Coat color affects the resilience against heat stress impacts on testicular hemodynamics, reproductive hormones, and semen quality in Baladi goats

Abstract

Drastic climatic changes threaten animal productivity and prolificacy, whose adaptability is governed by its pheno- and genotypic traits. This study was aimed at investigating the effect of coat color on the adaptability of goat bucks under heat stress conditions from the perspectives of testicular blood flow (TBF) and biometry, reproductive hormones, and semen quality. Twenty bucks ( Capra hircus) bearing different coat colors were selected from a large flock and divided into four equal groups (n = 5 each) as follows: black coat (BC; 100% black), brown coat (BrC; 100% dark brown), white coat (WC; 100% white), white-black coat (WBC; 50–60% white). Bucks were examined for TBF [Doppler ultrasonography and serum nitric oxide (NO)], testosterone (T) and luteinizing hormone (LH), seminal plasma oxidative biomarkers [catalase (CAT), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and malondialdehyde (MDA)], and sperm traits percentages [progressive motility (PM), viability (SV), normal morphology (NM), and sperm concentration (SC) once a week for seven consecutive weeks (W1-W7) in the summer season (temperature humidity index = 88.4–92.2). Specifically, at W3-W7, darker bucks (BC and BrC) testicular volume, testicular colored area, T, NO, CAT, TAC, PM, SV, NM, and SC (W7 only) differed significantly (P < 0.05) by decrease than the lighter ones (WC and WBC). Both Doppler indices and serum MDA concentrations were elevated ( P < 0.05) at W3-W7 in the BC and BrC bucks compared to WC and WBC groups. In conclusion, bucks with lighter coats were more resistant to the negative effects of HS on TBF, seminal oxidative biomarkers, and semen quality.