RESUMO Objetivou-se avaliar o efeito do ácido docosa-hexaenoico (DHA), associado ou não ao Trolox®, na refrigeração de sêmen de garanhões da raça Mangalarga Marchador. Foram refrigerados 10 ejaculados nos diluidores: D1) BotuSêmen® (BS; controle); D2) BS + 30ngmL-1 de DHA (BS30DHA); D3) BS30DHA + 40µM de Trolox® (BS30DHA40T); D4) BS + 50ngmL-1 de DHA (BS50DHA); D5) BS50DHA + 40µM de Trolox® (BS50DHA40T). Após 48 horas de refrigeração, foram avaliados os parâmetros de movimento espermático, a integridade estrutural e funcional da membrana plasmática e a longevidade espermática. Todos os diluidores testados preservaram, de forma semelhante, a motilidade, a linearidade, a retilinearidade, a amplitude do deslocamento lateral da cabeça, a frequência do batimento flagelar cruzado, o percentual de hiperativos e a integridade estrutural e funcional da membrana espermática (P>0,05). O diluidor BS50DHA foi superior ao BS30DHA40T em preservar a VCL e a VSL e foi superior ao BS30DHA40T e ao BS50DHA40T em preservar a VAP e o índice de oscilação (P<0,05). Conclui-se que o uso do Trolox® em diluidores utilizados para refrigeração de sêmen de garanhões contendo ácido docosa-hexaenoico, nas concentrações propostas, não é indicado por alterar parâmetros de movimento espermático considerados importantes para a fertilidade.

0.05). In this way, eCG can be replaced by FSH in synchronization protocols of ovulation in dairy goats.]]>

The substitution of equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) by follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in protocols for synchronization of ovulation in Santa Inês ewes was assessed. Ten females were submitted to the insertion of intravaginal sponges containing 60 mg medroxyprogesterone acetate for 10 days; after this period sponges were withdrawn and the animals were randomly divided into two groups. Group 1 (n = 5): intramuscular injection of 0.5 mL d-cloprostenol and 300 UI eCG; Group 2 (n = 5): intramuscular injection of 0.5 mL d-cloprostenol and 20 mg FSH. Interval between sponge withdrawal and estrus beginning was 27.7 h and 35.9 h for eCG and FSH, respectively. Interval between sponge withdrawal and the end of estrus was 55.8 h for eCG treatment and 55.6 h for FSH treatment. Estrus length was 29.3 h and 19.6 h, for eCG and FSH treatments, respectively. The biggest follicle and the second in size measured 0.74 cm and 0.54 cm for eCG treatment, whereas for the FSH treatment they measured 0.73 and 0.50 cm. The interval between the beginning of estrus and ovulation was similar within all groups: 21.0 h for eCG treated ewes and 25.2 h for the ones treated with FSH. Ewes treated with eCG presented an interval of 47.5 h between sponge withdrawal and ovulation, while the ones treated with FSH presented a 61.1 h interval. Ovulation occurred 8.3 h before the end of estrus in the eCG group. On the other hand, ewes treated with FSH ovulated 5.5 h after the end of estrus. Estrus and ovulation were efficiently synchronized in Santa Inês ewes by using long-term progestogen protocol associated to the administration of 20 mg FSH, along with Prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) at the moment of sponge withdrawal, thus substituting the use of eCG

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the inclusion of flaxseed in the diet of male goats on the resistance of semen to the cryopreservation process. Sixteen males were distributed in four groups and fed a diet supplemented with 0, 4, 8, and 12% of flaxseed for a period of 60 days. Only the ejaculates that presented motility and vigor above 70% and 3, respectively, were sent through the cryopreservation process. After thawing, the semen was evaluated through thermo resistance, hypoosmotic, and acrossomal integrity tests. The data were submitted to analysis of variance and regression at 5% of significance. There was positive quadratic behavior for motility after 60, 120, and 180 min in the thermoresistance test (TTR), and positive quadratic behavior for sperm vigor after thawing after 120 and 180 min in the TTR (P < 0.05). However, negative quadratic behavior was obtained for plasma membrane integrity according to the hypoosmotic test (P < 0.05) and there was a difference in the acrosomal integrity test, presenting an optimum maximum level of 3.25% of flaxseed for acrosomal integrity of 65.83% (P < 0.05). The results obtained demonstrated that the addition of as much as 12% of flaxseed to the diet of goat breeders improved post-thawing sperm quality.

Avaliou-se o efeito da suplementação com geleia real sobre a morfometria do aparelho genital, resposta superovulatória e qualidade embrionária de coelhas. Trinta e seis fêmeas foram distribuídas em quatro grupos (G), sendo: G1 (n=9) formado por animais não suplementados com geleia real, e G2, G3 e G4 (n=9 em cada grupo) por animais suplementados com 10, 20 e 40mg/dia de geleia real. A superovulação consistiu na aplicação de 40UI de gonadotrofina coriônica equina, seguida por 40UI de gonadotrofina coriônica humana, via intramuscular, 48 horas após, e submetidas à cobrição natural. Os animais foram sacrificados, e os embriões coletados 72 horas após a cópula. Não houve diferença estatística entre tratamentos para as variáveis analisadas. O peso médio do aparelho genital foi de 10,88±0,38g; dos ovários - direito e esquerdo -, 0,28±0,02g; e o índice gonadossomático, 0,02±0,0g. O número médio de estruturas totais recuperadas foi de 9,2±1,4; de embriões viáveis, 8,7±1,4; e de degenerados, 0,5±0,2. Dos embriões viáveis, 5,6±0,8 foram classificados como grau I; 2,3±0,5, como grau II; e 0,8±0,2, como grau III. A suplementação com geleia real na dose de até 40mg/dia não apresentou efeito estimulador sobre o aparelho genital e a qualidade embrionária de coelhas.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of different concentrations of Trolox ® and the addition of a fixed concentration of DHA in the freezing of semen of Mangalarga Marchador stallions. To that end, 16 ejaculates were frozen in the following extenders: E1) BotuCrio ® (BC; Control); E2) BC + 50 ngml -1 DHA + 30 µM Trolox ® (BCDHA30T); E3) BC + 50 ngml -1 DHA + 40 µM Trolox ® (BCDHA40T); E4) BC + 50 ngml -1 DHA + 50 µM Trolox ® (BCDHA50T). All the tested extenders were similar in preserving different kinematic parameters, cell functional integrity, compacted DNA, and high and intermediate mitochondrial activity (P>0.05). However, sperm cryopreserved in BCDHA40T showed higher velocities than sperm frozen in the control extender (P<0.05). The 30 µM concentration of Trolox ® was worse for sperm motility and the 50 µM concentration of Trolox ® did not adequately preserve the structural integrity of the membranes in an extender containing DHA when compared to the BotuCrio ® (P<0.05) extender. The use of Trolox ® in freezing extenders containing DHA did not maximize the effect of BotuCrio ® , except for in the case of sperm velocity parameters when at a concentration of 40 µM.