Advances in applications of color Doppler ultrasonography in the andrological assessment of domestic animals: A review

• Published in: Theriogenology Vol. 161; pp. 252 - 261
• Main Authors: Samir, Haney, Radwan, Faten, Watanabe, Gen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.02.2021
• Subjects: Color Doppler ultrasonography; Farm animals; Infertility; Semen quality; Testicular blood perfusion; Testicular blood perfusion; Farm animals; Semen quality; Color Doppler ultrasonography; Infertility
• ISSN: 0093-691X; 1879-3231
• DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2020.12.002

Compared to human cases, potential applications of Doppler imaging technology in farm animals’ practice are still limited and are mostly concerned with females. Testicular blood perfusion (TBP) is the pathway through which all nutrients, oxygen, and regulatory agents pass through to the testis. TBP is crucial to the testis function because of the high metabolic rate and very low concentration of oxygen in the seminiferous tubules, which constitute about 70%–80% of the testicular mass. Color Doppler ultrasonography is one of the recent non-invasive technologies, which plays a vital role in the assessment of blood flow to the testis in various animal species. In the past 20 years, a significant number of studies have highlighted the importance of assessments of TBP using color Doppler ultrasonography to illustrate its potential uses for breeding soundness examination, diagnosis, and monitoring of infertility problems in farm animals. This review was aimed at providing, for the first time, updated knowledge on the potential clinical uses of color Doppler ultrasonography for the assessment of TBP in domestic animals. Additionally, a few essential details on the relationship between TBP and male fertility are discussed in this review. Furthermore, a number of caveats relating to the use of color Doppler ultrasonography are discussed, which collectively appear to constrain its routine, on-farm application for breeding soundness assessments, at least at the present. The new perspectives related to animal reproduction that researchers claim to do in further investigations are also discussed. [Display omitted] •Testicular blood flow has crucial roles for the testis function.•Color Doppler is a valid noninvasive tool to assess testicular hemodynamics in farm animals.•Close relationships between the testicular blood perfusion and semen quality of male animals.•Diagnosis of various reproductive disorders in the males by color Doppler ultrasonography.•There are challenges for future uses of color Doppler technologies in animal reproduction.