| Abstract: | ![]()
Although color Doppler ultrasonography has been used to evaluate testicular blood flow inmany species, very little has been done in goat. Eight male Shiba goats were exposed to asingle intramuscular injection of either gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH group; 1µg/kg BW) or human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG group; 25 IU/kg BW).Plasma testosterone (T), estradiol (E2) and inhibin (INH) were measured just before (0 hr)and at different intervals post injection by radioimmunoassay. Testis volume (TV) andDoppler indices, such as resistive index (RI) and pulsatility index (PI) of thesupratesticular artery, were measured by B-mode and color Doppler ultrasonography,respectively. The results indicated an increase in testicular blood flow in both groups,as RI and PI decreased significantly (P<0.05), but this increase wassignificant higher and earlier in hCG group (1 hr) than in the GnRH group (2 hr). A highcorrelation was found for RI and PI with both T (RI, r= −0.862; PI, r= −0.707) and INH inthe GnRH group (RI, r=0.661; PI, r=0.701). However, a significant(P<0.05) correlation was found between E2 and both RI (r= −0.610) andPI (r= −0.763) in hCG group. In addition, TV significantly increased and was highlycorrelated with RI in both groups (GnRH, r= −0.718; hCG, r= −0.779). In conclusion, hCGand GnRH may improve testicular blood flow and TV in Shiba goats. |
