title: Histomorphometric evaluation of the neotropical brown brocket deer Mazama gouazoubira testis, with an emphasis on cell population indexes of spermatogenic yield.
abstract: Information on the reproductive biology of neotropical cervids is scarce. Therefore, the aim of this study was to perform biometric, histologic and stereologic analyses of the brown brocket deer Mazama gouazoubira testis, with an emphasis on the intrinsic yield and the Sertoli cell index. Seven adult males kept in captivity were used. The animals were immobilized; anesthetized and testicle fragments were obtained by biopsy incision. The material was fixed, processed and examined by routine histological methods for light microscopy. The average body weight was 17.2kg, from which 0.40% were allocated in gonads and 0.33% in seminiferous tubules, which represented 85.9% of the testis parenchyma. The mean albuginea width and volume were 345.7μm and 3.5mL (5.3% of the testicular weight), respectively. The mean mediastinum volume of both testicles was 1.0mL (1.5% of the testicular weight) and the testicular parenchyma volume corresponded to 93.1% of total testicular weight (64.9g). The seminiferous tubules diameter was 224.4μm, while the epithelium height was 69.6μm. On average, an adult brown brocket deer showed a total of 1418m of seminiferous tubules in both testicles (21.5m per gram of testis). Each stage I seminiferous tubular cross section contained 1.10 type A spermatogonia, 13.4 primary spermatocytes in pre-leptotene/leptotene, 13.7 spermatocytes in pachytene, 48.8 round spermatids and 3.7 Sertoli cells. The general yield of spermatogenesis was 44.7 cells and the Sertoli cell index was 13.2. The qualitative and quantitative description of testicular histology of brown brocket deer help to understand its spermatogenic process and to establish parameters for the reproductive biology of this wild species. Furthermore, the data from the present research will help further studies using other species of Brazilian cervids, especially endangered ones, making an additional effort to the species preservation.
authors: General Biology Department, Federal University of Viçosa, Minas Gerais 36570-000, Brazil.
authors: Kyvia Lugate Cardoso
authors: KL
authors: Costa
authors: Sérgio Luis Pinto
authors: SL
authors: da Matta
authors: Marcos
authors: M
authors: de Lucca Moreira Gomes
authors: Tarcízio Antônio Rêgo
authors: TA
authors: de Paula
authors: Karine Moura
authors: KM
authors: de Freitas
authors: Fabíola
authors: F
authors: de Araújo Resende Carvalho
authors: Juliana
authors: J
authors: de Assis Silveira
authors: Heidi
authors: H
authors: Dolder
authors: S M L
authors: SM
authors: Chamindrani Mendis-Handagama
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count; D003116:Color; D003670:Deer / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008297:Male; D012708:Sertoli Cells / Q000166:cytology; D013076:Sperm Count / Q000662:veterinary; D053625:Sperm Retrieval; D013087:Spermatids / Q000166:cytology; D013090:Spermatocytes / Q000166:cytology; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000502:physiology; D013093:Spermatogonia / Q000166:cytology; D013737:Testis / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000166:cytology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014329:Tropical Climate