Morphometrical analysis of the lama glama sperm head

CASARETO, C.; LOMBARDO DM; GIULIANO, S.; GAMBAROTTA, MI; CARRETERO, I; TRASORRAS, VL,; MIRAGAYA, M

Hotel Sheraton, Córdoba, Argentina

Conferencia; 36th Annual Conference of the IETS/23rd Annual Meeting SBTE; 2010

International Embryo Transfer Society (IETS) and

&amp;lt;!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1107304683 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:ES-AR;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:10.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;} @page WordSection1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:70.85pt 3.0cm 70.85pt 3.0cm; mso-header-margin:36.0pt; mso-footer-margin:36.0pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} --&amp;gt; During the last decades the interest in breeding South American Camelids (SAC) has increased, not only as companion animals but also for their high quality fiber. Although several studies have been carried out in artificial insemination in Lama glama, this technique has not been widely applied in reproductive programs, principally due to the difficulty to collect raw semen from males and the lack of knowledge about freezing/thawing techniques and semen characteristics. The aim of the present study was to objectively characterize llama sperm morphometry by a computer assisted system, increasing the knowledge on male llama physiology, to further develop reproductive biotechnologies such as artificial insemination. Five semen samples were obtained by electroejaculation from each of 8 llama males of proven fertility, aged 6 to 10 years. Smears were prepared from each sample and stained with Tinción 15® (Biopur S.R.L., Rosario, Argentina) and observed with x1000 magnification. Images of sperm heads were captured by a Leica DC180 camera (Leica Microsystems Co., Wetzlar, Germany), obtaining 200 images from each sample. Binary images were obtained and area (mm2), length (mm), width (mm), equivalent circle diameter (mm), curve length (mm), curve width (mm), perimeter (mm), convex perimeter (mm), roundness and elongation were measured using QWin Plus (Leica Microsystems Co., Wetzlar, Germany). A total of 8,005 sperm heads were measured. Descriptive statistics of the complete population was performed, obtaining the following results (mean ± SD): area (mm2) 20.09 ± 0.6, length (mm) 6.6 ± 0.3, width (mm) 4.14 ± 0.1, equivalent diameter (mm) 5.06 ± 0.1, curve length (mm) 5.8 ± 0.3, curve width (mm) 3.48 ± 0.3, perimeter (mm) 18.54 ± 0.1, convex perimeter (mm) 17.34 ± 0.3, roundness 1.28 ± 0.04 and elongation 1.6 ± 0.01. Coefficients of variation were between 0.47% and 8.72%. A design considering the male as a fixed factor and the ejaculate as a nested factor was used with the purpose of identifying differences in morphometry between ejaculates of the same male and/or between males. Normality was tested with Kolmogorov. Significant differences between ejaculates of some male/s were found for curve length, curve width, perimeter, roundness and elongation (p<0.05), not finding intra male differences for area, length, width, equivalent circle diameter and convex perimeter. Out of these parameters, there were significant differences between males for area, length, equivalent circle diameter and convex perimeter (p<0.05). The differences found in sperm morphometry confirm the great polymorphism observed when subjectively evaluating llama semen morphology, and make the establishment of a single pattern of normal llama sperm morphometry impossible.