Influence of exogenous testosterone on sperm production, seminal quality and libido of stallions

The effect of exogenous testosterone on sperm production, seminal quality and libido was studied in 24 stallions. Based on pretreatment data, a stallion was assigned to 1 of 3 groups each containing 8 animals. One member of each group received 0 (Group 1), 50 (Group 2), or 200 micrograms (Group 3) testosterone propionate per kg body weight every 2 days for 88 days. The lower dose of testosterone had no significant effect on most of the parameters studied: the higher dose depressed total scrotal width at Day 90 post-treatment (P less than 0.01), total spermatozoa ejaculated between Days 60 and 90 (P less than 0.01) and 96 progressively motile spermatozoa between Days 60 and 90 (P less than 0.10). One half of the stallions from each treatment were castrated on Day 90. In the operated stallions, the mean number of spermatids per g testicular parenchyma in the controls (Group 1) was significantly (P less than 0.05) higher than that in Group 3 whereas the difference between the number of spermatids/testis in the same stallions of these two groups was significant only at P less than 0.1. Testosterone propionate treatment did not influence time to erection, interval from first mount to ejaculation or number of mounts per ejaculation. The treatment of normal, intact stallions with testosterone propionate did not enhance libido and caused a severe depression of reproductive capacity.