Morphometrical and morphological characterization of capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) spermatic cells)

Abstract

Spermatic cells were obtained from 50
slaughtered capybaras of 2 groups (G1 and G2) and
then evaluated for morphological aspects at light
microscopy and scanning and transmission electron
microscopy. Spermatic cells were fixed with methanol
(G1) or 10% neutral buffered formol saline (G2) on glass
slides and then evaluated in regard to normal and
abnormal morphology, as described by BLOM (1973).
A total of 52,62% of those evaluated cells showed
abnormal morphology distributed as major defects
(28,20%) or minor defects (24,42%), grouped on head,
tail or midpiece defects; those were confirmed with
scanning electron microscopy. The mean length and width
of spermatic cell head and midpiece, and tail length were
characterized by morphometric evaluation, respectively,
as (x ± sd) 6,85 + 0,81 µm and 4,00 + 2,53 µm, 6,97 +
2,53 µm and 1,53 + 0,27 µm and 44,20 + 8,03 µm. The
evaluation of spermatic cells by transmission electron
microscopy have shown extended head with condensed
nuclear chromatin and extremely dense nucleus; the
spermatic cells tail was similar to other mammals.