Cell population indexes of spermatogenic yield and testicular sperm reserves in adult jaguars (Panthera onca).
The intrinsic yield of spermatogenesis and supporting capacity of Sertoli cells are the desirable indicators of sperm production in a species. The objective of the present study was to quantify intrinsic yield and the Sertoli cell index in the spermatogenic process and estimate testicular sperm reserves by histological assessment of fragments obtained by testicular biopsy of five adult jaguars in captivity. The testicular fragments were 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 jaguar, 9.2 primary spermatocytes in pre-leptotene were produced by "A" spermatogonia. During the meiotic divisions only 3.2 spermatids were produced by a primary spermatocyte. The general spermatogenic yield of the jaguar was about 23.4 cells and each Sertoli cell was able to maintain about 19.2 germ cells, 11 of them were round spermatids. In each seminiferous epithelium cycle about 166 million spermatozoa were produced by each gram of testicular tissue. In adult jaguars, the general spermatogenic yield was similar to the yield observed in pumas, greater than that observed for the domestic cat, but less compared to most domestic animals.
de Azevedo
Maria Helena Ferreira
MH
Veterinary Department, Federal University of Viçosa, Minas Gerais 36570-000, Brazil.
de Paula
Tarcízio Antônio Rego
TA
Matta
Sérgio Luis Pinto da
SL
Fonseca
Cláudio César
CC
da Costa
Eduardo Paulino
EP
Costa
Deiler Sampaio
DS
Peixoto
Juliano Vogas
JV
D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count / Q000662:veterinary; D004526:Efficiency; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D008297:Male; D046009:Panthera / Q000502:physiology*; D012708:Sertoli Cells / Q000166:cytology; D053625:Sperm Retrieval / Q000662:veterinary; D013087:Spermatids / Q000166:cytology; D013090:Spermatocytes / Q000166:cytology; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology