We evaluated the effects of feeding 6%, 12% or 18% crude glycerin, containing 80.5% glycerol, on testicular histomorphometry and markers of oxidative stress and on plasma testosterone concentrations in lambs. Body weight, testicular biometric measurements, gonadosomatic index and net weight of the testicles were higher for the treated groups (P <0.05) compared with a control group that did not receive dietary glycerin. The mean total length of seminiferous tubules was higher in the 6% group (P <0.05), while the mean total tubular and seminiferous epithelium volumes increased in all treated groups (P <0.05). The volume of Leydig cells increased in the 12% group, while their number per gram of testicle decreased (P <0.05). There was a decrease in mean nuclear diameter and mean volume of Leydig cells, and an increase in the mean number of these cells per gram of testicle, in the 18% group (P <0.05). Plasma testosterone concentrations were unaffected. There was desquamation of seminiferous epithelium and vacuolation of Sertoli cells in the treated groups. Variable degrees of spermatocyte necrosis and the presence of giant cells were seen in all groups and there was intense vacuolation of Sertoli cells in the 12% and 18% groups. Superoxide dismutase and catalase production increased most in the 12% and 18% groups (P <0.05), while glutathione production was higher in the 18% group (P <0.05). Mean nitric oxide concentration decreased in all treated groups (P <0.05), while malondialdehyde production was higher in the 18% group than in the control and 6% groups (P <0.05). We conclude that the inclusion of 6% glycerin in the diet of lambs results in changes in testicular morphology that have been previously associated with improved reproductive function, but without evidence of oxidative stress.

我们评估了饲喂含 80.5% 甘油的 6%、12% 或 18% 粗甘油对睾丸组织形态测定和氧化应激标志物以及对羔羊血浆睾酮浓度的影响。 与未接受膳食甘油的对照组相比，治疗组的体重、睾丸生物特征测量值、性腺指数和睾丸净重更高（P <0.05）。6% 组生精小管的平均总长度较高（P  <0.05），而所有治疗组的平均总管和生精上皮体积增加（P  <0.05）。Leydig 细胞体积在 12% 组中增加，而每克睾丸的数量减少（P <0.05）。在 18% 组中，Leydig 细胞的平均核直径和平均体积减少，而每克睾丸这些细胞的平均数量增加（P  <0.05）。血浆睾酮浓度不受影响。治疗组有生精上皮脱落和支持细胞空泡化。所有组均可见不同程度的精母细胞坏死和巨细胞的存在，12%和18%组的支持细胞有强烈的空泡化。超氧化物歧化酶和过氧化氢酶的产生在 12% 和 18% 组中增加最多（P  <0.05），而谷胱甘肽的产生在 18% 组中更高（P  <0.05）。所有治疗组的平均一氧化氮浓度均降低（P <0.05），而18%组的丙二醛产量高于对照组和6%组（P  <0.05）。我们得出结论，在羔羊的饮食中加入 6% 的甘油会导致睾丸形态发生变化，这些变化以前与生殖功能的改善有关，但没有氧化应激的证据。