Interpretive Summary: Medroxyprogesterone acetate in reindeer bulls: testes histology, cfos activity in the brain, breeding success, and semen quality

By: Janice E Rowell, John E Blake, Kathleen M Roth, Courtney M Sutton, Colleen C Sachse, Andrea S Cupp, Thomas W Geary, Abigail L Zezeski, Brenda M Alexander, Robert L Ziegler, Milan P Shipka

A single 400 mg dose of MPA given to reindeer bulls just before the onset of rut eliminates aggressive behavior and suppresses androgen concentrations without dramatic differences in the gross or histological structure of the testes within the first 30 d of treatment. By 60 d post-treatment, there is evidence of smaller testes size and decreased sperm density in treated bulls. However, if given the opportunity, some treated bulls can still successfully breed. Breeding success in MPA bulls was not solely related to previous breeding experience, body weight, or bull age. Androgen concentrations and semen characteristics did not vary with previous breeding experience. Failure of some treated bulls to breed appears to be a behavioral limitation. Differences in brain activity between control and treated bulls were few except for increased cfos activity in the central amygdala of MPA bulls, potentially increasing the fear response in these reindeer.

Read the full article on the Journal of Animal Science.