Impotentia Generandi and Testicular Degeneration in Male Dromedary Camels: The Role of Inflammatory Cytokines and Proapoptotic Protein in the Induction of Testicular Degeneration and Their Association With Clinical Findings and Semen Characteristics

Impotentia generandi (IG) is a significant infertility problem in male camels. The objective of this research was to investigate the histopathological changes, DNA damage and inflammatory cytokine expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), as well as the proapoptotic protein Bcl-2-associated X-protein (BAX), in testicular degeneration (TD) in IG male camels and their association with clinical findings and semen characteristics. The study included 15 male camels with IG (IG group) and 15 fertile camels (FERT group). Semen collection and evaluation were performed on the epididymal sperm of all selected males. Blood samples for testosterone (T) evaluation and tissue samples for histological investigation were collected. Histo-fluorescent staining was used to investigate DNA damage, and immunohistochemical investigations of TNF-α, IL-6 and BAX proteins were conducted on testicular tissue. Results showed that testosterone concentrations were significantly lower in the IG group compared to the FERT group. Additionally, significant differences were observed in sperm motility, viability and concentration between the two groups. Histological examination revealed atrophy of the seminiferous tubules (STs), disruption and disorganisation of the germinal epithelium and a significant decrease in epithelial thickness and ST diameter. Histochemical inspection showed high fibrosis and severe DNA damage. Furthermore, significant positive reactions to IL-6, TNF-α and BAX proteins were observed in the testicular tissue of the IG group compared to the FERT group. In conclusion, IG in male dromedary camels manifests as TD, initiated by DNA damage and upregulated expression of IL-6, TNF-α and BAX proteins in the testicular tissue.