Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P56851 (epididymal)
 11,273 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Epididymal stones have been reported in roosters in the USA and Japan. The cause of this dysfunction, which is associated with low fertility, is not known. The hypothesis of the present study is that a potential cause is the aggressive selection of birds over many centuries based upon female egg laying traits, without concern for potential effects on the male. If this hypothesis is correct, one potential consequence would be the presence of epididymal stones only in domesticated fowl and this observation would be worldwide in distribution. The present study investigated epididymal lithiasis in Brazilian crossbreed roosters and two other fowl strains, in addition to several domestic and wild bird species. The efferent ductules contained stones in 94.3% of the roosters, but stones were absent in all other domestic and wild birds. The stones were irregular in shape, size and colour and consisted mainly of calcium. In affected roosters, the efferent ductules showed epithelial cell vacuolization and sloughing and peritubular mononuclear cell infiltration, culminating with atrophy. Signs of epithelial re-canalization were seen in ductules occluded by abnormal content, such as stones. In the testis, decrease in mass, sloughing of epithelium, mononuclear cell infiltration and tubular atrophy occurred. No correlation was found between the occurrence of stones and a positive test for ELISA IBV (infectious bronchitis virus), or between the number of stones and calcium concentration in water and food, indicating that IBV infection and calcium in the diet were not related to stones formation. This study confirms and extends information about the epididymal lithiasis, which appears to be unique for roosters but to occur around the world. The severity of the lesion points to potentially severe economical impact in the poultry industry.
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PMID:Epididymal lithiasis in roosters and efferent ductule and testicular damage. 1253 Sep 20

The formation of epididymal stones in the rooster epididymis is a widespread problem that has detrimental effects on sperm production and fertility. The cause of epididymal stones is unknown, but an infectious agent, the avian infectious bronchitis virus (AIBV), has been implicated. The goal of this study was to determine if administering the live attenuated AIBV vaccine to male chicks increases the incidence of stones in the epididymal region of the adult rooster. Specific pathogen free (SPF) Leghorn roosters were divided into two groups: a vaccine-free group (n = 7) and a group vaccinated with AIBV (n = 12). The vaccine was administered orally at 2, 4, 10, and 14 wk of age. Blood was drawn weekly to monitor antibodies to AIBV. At 26 wk of age, blood was obtained to determine testosterone concentrations, and reproductive tracts were removed to analyze daily sperm production and to detect epididymal stones. Nine of 12 vaccinated roosters developed stones, whereas those not given the vaccine did not develop stones. Serum testosterone concentrations were significantly (P < 0.05) reduced in vaccinated roosters with epididymal stones (3.6 +/- 0.30 ng/ml) when compared with nonvaccinated roosters that did not have epididymal stones (7.0 +/- 1.63 ng/ml). Testis weight was significantly (P < 0.05) reduced in vaccinated roosters with epididymal stones (12.1 +/- 0.76 g), as compared with nonvaccinated roosters without epididymal stones (15.2 +/- 0.81 g). Daily sperm production was significantly (P < 0.05) decreased in vaccinated roosters with epididymal stones (5.03 +/- 0.31 x 10(8) sperm/testis/day) when compared with nonvaccinated roosters without epididymal stones (7.43 +/- 0.52 x 10(8) sperm/testis/day). Comparing daily sperm production on a per gram basis, vaccinated roosters with epididymal stones had 4.38 +/- 0.14 x 10(7) sperm/g of testis, which was significantly (P < 0.05) smaller than nonvaccinated roosters without epididymal stones, which had 5.17 +/- 0.17 x 10(7) sperm/g of testis. We conclude that the use of a live attenuated AIBV vaccine increases the incidence of epididymal stones in roosters, resulting in decreased sperm production and decreased serum testosterone concentrations.
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PMID:Avian infectious bronchitis virus: a possible cause of reduced fertility in the rooster. 1566 74

Our objective was to determine if vaccination with killed avian infectious bronchitis virus (AIBV) causes epididymal calcium stones in the rooster as is seen following vaccination with live attenuated AIBV. Specific-pathogen-free roosters were divided into three groups: nonvaccinated (NONVAC), live attenuated AIBV-vaccinated (LVAC), and killed AIBV-vaccinated (KVAC) groups. Roosters were vaccinated at 2, 6, 10, and 14 wk of age and the epididymal region was observed at 27 wk of age. Epididymal stones were present in 13% of NONVAC, 50% of KVAC, and 64% of LVAC roosters. Histologically, immune cells were seen in the interstitium of efferent ductules containing stones. We conclude that use of a killed vaccine does not reduce the incidence of epididymal stones.
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PMID:Epididymal stone formation and decreased sperm production in roosters vaccinated with a killed strain of avian infectious bronchitis virus. 1727 99

1. It was previously found that cockerels vaccinated with live attenuated avian infectious bronchitis virus (AIBV) have decreased serum testosterone concentrations, epididymal stones and reduced fertility. The objectives of this study were twofold: to determine if reduced fertility following vaccination with live attenuated virus was the result of reduced sperm concentration or reduced sperm quality and to determine if vaccination with a killed strain of virus caused a similar reduction in sperm function in vivo. 2. Specific-pathogen-free Single Comb White Leghorn cockerels were divided into three treatment groups: no vaccination (NONVAC), vaccination with killed AIBV virus (KVAC) or vaccination with live attenuated AIBV virus (LVAC). Semen was collected daily from 17 to 27 weeks of age, and semen quality was assessed frequently by analysing sperm concentration, viability, motility, and ability to reach and interact with the ovum in vivo. Blood plasma was assayed for testosterone concentration. 3. Differences in sperm analysis among treatment groups were limited. Sperm viability was increased in NONVAC during week 20 which then decreased in week 22 when compared to vaccinated cockerels. Acrosome damage was increased in vaccinated cockerels in week 22, and decreased in weeks 25 and 27 when compared to controls, which correlate to the period of epididymal stone development. Plasma testosterone concentrations and sperm concentrations among treatment groups were different only at 16 and 19 weeks of age, respectively. There were no differences across treatment groups in sperm mobility through Accudenz or in numbers of sperm holes in perivitelline membranes of eggs following insemination with semen from 27-week-old cockerels. No differences were observed in viability or acrosome integrity between cockerels with and without epididymal stones within treatment groups. 4. In conclusion, pre-pubertal vaccination against AIBV and subsequent epididymal stone formation had a limited effect on sperm concentration, sperm quality and plasma testosterone concentrations. Vaccination with killed AIBV vaccine did not diminish effects on sperm function in vivo.
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PMID:Vaccination against the avian infectious bronchitis virus affects sperm concentration, sperm quality and blood testosterone concentrations in cockerels. 1795 34

The pathogenesis of infection involving both infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) and avian metapneumovirus (aMPV) causes reproductive damage in hens after viral replication in the epithelium of the oviduct, resulting in loss of cilia and degeneration and necrosis of the epithelial and glandular cells. Although IBV has been indicated as a possible cause of the formation of calcium stones in the epididymus of roosters, a definitive association has not been confirmed. This report describes the detection of IBV and aMPV in the testes of roosters from a Brazilian poultry broiler breeder's flock with epididymal stones and low fertility. Samples of testis, trachea, and lungs from breeder males aged 57 wk were positive for IBV by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and virus isolation and testis samples were also positive for aMPV by RT-PCR. The inoculation of testis samples into embryonated chicken eggs via the allantoic cavity resulted in curled, hemorrhagic, and stunted embryos typical of IBV infection. The allantoic fluid was positive by RT-PCR aimed to amplify the region coding for the S1 subunit of the IBV S gene, but it was not positive for aMPV. Sequence analysis of the amplified fragment revealed a close relationship with European IBV genotype D274, previously unreported in Brazil. These results indicate that IBV and perhaps aMPV are likely to have played a role in the pathogenesis of the testicular disease described and should be regarded as factors that can influence male fertility disease in chickens.
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PMID:Orchitis in roosters with reduced fertility associated with avian infectious bronchitis virus and avian metapneumovirus infections. 1825