Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-vdxz6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T11:12:47.906Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

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
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
Get access

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.

Type
Reproduction
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 2000

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Blanco, A., Zinkham, W. H. and Kupchyk, L. 1964. Genetic control and ontogeny of lactate dehydrogenase in pigeon testes. Journal of Experimental Zoology 156: 137152.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cai, L. 1992. China yak. Agriculture Publishing House, Beijing, China.Google Scholar
Guo, G., Yan, P. and Li, K.L. 1990. Studies on semen character, freezing semen and AI of wild yak, J blood yak and domestic yak. Proceedings of yak scientific research, pp. 108116. Gansu Nationality House, Lanzhou, China.Google Scholar
Liu, H., Wang, Y. Q. and Xia, L. J. 1993. Quantitative histology determination on daily sperm production of yak testis. China yak 4: 3436.Google Scholar
Weibel, E. R. 1979. Stereology methods. In Practical methods for biological morphometry, volum. 2, pp. 218273. Academic Press, New York.Google Scholar
Wieber, E. D. 1981. Regulation of the synthesis of lactate dehydrogenase-x during spermatogenesis in the mouse. Journal of Cell Biology 88: 492498.Google Scholar
Xie, C. X. 1983. Principles of animal reproduction. Jiang Su Science Publishing House, Nanjing, China.Google Scholar
Yan, P. 1998, The current situation and future of resource utility in wild yak, In The processing of cattle breeding research (ed. Yanglian, Feng), pp. 4446. Chinese Agriculture Science and Technology Publishing House, Beijing, China.Google Scholar
Zhang, R. C. 1989. China yak. Gansu Science and Technology Publishing House, Lanzhou, China.Google Scholar
Zhang, X. S., Xiao, K. J. and Tao, L. 1989. Studies on LDH-x in testes, epididymis and seminal fluid. China Cattle 3: 4145.Google Scholar