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Bìol. Tvarin. 2023; 25 (4): 26–31.
https://doi.org/10.15407/animbiol25.04.026
Received 18.09.2023 ▪ Revision 26.11.2023 ▪ Accepted 19.12.2023 ▪ Published online 29.12.2023

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Metabolic processes and reproductive ability of male rabbits under the action of heat stress

I. Yaremchuk, S. Kornyat, M. Sharan, O. Shtapenko, I. Gevkan, O. Andrushko

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Institute of Animal Biology NAAS, 38 V. Stusa str., Lviv 79034, Ukraine

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The aim of the work was to study the metabolic processes and reproductive capacity in male rabbits under conditions of heat stress and the action of a complex nanosomal preparation. We have studied the reproductive function in male rabbits under the effects of heat stress and the elimination of its negative effect by feeding a nanosomal drug. We have investigated the changes in biochemical parameters of blood and quality parameters of sperm of male rabbits under the studied factors. It was established that under conditions of heat stress, the pulse rate of rabbits increases by 24.9% (P<0.001), and after the introduction of the nanosomal preparation, it decreases by 10.7% (P<0.05). Heat stress caused changes in the biochemical parameters of the blood of male rabbits, which indicate a stressful state of the body: an increase in the level of glucose by 31.8% (P<0.01), against the background of a decrease in the main metabolic parameters: total protein by 12.5% (P<0.05), cholesterol by 31.4% (P<0.001), testosterone by 41.7% (P<0.001). Feeding the complex nanosomal preparation reduced the signs of body stress and intensified metabolic processes. Under the effects of heat stress, sperm quality indicators of male rabbits decreased: the concentration of sperm by 27.1%, the total number of sperm in the ejaculate by 25.3%, the number of sperm with rectilinear-progressive movement (PMOT) by 6% and the number of degenerated sperm increased by 35.4% (P<0.01). The kinematic parameters of sperm also decreased: the average speed of sperm head advancement along the average trajectory of movement (VAP) by 10.3%; the speed of rectilinear movement of the sperm head along the straight segment between the initial and final points of the trajectory (VSL) by 7.9%; the curvilinear velocity of the sperm head (VCL) by 6.7%. Feeding the complex nanosomal preparation led to an increase in the number of spermatozoa with rectilinear-progressive movement (PMOT) and an increase in the main kinetic indicators (VAP, VSL and VCL) of rabbit spermatozoa under the conditions of heat stress.

Key words: male rabbits, heat stress, blood, sperm, nanosomal drug, CASA

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