Testosterone suppression with or without testicular Preservation: Impact on mouse behavior, including emotional state, locomotor activity, social interaction, cognitive function, and sexual behavior

The deposition of androgens significantly influences livestock meat quality, yet traditional surgical castration methods involving testicular removal raise concerns about animal welfare due to their association with stress and behavioral changes. To address these issues, this study compared two approaches—surgical castration (testicular removal) and immunocastration (retention of testicular tissue)—to evaluate their psychological and behavioral impacts in mice across domains such as sexual behavior, emotional regulation, locomotor activity, social interaction, and memory performance. Results demonstrated that surgical castration induced robust depressive-like symptoms, including reduced motivation and impaired social engagement, whereas immunocastrated mice exhibited normal emotional and social behaviors without signs of depression or distress. These findings highlight the psychological burden of surgical castration and underscore the ethical implications of its use. Immunocastration emerges as a more humane alternative, effectively controlling sexual behavior without inducing depressive-like symptoms, likely by preserving the animals' sense of normalcy and dignity. This study emphasizes the importance of balancing productivity with ethical considerations in livestock management and provides valuable insights for advancing welfare-friendly castration methods. By advocating for immunocastration, this research contributes to improving animal welfare standards while maintaining meat quality, offering a promising alternative to traditional practices.