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Asian Journal of Poultry Science

Year: 2015 | Volume: 9 | Issue: 4 | Page No.: 223-232
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Authors

A.M. Hanafy

H.A. Khalil

Keywords

Research Article

Influence of Chronic Dexamethasone Administration on Reproductive Parameters and Semen Traits in Male of Japanese Quail

A.M. Hanafy and H.A. Khalil
The present study was conducted to determine the effects of chronic Dexamethasone (DEX) administration on physiological traits and semen characteristics in male Japanese quail breeders. Forty five 20 week old male quail were distributed into 3 experimental groups. All groups were fed on the same basal diet and administered with different levels of DEX, at 0 (as a control group), 0.25 and 0.50 mg/bird/day orally for 14 consecutive days. Body weight, feed intake, cloacal gland area and fertility percentage were recorded. Also, male genital organs were investigated and semen characteristics were estimated at the end and after 28 days of administration ended. Serum testosterone and corticosterone levels were analyzed by ELISA. The results revealed that, there were no significant effects of ingested DEX at different levels on body weight, feed intake and testes weight of the male Japanese quail breeders. However, the administration of DEX at 0.25 and 0.50 mg/bird decreased significantly cloacal gland area, foam production, sperm motility and viability and testosterone level. Also, treatments with DEX increased Time of Sexual Libido (TSL), Methylene Blue Reaction Time (MBRT) and serum corticosterone level compared with control group. Also, significant decrease in fertility percentage was observed after male exposure to DEX. Even after 4 weeks from administration ended, libido and sperm motility were significantly impaired. Also, significant negative correlations were found between serum corticosterone level and most studied traits. Our results indicated that chronic DEX administration had markedly effects on the reproductive performance of male quail for several weeks even after exposure to a stressors ends.
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