Abstract Searching for improvements in semen cryopreservation, natural substances are commonly studied focusing to improve the sperm quality. The aim of this study were evaluated the effect of adding orange, pineapple, and beet juices in different concentrations and combinations to the ram semen cryopreservation extender. Five ejaculates from five adult rams were used. The semen pool was diluted in egg yolk-based extender and mixed with the following 15 treatments (at a final concentration of 400.106 sptz/mL): orange 10% (O10) and 15% (O15); pineapple 10% (P10) and 15% (P15); beet 10% (B10) and 15% (B15); pineapple + orange 10% (PO10) and 15% (PO15); pineapple + beet 10% (PB10) and 15% (PB15); beet + orange 10% (BO10) and 15% (BO15); pineapple + beet + orange 10% (PBO10) and 15% (PBO15); and the control group (CON). Post-thaw in 0.25 mL straws semen quality analysis of cryopreserved semen was performed by CASA and flow cytometry. Analysis of variance (PROC GLM) was carried out and the averages were compared using the SNK test. Pearson's correlation test was also performed. No effect was noted in the addition of juices to the semen extender prior to cryopreservation. Post-thawed, although, statistically similar to the control group, the total motility of the B10 group reached acceptable standards of total motility. In addition, B10 group showed the highest values (p<0.05) of progressive motility than control group or other treatments. The addition of 10% beet juice to the ram semen extender can improve the cryopreservation of sperm motility.

Resumo Em busca de melhorias na criopreservação do sêmen, substâncias naturais são comumente estudadas com o objetivo de melhorar a qualidade do sêmen. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o efeito da adição de sucos de laranja, abacaxi e beterraba em diferentes concentrações e combinações ao diluidor de criopreservação de sêmen ovino. Foram utilizados cinco ejaculados de cinco carneiros adultos. O pool de sêmen foi diluído em diluente à base de gema de ovo e misturado com os seguintes 15 tratamentos (na concentração final de 400x10⁶ sptz/ml): laranja 10% (O10) e 15% (O15); abacaxi 10% (P10) e 15% (P15); beterraba 10% (B10) e 15% (B15); abacaxi + laranja 10% (PO10) e 15% (PO15); abacaxi + beterraba 10% (PB10) e 15% (PB15); beterraba + laranja 10% (BO10) e 15% (BO15); abacaxi + beterraba + laranja 10% (PBO10) e 15% (PBO15); e o grupo controle (CON). Pós-descongelação em palhetas de 0,25 ml a análise da qualidade do sêmen criopreservado foi realizada pelo CASA e citometria de fluxo. A análise de variância foi realizada e as médias comparadas pelo teste SNK. O teste de correlação de Pearson também foi realizado. Nenhum efeito foi observado na adição de sucos ao diluidor de sêmen antes da criopreservação. Após o descongelamento, embora estatisticamente semelhante ao grupo controle, a motilidade total do grupo B10 atingiu padrões aceitáveis de motilidade total. Além disso, o grupo B10 apresentou os maiores valores (p<0,05) de motilidade progressiva que o grupo controle ou os outros tratamentos. A adição de 10% de suco de beterraba ao diluente de sêmen ovino pode melhorar a criopreservação da motilidade espermática.

Abstract This study evaluated the effects of supplying altrenogest from day 6-12 of pregnancy on the endometrial glandular epithelium, corpora lutea (CL) morphology, and endometrial and CL gene expression. A total of 12 crossbred females (Landrace × Large White) were used. The females were assigned to 4 treatments according to a random design with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement, with two categories (sow or gilt) and two treatments (non-treated and treated with altrenogest). On day 6 of pregnancy, animals were allocated to one of the following groups: non-treated (NT, n = 6; 3 sows and 3 gilts), and (T, n = 6; 3 sows and 3 gilts) treated daily with 20 mg of altrenogest, from day 6-12 of pregnancy. All animals were euthanized on day 13 of pregnancy. All CLs were individually weighed, and their volume were determined. The endometrial glandular density (GD), mean glandular area (MGA), and vascular density (VD) were determined by histomorphometric and immunohistochemical analyses. Endometrium samples were collected and analyzed by qRT-PCR to evaluate the abundance of transcripts for VEGF and IGF-I. Females in the T group had higher MGA (P < 0.05) compared to the NT group. There was no effect of treatment on GD or VD for both experimental groups. Sows in the T group had augmented expression of IGF-I (P < 0.05). Progestagen had no detrimental effect on CL morphology. In conclusion, altrenogest improves the uterine environment during the peri-implantation period in pigs without compromising corpora lutea development.

ABSTRACT The present experiment was carried out to evaluate the economic viability of supplementing boar diets with organic selenium aiming to increase the number of seminal doses of sexually mature boars. Twelve boars were divided into three groups: control group received 0.3 mg kg−1 Se from sodium selenite (n = 4), inorganic group received 0.5 mg kg−1 Se from sodium selenite (n = 4), and organic group received 0.5 mg kg−1 Se from Sel-PlexTM (Alltech, Inc., n = 4). The experiment was conducted within 10 weeks and analysis was performed fortnightly. No interaction was observed between treatments and weeks for any of the variables analyzed. Boars fed diet supplemented with 0.5 mg kg−1 of organic selenium exhibited a 23% increase in the seminal doses, which resulted in a 37% reduction in the cost of diet per dose produced by boars in this group compared with boars in the inorganic group. It should be pointed out that the total revenue produced by the organic group was 26% higher than the inorganic group. The feeding of organic Se increases the number of seminal doses and reduces the average cost of the diet, demonstrating to be cost-effective.

Para validar uma técnica prática de avaliação simultânea das membranas plasmática, acrossomal e mitocondrial em espermatozóides eqüinos três sondas fluorescentes (PI, FITC-PSA e MITO) foram associadas. Quatro ejaculados de três garanhões (n=12) foram diluídos em meio TALP e divididos em duas alíquotas, uma alíquota foi submetida a flash frozen em nitrogênio líquido para induzir danos nas membranas celulares. Três tratamentos foram preparados com as seguintes proporções de sêmen fresco: sêmen flash frozen: 100:0 (T100), 50:50 (T50), e 0:100 (T0). Uma amostra de 150 µL de sêmen diluído de cada tratamento foi adicionada de 2 µL de PI, 2 µL de MITO e 80 µL de FITC-PSA; incubadas à 38,5ºC/8 min, e as células espermáticas foram avaliadas por microscopia de epifluorescência. Baseados na análise de regressão esta é uma técnica eficiente e prática para determinar danos em espermatozóides eqüinos, capaz de determinar a porcentagem de espermatozóides mais representativa do potencial fertilizante do ovócito.

To validate a practical technique of simultaneous evaluation of the plasma, acrosomal and mitochondrial membranes in equine spermatozoa three fluorescent probes (PI, FITC-PSA and MITO) were associated. Four ejaculates from three stallions (n=12) were diluted in TALP medium and split into 2 aliquots, 1 aliquot was flash frozen in liquid nitrogen to induce damage in cellular membranes. Three treatments were prepared with the following fixed ratios of fresh semen: flash frozen semen: 100:0 (T100), 50:50 (T50), and 0:100 (T0). A 150-µL aliquot of diluted semen of each treatment was added of 2 µL of PI, 2 µL of MITO and 80 µL of FITC-PSA; incubated at 38.5ºC/8 min, and sperm cells were evaluated by epifluorescent microscopy. Based in regression analysis, this could be an efficient and practical technique to assess damage in equine spermatozoa, as it was able to determine the sperm percentage more representative of the potential to fertilize the oocyte.

A indústria tem disponibilizado no mercado uma série de substâncias (nutracêuticos) com a intenção de otimizar a utilização de nutrientes em algumas vias metabólicas, influenciando positivamente o desempenho reprodutivo dos animais. No entanto, a resposta ao uso de nutracêuticos varia de acordo com o animal. Como o organismo é altamente complexo e, a fim de alcançar perfeita atividade do eixo hipotálamo-hipófise-gonadal, uma interação ideal na base molecular é necessária, onde os nutracêuticos podem ter sua ação direta. O objetivo neste estudo foi revisar a função e resultados de pesquisas usando os principais nutracêuticos (β-caroteno, vitamina A, L-carnitina, ômegas 3, 6 e 9 e gama-orizanol) sobre as características reprodutivas de touros e garanhões.

The industry has made available in the market a series of substances (nutraceuticals) which intent would be to optimize the use of nutrients in some metabolic paths, influencing positively reproductive performance in animals. However, the response to the use of nutraceuticals varies according to the animal. As the organism is highly complex and in order to achieve a perfect activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, an ideal interaction in molecular basis is needed, where the nutraceuticals can have their direct action. The aim of this study was to review the function and research results using the main nutraceuticals (β carotene, vitamin A, L-carnitine, omegas 3, 6 and 9 and Gamma-oryzanol) on reproductive characteristics of bulls and stallions.

O presente estudo visou avaliar os efeitos da associação da medroxiprogesterona (análogo sintético da progesterona) ao protocolo Ovsynch sobre o crescimento folicular, a ovulação e a taxa de concepção de búfalas criadas na Amazônia Oriental (Tracuateua-PA). Vinte e sete fêmeas adultas (G1 n=14 e G2 n=13), cíclicas, sem bezerro ao pé e com ECC 3,5 foram submetidas a Ovsynch. Os animais do G2 receberam 60 mg de medroxiprogesterona entre D0 e D7 (D0=início do tratamento). A ultra-sonografia ovariana foi realizada nos D 0, 7, 9 e 10. O contingente de folículos pequenos diferiu no D7 (G1: 4,57±0,60 versus G2: 6,54±0,67; P=0,05). Tempo e tratamento influenciaram o diâmetro folicular no D7. O crescimento do folículo dominante entre D7 e D9 foi maior nos animais tratados (G1: 2,05±0,49 mm/dia versus 3,48±0,41 mm/dia; P<0,05). Mais animais do G1 ovularam precocemente (35,71% versus 30,77%), porém isso não afetou as taxas de concepção (G1: 50,00% e G2: 30,77%; P>0,05). Os achados sugerem que a medroxiprogesterona (1) aumenta recrutamento folicular e retarda o crescimento dos folículos com diâmetro maior que 5,0 mm entre D0 e D7; (2) sua retirada incrementa em 1,7 vezes o crescimento folicular do D7 ao D9; (3) pode contribuir para a ovulação de folículos maiores e, em tese, para maior formação de tecido luteínico; (4) não promove ovulação precoce após o Ovsynch; (5) não eleva as taxas de concepção após sincronização de fêmeas cíclicas e com bom escore corporal, devendo ser avaliada para uso em fêmeas acíclicas ou com ECC mais baixo.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the association of medroxyprogesterone with the Ovsynch protocol on the follicular growth, ovulation, and conception rate of buffaloes in the Eastern Amazon (Tracuateua-PA). Twenty-seven cyclic, non-lactating females (G1 n=14 and G2 n=13) with a 3.5 BCS were synchronized with the Ovsynch. Animals from G2 received a supplementation of 60 mg of medroxyprogesterone from D0 to D7 (D0=starting day of treatment). Ultrasonography evaluation on ovaries was realized on Days 0, 7, 9, and 10. A significant effect of treatment on follicle number was observed on D7 (G1: 4.57±0.60 versus G2: 6.54±0.67; P=0.05). Time and treatment influenced follicular diameter on D7. The growth of the dominant follicular was increased from D7 to D9 on treated females (G1: 2.05±0.49 mm/day versus 3.48±0.41 mm/day; P<0.05). G1 animals (35.71% versus 30.77%) ovulated comparatively earlier than their G2 counterparts, but this did not affect the conception rates (G1: 50,00% and G2: 30,77%; P>0,05). The findings suggest that medroxyprogesterone: (1) increases follicular recruitment and inhibits the growth of follicles whose diameter was larger than 5.0mm from D0 to D7; (2) the withdrawal of medroxyprogesterone speeds up follicular growth 1.7 fold from D7 to D9; (3) would probably contribute to the ovulation of larger follicles thereby forming more luteal tissue; (4) does not stimulate early ovulation after Ovsynch; and (5) does not elevate the conception rate after the synchronization of cyclic females with good body condition, and should be evaluated for the utilization in acyclic/reduced BCS females.