450 Utilizing bioelectrical impedance analysis to predict the impact of parasitic infestation on testicular morphometrics and sperm quality in male goats.

Abstract Infertility is a major issue in the livestock industry. Parasitic infestation is a significant cause of infertility in small ruminants. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is a noninvasive, simple, and quick technique used to investigate the physiological and pathological properties of various biological tissues. The aim was to utilize BIA to predict the impact of parasitic infestation on testicular morphometrics and sperm quality of male goats. A total of 38 intact male Spanish goats (6-7 month) were selected to evaluate the efficacy of BIA through the measurement of resistance (Rs) and electrical reactance (Xc) on testicular tissues after slaughter. The bucks were divided into 2 groups, namely, healthy (n=19) and parasitized (n=19). Parasitized goats were allowed to acquire a natural parasitic infection by grazing on grass pasture for 3 months. Meanwhile, healthy goats were monitored weekly for parasites and regularly dewormed using commercially available dewormers for the same time frame. After slaughtering the goats, testicles were collected, and the BIA was applied on each testicle to measure R and Xc. Testicular morphometrics include testes and epididymis weights and lengths were then detected. Epididymal sperm was collected and evaluated for motility (using CASA), viability and abnormalities (by eosin-nigrosin), membrane integrity (by hypo-osmotic swelling test; HOS), and acrosome integrity (using FITC/PNA). Data were analyzed by general linear model and Pearson Correlation Coefficients using SAS. Results showed that testicular resistance and reactance were lower (p< 0.05) in parasitized than in healthy goats (169.41 Ω vs. 235.21 Ω for Rs, and 37.55 Ω vs. 52.08 Ω for Xc, respectively). Sperm motility (77.33 ± 1.30% vs. 91.47 ± 1.60%), and percentages of sperm with intact acrosome (52.70 ± 0.98% vs. 64.62 ± 1.10%) were lower (p< 0.05) in parasitized goats compared to healthy ones, respectively. Strong correlations (P< 0.001) were observed between BIA parameters (Rs and Xc) and sperm viability, membrane and acrosome integrities in both parasitized and healthy animals. In conclusion, the current study demonstrates that parasitic infestation could harmfully affect the sperm quality and subsequent fertility of male goats. We also highlighted that BIA can be utilized as an efficient tool to predict the negative impacts exert by parasitic infection on the reproductive health of goats. Future studies are warranted to apply BIA on a large scale as well as on live animals as a promising tool for fertility management in livestock.