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Impotentia generandi in male dromedary camels: heavy metal and trace element profiles and their relations to clinical findings and semen quality

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the profiles of cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), selenium (Se), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), molybdenum (Mo), iron (Fe), and manganese (Mn) in serum of dromedary camels with impotentia generandi and their associations with the clinical findings and semen analysis data. Sixteen male dromedary camels with impotentia generandi (IG group) and 5 fertile camels (FERT group) were used. The external and internal genital organs were examined using visual inspection, palpation, and ultrasonography. Semen was collected by electroejaculation and examined for volume, count, motility, viability, and abnormality. Blood was collected from all camels and serum was harvested. All serum samples were digested by concentrated acids and analyzed for heavy metals and trace elements by flame emission atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Results showed that the mean heavy metal and trace element concentrations in serum were in the following descending order Fe > Zn > Cu > Cd > Mo > Se > Mn > Pb. Cd was higher in IG than in FERT males (P = 0.02). Se was greater in FERT than in IG groups (P = 0.003). Zn was higher in in FERT than in IG groups (P = 0.001). There were positive correlations between Zn and sperm count (r = 0.59, P = 0.005) and sperm motility (r = 0.57, P = 0.005) and a tendency for negative correlation between Zn and sperm abnormalities (r = − 0.44, P = 0.05). In conclusion, Cd might be implicated as a cause of infertility in male camels. Deficiencies of Se and Zn may also have adverse impacts on male camel reproduction.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Qassim University, P.O. Box 6622, Buraidah, 51452, Saudi Arabia

    Ahmed Ali, Derar R. Derar & Tariq I. Almundarij

  2. Department of Theriogenology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, 71526, Egypt

    Ahmed Ali & Derar R. Derar

  3. Department of Soil, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Buraydah, Qassim, 51452, Saudi Arabia

    Essam M. Abdel-Elmoniem

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  1. Ahmed Ali
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  2. Derar R. Derar
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  3. Essam M. Abdel-Elmoniem
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  4. Tariq I. Almundarij
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Correspondence to Ahmed Ali.

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This study was approved by the Animal Care and Welfare Committee, Deanship of Scientific Research, Qassim University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

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Ali, A., Derar, D.R., Abdel-Elmoniem, E.M. et al. Impotentia generandi in male dromedary camels: heavy metal and trace element profiles and their relations to clinical findings and semen quality. Trop Anim Health Prod 51, 1167–1172 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-019-01803-7

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