{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,23]],"date-time":"2026-08-23T15:39:08Z","timestamp":1787499548803,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":74,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"12","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,11,30]],"date-time":"2020-11-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1606694400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Operational Programme Human Resources Development, Education and Lifelong Learning 2014- 2020","award":["MIS 5004681"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["MIS 5004681"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Pathogens"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of experimental Toxoplasma gondii infection on ram sperm quality. Five months old, pre-pubertal, rams were divided into four groups (n = 8 per group). Group A was the control group; the remaining animals received per os (p.o.) 5000 oocysts per ram. Group B did not receive treatment post-infection (p.i.). Group C received sulphadimidine (intermuscular injection (i.m.) 33 mg\/kg for eight days; every 48 h) two months p.i. and Group D received the same drug twice (24 h p.i. and two months later). Blood samples were collected every 15 days to detect serum immunoglobulin G (IgG). Epididymal sperm samples were analyzed for concentration, kinetics, morphology\/viability, functional membrane integrity, DNA integrity, and the presence of parasite DNA. Histopathological examination was performed on the testes. The IgG titres in infected groups raised two weeks p.i. and remained high for four months. Higher values were noticed in viability and functional membrane integrity in positive spermatozoa in the control group compared to other groups, level of significance p &lt; 0.05. Abnormal sperm was higher in groups C and D vs. A and C vs. B (p &lt; 0.05). T. gondii DNA was detected in three sperm samples of the infected rams (12.5%). Histopathology revealed similar findings with little variation among all infected groups, characterized mostly by increased interstitial connective tissue, non-purulent inflammation, and presence of seminiferous tubules with spermatogenic cell depletion, which increased gradually from D to C and B groups. In conclusion Toxoplasmosis in pre-pubertal age negatively affected mature ram sperm quality, while sulphadimidine administration failed to alter this.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/pathogens9121004","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,11,30]],"date-time":"2020-11-30T10:26:12Z","timestamp":1606731972000},"page":"1004","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":9,"title":["Effect of Toxoplasma gondii on Ram Sperm Quality after Experimental Infection"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"9","author":[{"given":"Theofanis","family":"Fais","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Unit of Biotechnology of Reproduction, Farm Animals Clinic, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54627 Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nektarios","family":"Giadinis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Farm Animals Clinic, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54627 Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2564-5203","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Elias","family":"Papadopoulos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Georgia","family":"Brellou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54627 Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8524-6218","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alexandros","family":"Theodoridis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Animal Production Economics, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Radu","family":"Blaga","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"UMR BIPAR, Ecole Nationale V\u00e9t\u00e9rinaire d\u2019Alfort, ANSES, Animal Health Laboratory, National Reference Laboratory for Foodborne Parasites, Universit\u00e9 Paris-Est, INRA, Paris, 14 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 94700 Maisons-Alfort, France"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Delphine Le","family":"Roux","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"UMR BIPAR, Ecole Nationale V\u00e9t\u00e9rinaire d\u2019Alfort, ANSES, Animal Health Laboratory, National Reference Laboratory for Foodborne Parasites, Universit\u00e9 Paris-Est, INRA, Paris, 14 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 94700 Maisons-Alfort, France"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Dimitra","family":"Bitchava","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Veterinary Laboratories Vet in Progress plus, 2 Kritis and Agias Theklas, 15343 Athens, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Aikaterini","family":"Ntemka","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Unit of Biotechnology of Reproduction, Farm Animals Clinic, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54627 Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Constantin","family":"Boscos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Unit of Biotechnology of Reproduction, Farm Animals Clinic, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54627 Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1623-515X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ioannis","family":"Tsakmakidis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Unit of Biotechnology of Reproduction, Farm Animals Clinic, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54627 Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,11,30]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Dubey, J.P. 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