Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
4.2
3.0
Journals
Animals
Special Issues
Reproductive Disorders of Livestock Caused by Environmental Stress
share announcement

Reproductive Disorders of Livestock Caused by Environmental Stress

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Reproduction".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 September 2023) | Viewed by 6991

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Zhonghong Wu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Interests: animal husbandry environment engineering; environment and animal reproductive development
Dr. Yao Guo

E-Mail
Assistant Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Interests: environment and animal reproductive development; livestock environmental physiology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As an adaptative response to environmental changes and potential life threats, stress always seriously affects the reproductive function of humans and farm animals. Around the world, about 10-15% of couples are infertile. The decrease in reproductive capacity caused by environmental and psychological stress has become a major social problem. In animal husbandry, stress caused by unfavorable weather conditions and rearing methods impairs the reproductive performance of farm animals and causes huge economic losses to the livestock industry.

This Special Issue titled “Reproductive Disorders of Livestock Caused by Environmental Stress” aims to provide a critical forum for high-quality research of stress effects on animal reproductive physiology in mammals, with a focus on the effects of various environmental stresses on gametogenesis, fertilization, embryonic development, reproductive endocrinology, etc. Other research areas, including the physiological and behavioral responses to stress and adaptive mechanisms, could be considered for publication in this Special Issue if they contribute to the basic understanding of reproductive disorders caused by stress.

Prof. Dr. Zhonghong Wu
Guest Editor

Dr. Yao Guo
Assistant Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • physiological stress
  • environmental stress
  • embryonic development
  • gametogenesis
  • fertilization
  • pregnancy
  • reproductive disorder

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

17 pages, 2708 KiB  
Article
Impact of Cadmium and Lead Exposure on Camel Testicular Function: Environmental Contamination and Reproductive Health
by Saif Ullah, Wael Ennab, Quanwei Wei, Changfa Wang, Abdul Quddus, Sheeraz Mustafa, Tavakolikazerooni Hadi, Dagan Mao and Fangxiong Shi
Animals 2023, 13(14), 2302; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13142302 - 14 Jul 2023
Viewed by 1139
Abstract
The free grazing habits of camels from various sources may cause heavy metals to bioaccumulate in their tissues and organs, possibly resulting in higher amounts of these toxic substances in their bodies over time. The aim of this study was to assess the [...] Read more.
The free grazing habits of camels from various sources may cause heavy metals to bioaccumulate in their tissues and organs, possibly resulting in higher amounts of these toxic substances in their bodies over time. The aim of this study was to assess the exposure impact of lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) on bull camels of the Lassi breed, aged 7 to 8 years, at a site near the industrial area and another two non-industrial sites, to analyze the presence of heavy metals. Samples from three sites were collected from thirty camels (n = 10/each), soil and water (n = 30), and five different plants (n = 15/each) for analysis. Testes were collected for atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS), and hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. Serum samples were obtained to measure testosterone levels by radioimmunoassay (RIA). Samples were obtained from plants, soil, water, blood, serum and urine for AAS. According to the results, the testes’ weight, length, width, and volume significantly decreased at the industrial site compared with the other two sites as a result of exposure to Cd and Pb. Additionally, blood testosterone concentrations were considerably lower at the industrial site, indicating a detrimental impact on testicular steroidogenesis. The histological investigation of the industrial site indicated structural disturbances, including seminiferous tubule degeneration and shedding, cellular debris in seminiferous tubules, lining epithelium depletion, and vacuolation. Elevated amounts of Cd and Pb were found at the industrial site when analyzed using water, soil, plants, testes, serum, and urine. These findings demonstrate the adverse effects of Pb and Cd exposure on camel testicular function, including decreased weight and altered steroidogenesis. These findings are essential for understanding the impact of exposure to Pb and Cd on camel reproductive function and for developing successful prevention and management plans for these exposures in this species. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reproductive Disorders of Livestock Caused by Environmental Stress)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

18 pages, 4573 KiB  
Article
Microbiome–Metabolome Reveals the Contribution of the Gut–Testis Axis to Sperm Motility in Sheep (Ovis aries)
by Mingming Wang, Chunhuan Ren, Penghui Wang, Xiao Cheng, Yale Chen, Yafeng Huang, Jiahong Chen, Zhipeng Sun, Qiangjun Wang and Zijun Zhang
Animals 2023, 13(6), 996; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13060996 - 09 Mar 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1873
Abstract
A close association exists among testicular function, gut microbiota regulation, and organismal metabolism. In this study, serum and seminal plasma metabolomes, and the rumen microbiome of sheep with significant differences in sperm viability, were explored. Serum and seminal plasma metabolomes differed significantly between [...] Read more.
A close association exists among testicular function, gut microbiota regulation, and organismal metabolism. In this study, serum and seminal plasma metabolomes, and the rumen microbiome of sheep with significant differences in sperm viability, were explored. Serum and seminal plasma metabolomes differed significantly between high-motility (HM) and low-motility (LM) groups of sheep, and 39 differential metabolites closely related to sperm motility in sheep were found in seminal plasma metabolomes, while 35 were found in serum samples. A 16S rRNA sequence analysis showed that the relative abundance of HM and LM rumen microorganisms, such as Ruminococcus and Quinella, was significantly higher in the HM group, whereas genera such as Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group and Lactobacillus were enriched in the mid-LM group. Serum hormone assays revealed that serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and MT levels were significantly lower in the LM group than in the HM group, whereas serum glucocorticoid (GC) levels were higher in the LM group than in the HM group, and they all affected sperm motility in sheep. Ruminococcus and other rumen microorganisms were positively correlated with sperm motility, whereas Lactobacillus was negatively correlated with FSH and GCs levels. Our findings suggest that rumen microbial activity can influence the host metabolism and hormone levels associated with fertility in sheep. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reproductive Disorders of Livestock Caused by Environmental Stress)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

15 pages, 1056 KiB  
Review
Heat Stress as a Barrier to Successful Reproduction and Potential Alleviation Strategies in Cattle
by Imran Khan, Ayman Mesalam, Yun Seok Heo, Seo-Hyun Lee, Ghulam Nabi and Il-Keun Kong
Animals 2023, 13(14), 2359; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13142359 - 19 Jul 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3445
Abstract
In recent decades, the adverse effects of global warming on all living beings have been unanimously recognized across the world. A high environmental temperature that increases the respiration and rectal temperature of cattle is called heat stress (HS), and it can affect both [...] Read more.
In recent decades, the adverse effects of global warming on all living beings have been unanimously recognized across the world. A high environmental temperature that increases the respiration and rectal temperature of cattle is called heat stress (HS), and it can affect both male and female reproductive functions. For successful reproduction and fertilization, mature and healthy oocytes are crucial; however, HS reduces the developmental competence of oocytes, which compromises reproduction. HS disturbs the hormonal balance that plays a crucial role in successful reproduction, particularly in reducing the luteinizing hormone and progesterone levels, which leads to severe problems such as poor follicle development with a poor-quality oocyte and problems related to maturity, silent estrus, abnormal or weak embryo development, and pregnancy loss, resulting in a declining reproduction rate and losses for the cattle industry. Lactating cattle are particularly susceptible to HS and, hence, their reproduction rate is substantially reduced. Additionally, bulls are also affected by HS; during summer, semen quality and sperm motility decline, leading to compromised reproduction. In summer, the conception rate is reduced by 20–30% worldwide. Although various techniques, such as the provision of water sprinklers, shade, and air conditioning, are used during summer, these methods are insufficient to recover the normal reproduction rate and, therefore, special attention is needed to improve reproductive efficiency and minimize the detrimental effect of HS on cattle during summer. The application of advanced reproductive technologies such as the production of embryos in vitro, cryopreservation during the hot season, embryo transfer, and timed artificial insemination may minimize the detrimental effects of HS on livestock reproduction and recover the losses in the cattle industry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reproductive Disorders of Livestock Caused by Environmental Stress)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop