THE IMPACT OF AGE AND NATURAL DEGENERATIVE PROCESSES IN THE TESTES OF STALLION EJACULATE

Abstract

The aim of our study was to assess the age and anatomical structure of stallion testes with regard to the quality of the produced ejaculate. Stallions were divided into three age groups. The first group (n=8) consisted of individuals aged 3–5 years, the second group (n=8) included stallions aged 6–11 years, and the oldest group (n=8) comprised individuals aged 12–25 years.Our study focused on reproductive parameters such as ejaculate volume, sperm concentration, and sperm motility. Significant differences were observed in sperm concentration and ejaculate volume. Sperm concentration decreased with age, with a reduction of 44.45 million sperm when comparing the first and second age groups and a further decrease of 43.79 million sperm between the second and third groups. In contrast, ejaculate volume exhibited an increasing trend with age, showing a difference of 8.32 mL between the first and second groups and 5.1 mL between the second and third groups. Additionally, we performed a palpation examination to assess degenerative processes associated with aging. We evaluated the parenchymal tone, the positioning of the testis within the scrotum, and testis size. No significant differences were found that would indicate an association between changes in testicular tone and the examined ejaculate parameters.