U.S. Department of Agriculture: Agricultural Research Service, Lincoln, Nebraska
Date of this Version
1974
Abstract
Total of 73 crossbred rams was used to determine spermatogenic and steroidogenic changes in the testis of the growing animal. Testicular weight increased slowly until 80 days of age, then increased tenfold during the following 3 months. Spermatogenesis began in rams at 60 to 70 days of age and was qualitatively complete by 120 days. Although testicular levels of the enzyme carnitine acetyltransferase (CAT) increased in growing rams, CAT did not appear to be uniquely associated with any particular cell type. Therefore, this enzyme was judged to be unsatisfactory as a cell "marker" in studying spermatogenesis in this species. Serum testosterone levels, measured by radioimmunoassay, increased during the puberal period from 0.1 ng/ml to 2.0 ng/ml, and were highly correlated with increased CAT levels (r = 0.75; P< .01).
Comments
Published in Journal of Animal Science (1974) 39:5, 889-892