title: Sertoli cell index and spermatic reserves in adult captive African lions (Panthera leo, Linnaeus, 1758).
abstract: The intrinsic yield of spermatogenesis and the supporting indexes of the Sertoli cells are the best indicators for the spermatic production capacity in a species. The aim of the present study was to quantify the intrinsic yield of the spermatogenetic process, as well as the Sertoli cell index and spermatic reserves. Testicular fragments of five adult African lions was fixed in 4% glutaric aldehyde, dehydrated at increasing alcohol concentrations, included into hydroxyethyl methacrylate, and were cut into 4 microm thickness. In the seminiferous epithelium of the African lions, 10.3 primary spermatocytes at pre-leptotene phase are produced by the type-A spermatogonia. During meiotic divisions, only 2.7 spermatids were produced from the primary spermatocytes. The general spermatogenesis production in the African lions was approximately 22.1 cells, and each Sertoli cell was able to sustain and maintain approximately 14.9 cells of the germinative line, from which 7.9 are round spermatids. A total of 103x10(6) spermatozoa are produced by each testis gram at each cycle of the seminiferous epithelium. The spermatic reserve of lion is below the amplitude observed in mammals.
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Department, Federal University of Viçosa, Minas Gerais 36571-000, Brazil. boscobig@gmail.com
authors.forename: João Bosco Gonçalves
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: de Barros
authors.forename: Tarcízio Antônio Rego
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: de Paula
authors.forename: Sérgio Luis Pinto
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: da Matta
authors.forename: Cláudio César
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Fonseca
authors.forename: Flaviana Lima Guião
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Leite
authors.forename: João Luiz
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: Priscila Carvalho
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.forename: Eduardo Paulino
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: da Costa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000836:Animals, Zoo / Q000502:physiology*; D008045:Lions / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D012670:Seminiferous Epithelium / Q000166:cytology; D012708:Sertoli Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D013076:Sperm Count; D013087:Spermatids / Q000166:cytology; D013090:Spermatocytes / Q000166:cytology; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D013093:Spermatogonia / Q000166:cytology; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology