Nader Drbas*(1) and Solieman Salhab(2)
(1). Shatha Research Station, Agricultural Research Center in AL-Ghab, General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research (GCSAR), Al Ghab, Syria.
(2). Animal Production Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Damascus University, Damascus, Syria.
(*Corresponding author: Eng: Nader Drbas. (GCSAR), Al Ghab, Syria).
Received: 05/07/ 2015 Accepted: 06/12/ 2015
Abstract
This study was conducted at Shatha Station of Syrian Buffalo Improvement, Hamah governorate, Al-Ghab province, Animal Wealth Research Administration, General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research (GCSAR)/Syria, during 2011. Ten growing Syrian buffalo males aged 7 months were used. The body weight (BW), and testicular parenchyma sections had taken, and median diameters of somniferous tubules were measured monthly for 10 months, to determine the age at which spermatogenesis takes place, and when spermatozoa appears in the lumen of somniferous tubules (ST), as a predictable indicator of reaching puberty in the growing Syrian buffalo males. Results indicated that a gradual expansion in the diameter of (ST), also a development in Leydig cells, and appearance of Sertoli cells, with the advance in animal age. The average of (ST) was 172.7±2.8 µm in the age of 10 months, where the highest change in (ST) was recorded (P<0.05). At the age 16 months the average of (ST) was 250±6.1 µm, and spermatozoa in the lumen of somniferous tubules was noticed. Results showed positive significant correlations (p<0.01), between somniferous tubules and body weight (r= 0.983), also there was positive correlation between somniferous tubules and age of animal (r=0.978). It was concluded that puberty occurs in the growing Syrian buffalo males at approximately 16 months old, with an average in (BW) of 316 ± 14.1 kg.
Keywords: Syrian buffalo, Testis, Histological structure, Spermatogenesis, Sexual puberty.
Full paper in Arabic:دراسة نسيجية لبنية الخصى في ذكور الجاموس السوري النامية