Chios ram testicular blood flow and echotexture changes depending on age, season and ejaculation process

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the impact of age, season and ejaculation on ram testicular blood flow and echotexture. The survey was conducted biweekly on 7 Chios rams for one year, including breeding and non-breeding periods. The rams were divided into 2 age groups: 3 rams 2-6 years old (mature) and 4 rams 9-13 years old (old). Hemodynamic indices [Pulsatility index (PI), Resistive index (RI), End-diastolic velocity (EDV), testicular artery Diameter (D), Time-averaged maximum velocity (TAVM), Blood flow volume (BFV)] and echotexture parameters [Mean value (MV), Contrast (Con), Gray value distribution (GVD), Run length distribution (RunLD), Long run emphasis (LRunEm), Entropy (Ent), Correlation (Cor), Standard deviation (StD), Gray variance (GV) and Gradient mean value (GMV)] were evaluated in each testis before and after ejaculation. Ejaculation did not affect testes blood flow or echotexture (p>0.05). PI and RI were higher in the breeding period compared to the non-breeding period, for both testes (p<0.001). Left testis GV and Cor before ejaculation were lower (p=0.01) and higher (p=0.03), respectively, in the breeding compared to the non-breeding period. Left testis D (p=0.005) and BFV (p<0.001) were higher in old compared to mature rams after ejaculation. Right testis Con (p=0.03) and Cor (p=0.05) before ejaculation were higher in old rams, whereas right testis Ent after ejaculation was higher in mature rams (p=0.05). In conclusion, testicular blood flow and echotexture are affected by season and ram age, but not by ejaculation.