Semen Quality, Testicular Cell Apoptosis, and Transcriptome Analysis Following Mild Scrotal Heat Stress in Wugu-Hu Crossbred and Hu Rams.

ABSTRACT: Hu and Wugu × Hu rams underwent scrotal insulation to simulate mild heat stress, resulting in a 3.0 ± 0.1 °C increase in scrotal surface temperature. Semen samples were collected every five days from day 11 to 56, and testis samples immediately after insulation. Both breeds experienced similar semen quality reductions and recovery trends, including reduced motility, concentration and the percentage of morphologically normal, but on days 41 and 46, Wugu-Hu rams exhibited significantly lower sperm motility than Hu rams (p < 0.05). Wugu-Hu rams demonstrate more transcriptomic changes. Further GO analysis revealed enrichment in spermatogenesis-related processes, while KEGG analysis identified Oocyte meiosis and cell cycle pathways, with a downregulation of key genes (CDK1, CDK2, CDC20,

SUBMITTER: Chen S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11898594 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature