / Testis / Testis - blood supply / Testis - drug effects / Testosterone / Testosterone - blood / Thioctic Acid - administration & dosage / Thioctic Acid - pharmacology / Transgenics / Ultrasonic imaging / ultrasonography / Vascularization / Veterinary medicine / Veterinary Medicine/Veterinary Science / viability / Zoology