Comparison of concentration of 17b-estradiol (E2) and total testosterone (TT) in serum in young males of European bison with or without spermiogenesis

Abstract

The aim of our study was to determine, how often spermiogenesis in young males of European bison up to 3 years old occurs and what is the concentration of 17b-estradiol (E2) and total testosterone (TT) in serum of those animals in comparison to the ones without spermiogenesis in the same age group. The animals were divided into two age groups: young males up to 2 years and young males up to 3 years old, with further separation into specimens with or without spermiogenesis. The study was performed on sections of testes and epididymis collected from 51 males in the age between 2–3 years old. The animals were culled during the autumn-winter seasons (after rutting period) in years 1994–2008 in the Bialowieża Primeval
Forest. Moreover the concentration levels of E2 were determined in serum of 51 individuals and TT in serum of 46 animals. There was no significant difference between mean values of E2 and TT concentration in serum of young male European bison up to 2 and 3 years old.