Morphology, histology, and proteomics of the testicle and epididymis of European quail fed calcium anacardate

ABSTRACT This report examines the effects of calcium anacardate (CA) on the morphology, histology, and proteomics of the testes and epididymal ducts of breeding quail. To that end, 22 140-day-old males were grouped in four treatments, each with different concentrations of CA: 0% (control), 0.25%, 0.50%, and 0.75%. The testicles of the animals were weighed and measured, and proteins from the testicles were separated by 1D SDS-PAGE and analyzed via mass spectrometry. Overall, 35 bands were identified in the testicular tissue gels of European quail. Of these, 13 were significantly different, with treatment 0.75% CA being different from the control in all bands. Significant differences among the mean heights of the seminiferous epithelium and diameters of the epididymal duct were observed. In the control group, the average height of the seminiferous epithelium was 71.2 µm, and in 0.75% CA, it was 45.6 µm. Supplementing feed with CA altered the expression of specific proteins, such as superoxide dismutase and heat shock proteins, of the seminal plasma of quail, in addition to facilitating histological alterations regarding the height of the seminiferous epithelium and the diameter of the epididymal duct, improving the reproductive parameters.