• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.373-380
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• 2000

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate effects of goat milk and fermented goat milk on reproductive function and stamina of male rodent. Methods: Experiment I: Male ICR mouse was divided into four groups. Group 1 none-treated control; Group 2 received saline; Group 3 received cow milk 10 ml/kg per day for 15 days; Group 4 received goat milk 10 ml/kg per day for 15 days. The cauda epididymal sperm motility and testicular sperm production were investigated. Experiment II: Male SD rat was divided into three groups. Group 1 received saline; Group 2 received goat milk 10 ml/kg per day for 28 days; Group 3 received fermented goat milk 10 ml/kg per day for 28 days. The cauda epididymal sperm motility and testicular sperm production were also investigated. The concentration of testosterone in serum at 1 and 3 weeks after treatment was determined using Immulite 2000 kit. Testes, epididymis, prostate, and seminal vesicle were weighed. Experiment III: Male ICR mouse was divided into four groups. Group 1 none-treated control; Group 2 received saline; Group 3 received goat milk 10 ml/kg per day for 4 weeks; Group 4 received fermented goat milk 10 ml/kg per day for 4 weeks. After treatment, the mouse was forced to swim to test for stamina. Results: In Experiment I, the cauda epididymal sperm motility after in vitro culture for 1 or 3 h was significantly (p<0.05) higher in cow milk and goat milk than in the control and saline. There was no significant difference in the cauda epidymal sperm motility between cow and goat milk. The testicular spermatid number was significantly (p<0.01) higher in goat milk (222.8${\times}10^6$) than in the control (108.6), saline (98.2), and cow milk (118.2). In Experiment II, the cauda epididymal sperm motility after in vitro culture for 1 h was significantly (p<0.05) higher in fermented goat milk than in saline and goat milk. There was no significant difference in the cauda epidymal sperm motility between saline and goat milk but goat milk showed slightly higher sperm motility than saline. After in vitro culture for 3 h, the cauda epididymal sperm motility was significantly (p<0.01) higher in fermented goat milk and goat milk than in saline. The testicular spermatid number was significantly (p<0.05) higher in goat milk than in saline, and significantly (p<0.01) higher in fermented goat milk than in saline. And the serum testosterone levels of rats administered with goat milk or fermented goat milk were increased but were no significant difference among three groups. Also the prostate weight was significantly (p<0.05) increased in the goat and fermented goat milk. In Experiment III, the swimming time in the goat milk and fermented goat milk groups was significantly (p<0.01) longer than in the control and saline. There was no significant difference in the swimming time between goat and fermented goat milk but the fermented goat milk showed slightly longer swimming time than the goat milk. Conclusion: The cauda epididymal sperm motility, the testicular spermatid number and stamina were improved when the mice and rats were drunk with goat milk or fermented goat milk.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.281-286
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• 2010

Recent evidence has revealed that the intratesticular injection of hypertonic saline(20%) resulted in a chemically castrated state such as nadir testosterone levels in rats. To confirm the efficacy of this simple saline-injection method further, we investigated the changes in the gross and microscopic anatomy of testis. Our study comprised three groups; intact(control) group, orchidectomy group and saline-injection (experimental) group. Single dose of hypertonic saline (sterilized, $750{\mu}{\ell}/testis$) were directly administered into both testis of adult rats (about 300 g BW). Bilateral orchidectomy was performed at the same day of saline injection. Following 30 days post-injection, reproductive tissues were surgically removed, weighed and fixed for histological examination. The body weights were not changed in both orchidectomy group and saline-injection group when compared to those in intact group. The wet weights of testis were significantly decreased in saline-injection group when compared to those in intact group. The wet weights of epididymis and seminal vesicle and prostate were significantly decreased in orchidectomy group and saline-injection group when compared to those in intact group. Macroscopically, the testes exerted slight atrophy and the tunica albuginea seemed to be intact in saline injection group. Histologically, however, larger parts of testicular tissue underwent necrosis and were barely recognizable after hematoxylin-eosin staining. In the same section, only the opposite part of the injection site was stained showing abnormal state of cell layers mostly fibrosis and infiltrated leukocytes. Sloughing of immature germ cells from the basement membrane along with shedding cells in the intraluminal space was notable in most seminiferous tubules from the saline injected testis. The present study confirmed that the direct injection of hypertonic saline into testis can induce a castration-like, testosterone-depriving effects on accessory sex organs. Our findings suggest that the efficacy of this less expensive and minimally invasive method seems to be almost even with that of conventional orchidectomy and chemical castration, though more in-depth evaluation should be supported.