Anna Niwińska

Reproductive performance in roe deer can vary with age, body mass, and habitat, but the relationships among these factors remain incompletely understood. We examined ovarian morphometry and reproductive activity in 105 female roe deer harvested in four hunting grounds in central Poland during 2023–2026. Ovarian length, width, circumference, follicle number, and corpora lutea number and area were assessed in relation to female age, habitat type, and pregnancy status based on macroscopic embryo detection. Ovarian length, width, and circumference increased with age, with the main differences occurring between yearlings and older females. Field-harvested females had greater body mass than forest-harvested females, but habitat type, age class, and body mass did not significantly explain variation in follicle number, corpora lutea number, or corpora lutea area among sexually mature females. Embryos were not detected in October or November; they were detected in 8.3% of females in December and 49% in January. These findings indicate that ovarian dimensions increase with age, whereas reproductive traits in sexually mature females show no clear differences between habitat types. The timing of embryo detection should also be considered when assessing pregnancy from reproductive tract examinations.

Equine endometrosis is a major cause of subfertility in mares characterized by fibrotic remodeling of the endometrium. Present study evaluated endometrial relative abundance of mRNA transcript of IGF1, MKI67, TGFB1 , and ACTA2 in relation to endometrosis severity and defined histopathological features. Forty-seven endometrial samples were graded according to the modified Kenney and Doig (KD) categories. Relative abundance of mRNA transcript was quantified by RT-qPCR and histopathology was extended using a standardized feature-based assessment. TGFB1 relative abundance of mRNA transcript was higher in category I+ than in category I and in samples with glandular basal lamina disruption. MKI67 relative abundance of mRNA transcript was lower in samples with luminal epithelial erosion. IGF1 relative abundance of mRNA transcript correlated negatively with KD category, glandular degeneration, overall inflammatory infiltration, lymphocytic infiltration, and neutrophilic infiltration. MKI67 correlated positively with ESR1 . These findings indicate that early endometrosis-compatible lesions are associated with increased TGFB1 transcription and that epithelial damage is accompanied by reduced MKI67 abundance of mRNA. The inverse associations between IGF1 abundance of mRNA and both lesion severity and inflammatory infiltration support a link between histopathological changes and reduced expression of a growth factor.

Detailed and direct analysis of semen, including sperm morphology, enables a diagnosis of male fertility. This study aimed to describe an economical and verified protocol for canine spermiograms and compare the effectiveness of Sperm Stain^® and Sperm Blue^® (Microptic, Spain) in veterinary practice. Sperm assessment was conducted manually, using a standard optical microscope, and via computerized semen analysis using the SCA^® CASA (Sperm Class Analyzer^® CASA System‐MICROPTIC, Spain). This study showed that Sperm Blue^® is a better solution for computerized sperm quality analysis of healthy dogs. At the same time, Sperm Stain^® turned out to be more helpful in identifying specific morphological defects of sperm. Automated canine sperm morphology analysis worked better with Sperm Blue stain, but Sperm Stain simplified manual evaluation of various organelles’ defects. Standard, manual examination is more error‐prone for an inexperienced andrology technician, but it seems to be still a gold standard technique for canine sperm assessment.