Evaluation of the chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay system for the measurement of testosterone in the serum and whole blood of stallions

Abstract

Testosterone (T) concentration is a useful indicator of reproductive function in male animals. However, T concentration is not usually measured in veterinary clinics, partly due to the unavailability of reliable and rapid assays for animal samples. In this study, a rapid chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay system (CLEIA system) that was developed for the measurement of T concentration in humans use was validated for stallion blood samples. First, serum T concentrations were measured using the CLEIA system and compared with those measured by a fluoroimmunoassay that has been validated for use in stallions. The serum T concentrations measured by the two methods were highly correlated (r = 0.9865, n = 56). Second, to validate the use of whole blood as assay samples, T concentrations in whole blood and in the serum were measured by the CLEIA system. T concentrations in both samples were highly correlated (r = 0.9665, n = 64). Finally, to evaluate the practical value of the CLEIA system in clinical settings, T concentrations were measured in three stallions with reproductive abnormalities after the administration of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Two stallions with small or absent testes in the scrotum showed an increase in T production in response to hCG administration and one stallion with seminoma did not. In conclusion, the CLEIA system was found to be a rapid and reliable tool for measuring T concentrations in stallions and may improve reproductive management in clinical settings and in breeding studs.

Graphical Abstract