Hair cortisol and testosterone concentrations and semen production of Bos taurus bulls

Figures & data

Table 1. Technical settings for CASA SpermVision (Minitübe GmbH, Germany), as used in the present study.

Parameter
Depth of sample chamber	20 μm
Light adjustment	100–155
Temperature of analysis	37 °C
Dimension of sperm heads	22–99 μm^2
Frame rate	60 s^−1
Immotile	AOC <3.5 μm s^−1
Lateral motile	DSL <15μm s^−1, VSL <20μm s^−1and VAP <24.9 μm s^−1
Progressively motile	STR >0.5 and LIN >0.35
Non linear	STR <0.5 and LIN <0.35
Curvilinear	DAP/Radius =3 and LIN <0.5
Round pat area	average <40 μm^2, BCF = 0 and AOC >8

Table 2. Estimated marginal means of hair cortisol and testosterone concentrations recorded monthly in Italian Simmental (PRI) and Brown Swiss (BS) bulls breed.

	Breed		Sampling time					p-Value
	PRI	BS	ST1	ST2	ST3	ST4	CV	B	ST	B × ST
Cortisol, pg/mg	4.51	4.84	3.68^a	6.79^b	4.85^ab	3.93^a	0.687	ns	**	ns
Testosterone, pg/mg	10.94^a	6.95^B	11.32	8.15	7.53	8.36	1.017	**	ns	ns

CV: coefficient of variation; B: breed; ST: sampling time; B × ST: breed × sampling time; ns: not significant.

^a,b,** p < .01.

Table 3. Estimated marginal means of semen variables recorded in Italian Simmental (PRI) and Brown Swiss (BS) bulls as related to Low (<4.17 pg/mg) and High (≥4.17 pg/mg) hair cortisol concentrations.

	Breed		Hair cortisol group			p-Value
	PRI	BS	Low	High	CV	B	CG	B × CG
Concentration (×10^9)	1386	1186	1238	1314	0.418	ns	ns	ns
TNS (×10^9)	5.61	4.02	4.72	4.91	0.645	.06	ns	ns
Fresh
Mtot, %	78.77	68.31	71.52	75.55	0.190	**	ns	ns
Mpro, %	67.42	56.58	59.91	64.09	0.242	**	ns	ns
DAP	47.66	46.77	47.70	46.73	0.114	ns	ns	ns
DCL	81.15	76.63	79.15	78.64	0.123	.08	ns	ns
DSL	43.42	42.95	43.71	42.67	0.120	ns	ns	ns
VAP	106.91	104.41	106.68	104.64	0.119	ns	ns	ns
VCL	181.84	170.93	176.87	175.91	0.128	.07	ns	ns
VSL	97.38	95.91	97.75	95.55	0.125	ns	ns	ns
STR	0.905	0.912	0.910	0.907	0.017	.08	ns	ns
LIN	0.584	0.557	0.549	0.539	0.056	**	ns	ns
WOB	0.590	0.606	0.599	0.591	0.051	**	ns	ns
ALH	4.49	4.07	4.25	4.30	0.159	*	ns	ns
BCF	35.42	36.43	36.05	35.79	0.082	ns	ns	ns

CV: coefficient of variation; B: breed; CG: cortisol group; B × CG: breed × cortisol group; TNS: total number of spermatozoa in the ejaculate; Mtot: total motility; Mpro: progressive motility; DAP: distance of average path; DCL: curvilinear distance; DSL: straight line distance; VAP: average path velocity; VCL: curvilinear velocity; VSL: straight line velocity; STR: straightness (STR = VSL/VAP); LIN: linearity (LIN = VSL/VCL); WOB: wobble (WOB = VAP/VCL); ALH: amplitude of lateral head displacement (ALH); BCF: beat cross frequency (BCF); ns: not significant.

* p < .05.

** p < .01.