1. New technologies for testicular and semen assessment
György Gábor
Research Institute For Animal Breeding and Nutrition
HERCEGHALOM, HUNGARY

2. Introduction The aim of the examinations is:
to determine if ultrasonic echotexture is associated with semen production of bulls and boars
to select those young bulls which are certainly not useful for the AI before the semen examination
check semen quality by an objective instrument method (dog, bull, boar, ram)
develop a bull andrological data base

3. Material and Methods Examined animals: Morphological examinations:
H-F AI bulls 6-18 months of age in several examinations between 1998 and 2000
breeding boars (different breeds) months of age between
breeding male dogs (different breeds) months of age between
Morphological examinations:
scrotal circumference (SC): Coulter scrotal tape (bulls)
scrotal form: digital camera (bulls, boars; storing format: jpg)
testicular consistency (Consitest electronic tonometer; bull, boar)

4. Coulter Scrotal Tape

5. Scrotal forms (bulls)

6. Scrotal forms (boars)

7. Examination of the testicular echotexture (bull, boar, dog)
The ultrasonic examination of the testes was done with a B-mode scanner (Pie Medical, Model 100 LC VET) with an 8 MHz linear-array transducer. Gain was held constant for all examinations.
The transducer was aligned at the center of each testis and perpendicular to the vertical axis. A custom, electro-mechanical device for holding the probe was used to assure that the same pressure was applied by the probe against tissues upon which liberal amounts of ultrasound coupling gel had been applied (except with dogs).
At approximately 0.8 kg/cm2 pressure a spring-loaded switch was compressed. At that instance, the ultrasound image was frozen on the scanner and the image was stored.

8. Examination of the ET by the help of an electronic (auto image freezing function) transducer’s holder

9. Consitest electronic tonometer (bull, boar)
The spring loaded measuring heads use grams of pressure at all times. Because of the difference in dimension of the two heads (1:3), the penetration to the observed tissue will be different. The transmission changes from a linear movement to a circular movement. A rotating code disk interrupts the infrared light, which counts the impulses for the microprocessor, which then summarizes the results and presents it on the display.

10. Evaluation of the echotexture (ET) by Scanner 100
left testis right testis
The ultrasonic images of left and right testicles are recorded on disk. The average gray level were characterized on a 256 gray scale: 0 (dark) and 255 (light).

11. TesTracto software (developed for the data base) was used for the evaluation of the ultrasonic ET

12. New New development of the software: distribution evaluation of the gray levels

13. Ultrasonic examination of the prostate in dogs
Diameter:>5.5 cm
Echodenz spot
Echo poor area

14. Semen samples and evaluation
fresh: boar
frozen: bull, dog
Evaluation:
the total number of spermatozoa per ejaculate (TNS), the percentage of the live and motile spermatozoa by CASPAR software (Makler chamber was used to keep the 10 mm depth)

15. Using CASPAR for the semen evaluation

18. Statistical analysis Mean values and Person correlation coefficients
true positive and negative diagnosis
false positive and negative diagnosis
positive prediction value

19. Results 1. Morphological and semen (CASA) data

20. 2. Correlation coefficients and probabilities

21. 3. Correlation coefficients and probabilities for H-F bulls with visually examined semen data (n=88)

22. 4. Categories of diagnosis (just for bulls)
Based on SC, ET and TM. Examination of the bulls was performed at least 2 months prior to the semen production.
Semen was measured for at least 2 months after the beginning of the semen production: SV, SD, TSN
NP - No predicted semen production problem
PP - Possible predicted semen production problem
NUAI - Prediction: not useful as a breeding bull

23. 5. Prediction results in 1998

24. 6. Prediction results in 1999

25. Possible reasons of the incorrect predictions
Calcification. Dg.: PP
normal semen production months later
Small SC (20 cm at 8 months of age
normal SC size (32 cm) and semen
production4 months later

26. Possible reasons of the rejection
Cryptorchidism
Left testis: orchitis
right testis: fibrosis

27. Results of the dog semen freezing

28. Conclusions
The morphological parameters (SC and ET, possibly TM) of testis and scrotum reflect semen measurement.
Andrological data bases for males help define the “gold standards” of these markers at different age levels prior to semen production and assist in identifying young bulls which are not useful to the AI industry.