Feasibility of Pulsed Wave Doppler for Evaluation of Testicular Hemodynamics during pre and Post-pubertal Periods in Egyptian Male Donkeys

Abstract

The objective of this work was to study the feasibility of pulsed wave Doppler ltrasonography for evaluation of testicular hemodynamics and to establish its normal values during pre- and post-pubertal in clinically healthy male Egyptian donkeys. Both testes from each of 14 mature (6-10 years) and 10 immatures (1-1.5 years) male donkeys were examined using caliper (testicular length, width and depth). Then, a portable color Doppler ultrasound was used to measure the pulsatility index (PI), resistive index (RI), Systolic velocity peak (SVP) and end diastolic velocity (EDV) of the testicular arteries in each of two locations. There were no significant differences between the caliper measurements and blood flow indices of the left and right testes. All indices measurements at the spermatic cord (in the middle of pampiniform plexus) were achievable in pre- and post-pubertal animals. All values were higher at the convoluted location than at the marginal aspect of the artery (P < 0.05) except EDV. The wave forms at convoluted segment were mainly biphasic (resistive) and that at marginal part were mainly nonphasic (non-resisrtive). There were non-significant correlations between each of the blood flow measurements and the age (Pearson, for PI, r = –0.065; RI, r = –0.07; SVP, r = 0.16; and EDV, r = –0.25; P> 0.05). In conclusion pulsed wave Doppler ltrasound characterization of blood flow of the donkeys' testis is possible, and will likely become a seful tool for quantitative evaluation of the testicular vasculature/hemodynamic in male donkey. Further studies are needed on both normal and abnormal testes to clarify the usefulness of this technology in diagnosis of infertility problems of Egyptian male donkey.