Scrotal infrared digital thermography predicts effects of thermal stress on buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) semen

Maneesh Kumar Ahirwar; Mukund Amritrao Kataktalware; Heartwin Amaladhas Pushpadass; Sakthivel Jeyakumar; Soumitra Jash; Sayyad Nazar; Letha Devi G; John P Kastelic; Kerekoppa Puttaiah Ramesha

doi:10.1016/j.jtherbio.2018.09.003

Scrotal infrared digital thermography predicts effects of thermal stress on buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) semen

J Therm Biol. 2018 Dec:78:51-57. doi: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2018.09.003. Epub 2018 Sep 10.

Authors

Maneesh Kumar Ahirwar¹, Mukund Amritrao Kataktalware², Heartwin Amaladhas Pushpadass¹, Sakthivel Jeyakumar¹, Soumitra Jash³, Sayyad Nazar¹, Letha Devi G³, John P Kastelic⁴, Kerekoppa Puttaiah Ramesha¹

Affiliations

¹ ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Southern Regional Station, Adugodi, Bengaluru 560030, India.
² ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Southern Regional Station, Adugodi, Bengaluru 560030, India. Electronic address: MR.Kataktalware@icar.gov.in.
³ ICAR-National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Adugodi, Bengaluru 560030, India.
⁴ Department of Production Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Canada T2N 4N1.

PMID: 30509667
DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2018.09.003

Abstract

The objective was to use scrotal infrared digital thermography to evaluate effects of thermal stress on semen quality of Murrah buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) breeding bulls. Ejaculates from 109 Murrah bulls maintained at three semen stations were evaluated for: ejaculate volume, sperm concentration (SCON), initial motility (IM), percent live sperm (LIVE), acrosome integrity of fresh semen (AIFS), plasma membrane integrity of fresh semen (PMIFS), head abnormalities of fresh semen (HAFS), midpiece abnormalities of fresh semen (MPAFS), tail abnormalities of fresh semen (TAFS), post-thaw motility (PTM), acrosome integrity of post-thawed semen (AIPT) and plasma membrane integrity of post-thawed semen (PMIPT). Scrotal and ocular surface temperatures were acquired during rainy, winter and summer seasons, using an FLIR i5 infrared camera. Thermographic images were analyzed with Quick Report 1.2 SP2 software and temperature data acquired. Daily mean temperature and mean relative humidity were used to determine the temperature-humidity index (THI). Environmental factors were analyzed using CORR to determine collinearity among independent variables. There was a high correlation among THI, proximal, mid and distal scrotal temperatures (r ≥ 0.73). Therefore, distal pole temperature (DPT), THI, temperature gradient (TG) and ocular temperature (OcT) were used in the analysis of variance (ANOVA) and in regression analysis of dependent variables. The THI, DPT, TG and OcT had significant influences on sperm abnormalities, acrosome and plasma membrane integrity of fresh as well as post-thawed semen. The TG had significant effects on LIVE and SCON. All semen quality parameters were predicted (regression analysis) as a function of the three independent factors. We concluded that scrotal infrared thermography was useful for assessing influences of thermal stress and environmental factors on characteristics of buffalo semen.

Keywords: Infrared thermography; Murrah bulls; Semen quality; Temperature-humidity index.

MeSH terms

Animals
Buffaloes / physiology*
Cattle
Heat-Shock Response*
Male
Scrotum / physiology
Semen / physiology
Semen Analysis / veterinary*
Thermography / methods*