RELAÇÃO DO VOLUME TESTICULAR COM O NÍVEL SÉRICO DE TESTOSTERONA E CRESCIMENTO CORPORAL EM BRAHMAN DOS OITO AOS 18 MESES DE IDADE

Abstract

Aimed to study the relationship of testicular volume with serum testosterone level and body growth in Brahman cattle from 8 to 18 months of age, during the weaning period, kept at pasture in collective weight gain. Cattle (n = 40) aged 259.76 ± 26.15 days and weight of 239.71 ± 33.94 kg , were evaluated every 56 days during 294 days, totaling six measurements for body weight (BW), scrotal circumference (SC), thoracic perimeter (PT), body height (HC), body length (BL), body mass index (BMI), right testicular length (RTL) and left (LTL), right testicular height (RTH) and left (LTH), daily weight gain (DWG), testicular volume (TV) and serum testosterone (T). Was used analysis of variance followed by Tukey 5%. Correlations employed the method of Pearson. There were higher (P < 0.05) the third harvest (12.85 ± 0.87 months) in front for GMD x T. and higher ratings (P < 0.05) for BW, SC, EN, HC, BL, BMI, RTL, LTL, RTH, LTH and TV were obtained from the fourth harvest (14.72 ± 0.87 months). There was a correlation between T = 0.38 x PT (P <0.01); HC x T = 0.38 (P<0.01); HTD x T = 0.23 (P<0.05); HTE x T = 0.21 (P<0.01) and T x VT = 0.22 (P < 0.008). It is suggested to use the calculation of testicular volume in breeding soundness evaluation of young bulls, whose significant increase of the same may serve as a parameter for estimating the rapid increase in testosterone production, which was present at about 3.7 months before detection of a significant increase in testicular volume.