The failure of testicular descent (cryptorchidism) is known to cause abnormal\ntesticular development and function. Unilateral cryptorchidism is prevalent\nin West African Dwarf (WAD) goats particularly in some areas where affected\nbucks are presumed to have better libido and reproductive efficiency\nby farmers. Androgens produced by the testes can influence libido and other\nhormonal and metabolic processes in the body. The study investigated the influence\nof natural unilateral cryptorchidism on serum reproductive hormones,\ntotal protein, lipid profile, oxidative stress, and haematology and libido\nin WAD bucks. Ten WAD bucks (aged 12 - 14 months) comprising 5\nbucks with normal descended testes (N group) and 5 unilaterally-cryptorchid\nbucks (UC group) were studied. Blood and sera were collected and evaluated\nfor haematology, serum total proteins and lipids (cholesterol, triglycerides\nand lipoproteins) concentrations, serum oxidative stress (catalase and lipid\nperoxidation activity), and serum levels of reproductive hormones (testosterone,\nFSH and LH). Libido testing of bucks was also performed by randomly\nisolating and confining each individual male with a doe on standing heat and\nrecording the number of mountings made by the male within a period of 5\nminutes as the libido score. The evaluated haematological indices and serum\nlevels of proteins, lipids, oxidative stress indicators and reproductive hormones\nwere not significantly different between the N and UC groups (p >\n0.05). Although a higher mean libido score was recorded in N bucks compared\nto the UC group, this difference was not significant. Whereas no negative\neffects were observed in the evaluated physiologic indices in UC bucks,\nthese findings do not support the presumption by farmers that UC bucks \nhave better libido than bucks with fully descended testes. Therefore, these\nanimals should not be selected for breeding to avoid increasing the prevalence\nof unilateral cryptorchidism due to its genetic attribute.
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