Veterinarians use flumequine (FLU) widely but its toxicological effects are still unclear. FLU doses of 53, 200, or 750 mg/kg were administered orally for six weeks to pubertal male rats for evaluation of their toxicity. Weight gain was poorer after seven days of exposure to FLU 750, but relative weights of the brain, adrenal and thyroid glands, and testes were notably higher. Haematological and lipid profile parameters, cardiac markers, and inorganic phosphate significantly increased in the FLU 750 group. Blood glucose, oestradiol and serum concentrations of immunoglobulins G (IgG) and E (IgE) significantly decreased after treatment. The levels of interleukins 10 (IL-10) and 6 (IL-6) fell significantly in the FLU 200 and FLU 750 groups. Cytochrome P450, family 1, subfamily A, polypeptide 1 (CYP1A1) and cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2) expression amplified after treatment. Serum levels of free triiodothyronine (fT3) and free thyroxine (fT4) reduced in the FLU 200 and FLU 750 groups without changes in total T3 or T4 level. All doses of FLU significantly depressed concentrations of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and testosterone. Histopathology of thyroid glands from rats treated with FLU 750 showed degeneration and depletion of thyroid follicular epithelial cells. Expression of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) was increased in a dose-dependent manner in the brain, but decreased in the testes. Expression of CYP1A1 increased in the adrenal and pituitary glands. The results of this study suggest that the toxicity of FLU in rats is an effect of its disruptive influence on the pituitary-thyroid hormonal system and on the dysfunction of the immune system.

As little information is available on the reproductive system of guinea fowl (Numida meleagris), a study was conducted on 49 male guinea fowl to document the histological structure and developmental changes in the luminal diameter of the ducts within the excurrent duct system and associated changes in concentrations of testosterone. Age-related changes were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test and medians separated by the Mann-Whitney U-test. Tubuli recti were clearly visible in the guinea fowl and the rete testes were both intracapsular and extracapsular. Regardless of age, the luminal diameter of the proximal ductuli efferentes was the largest, while that of the connecting duct was the smallest. The luminal diameter of all ducts within the epididymal region increased (P < 0.001) monthly until 20 wk of age, and then increased marginally every month thereafter. Peripheral testosterone concentrations also peaked at 20 wk of age and declined thereafter. In adult birds, the ductus deferens enlarged posteriorly, from an average of about 279 μm cranially to 678 μm caudally. Peripheral testosterone concentrations strongly and positively correlated with the luminal diameter of ducts within the excurrent duct system. The pattern of increase in the luminal diameter of all ducts followed the pattern of testosterone secretion in these birds, which indicates that testosterone concentrations may be closely related to the development of the excurrent duct system in male guinea fowl.

OBJECTIVE To determine the effect of subchronic oral exposure to zearalenone (ZEA) at a daily dose of 50 μg of ZEA/kg of body weight (an environmentally relevant concentration) on the reproductive system of rabbit bucks. ANIMALS 8 healthy sexually mature New Zealand White rabbits. PROCEDURES During the experimental period (March to June), each rabbit underwent a 7-week control protocol and then a 7-week treatment protocol. Water (0.5 mL) or ZEA solution (50 μg/kg [0.5 mL]) was administered orally once daily during the control and treatment period, respectively; ejaculates were collected weekly. Studied end points included semen quality variables (spermatozoa kinetics, morphology, viability, and DNA fragmentation), serum testosterone concentration, and results of histologic examination of the testes and epididymides following euthanasia at the end of the experimental period. RESULTS Treatment with ZEA solution resulted in significant increases in spermatozoa beat-cross frequency, in the percentages of spermatozoa with head and midpiece abnormalities, and in the percentages of DNA-fragmented spermatozoa, compared with effects of the control treatment. Serum testosterone concentration, other spermatozoa velocity variables, and percentages of progressive and total motility, rapidly or slowly moving spermatozoa, and live spermatozoa did not differ significantly between the 2 periods. Histologic examination revealed no patterns of abnormal findings in the testes and epididymides. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Oral treatment with ZEA solution at an environmentally relevant concentration caused minor interference with rabbit bucks' sperm quality. Although mostly considered mild, the sperm quality changes warrant further investigation in terms of fertilizing capacity impairment.

The present study describes the use of electrochemiluminescenceimmunoassay (ECL) with the specific human kit for measuring plasma testosterone and progesterone in ovine. This study wascarried out on 16 mixed age animals of the local breed. They were divided into two groups of both sexes, namely Male-1 Group,Male-2 Group, Female-1 Group and Female-2 Group. Blood samples were collected from the jugular vein into tubes containing EDTAand centrifuged at 1500 rpm for 20 min. Plasma was rapidly separated and stored at -20° C until assayed. The reproducibilityinter- and intra-assay of the P4- and T-ECL is satisfactory (2.11-7.3 %). The accuracy (93-102 %) and the test of parallelism were largely acceptable. No cross-reaction was observed with the different hormones including PMSG,hCG, progesterone,testosterone, oxytocin and PGF2α when concentrations of 10 UI/ml and 10-3 UI/ml were used. T concentrations were higher in Male-1 Group than in Male2 Group (1.67 ± 1.15 and 0.38 ± 0.45 ng/ml, respectively). The female-1 Group showed very high P4 concentrations (15.17 ± 4.91 ng/ ml) compared to the Female-2 Group (0.08 ± 0.04 ng/ml). The results obtained clearly show that human ECL system can be used to measure progesterone and testosterone in plasma ovine