Testicular effects of different artificial photoperiods in male cats

M. GRISOLIA-ROMERO; M. FAYA; C. MARCHETTI; M. PRIOTTO; C. GOBELLO

Nantes

Simposio; 1st European Symposium on Animal Reproduction, 21st ? 23rd September 2023, Nantes, France; 2023

ESDAR, EVSSAR and ECAR (European Society for Domestic Animal Reproduction, European Veterinary Society for Small Animals Reproduction, European College of Animal Reproduction)

Although domestic cat has been traditionally classified as a seasonal species. Exogenous control of light could offer a tool to manage reproduction in this species. The objective of this study was to describe and compare the gross and microscopical testicular effects of a short and a long artificial photoperiod.Twelve, 1.5 to 3 years male cats were housed free in two windowless rooms with LED lamps under a short (SP, 6:18 L/D; n=6) and a long photoperiod (LP, 16:8 L/D; n=6) of 3 months each were preceded by an adaptation period of 3 months. Light had an intensity 400-600 luxes. Semen was collected by catheterization and the cats castrated at the end of the 3rd month of each treatment. Semen was analyzed and testes gross and histologically evaluated by routine techniques. Student t test were carried out to compare the recorded variables between photoperiods (SP vs LP). The level of significance was set at P0.05). Spermatozoa abnormalities were lower in LP (50±4.06 vs. 27.50±6.08; P < 0.05), the percentage of live sperm and volume were also higher but not significantly(P>0.05). Seminiferous tubular diameter (237.41±5.11 vs. 574.07±9.41; P=0.28) and tubular epithelium height (46.83±2.99 vs. 55.22±3.11; P=0.10) although larger in LP were not significantly different. The number of elongated spermatids (17.96±2.86 vs. 30.93±4.43; P