RESUMO Objetivou-se avaliar a condição metabólica e estrutural das células espermáticas bovinas após congelação, com adição prévia de IGF-I e insulina no meio diluidor seminal. Os ejaculados de seis touros Nelore foram submetidos a quatro tratamentos: controle; insulina (100µUI/mL); IGF-I (150ng/mL) e insulina + IGF-I (50µUI/mL e 75ng/mL, respectivamente). Após a congelação, realizaram-se os testes de termorresistência rápida, coloração pelo corante azul de tripan e Giemsa, além da análise computadorizada da motilidade espermática, da integridade das membranas plasmática e acrossomal, e da peça intermediária por meio de sondas fluorescentes. O teste de termorresistência rápida apresentou efeito dentro do tempo de cada tratamento, mas não entre os tratamentos. Na análise computadorizada da motilidade espermática, foram observados movimento, motilidade e velocidade espermáticos; não houve efeitos dos tratamentos sobre qualquer uma dessas variáveis. Respostas iguais foram obtidas com as sondas fluorescentes e o corante azul de tripan/Giemsa. A adição de insulina e IGF-I, de forma isolada ou combinada, ao meio diluidor para congelação de sêmen não produziu efeitos sobre as condições metabólica e estrutural das células espermáticas.

ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate the metabolic and structural condition of the spermatic bovine cells after the freezing, with addition, previously, of IGF-I and Insulin in the seminal thinner medium. The semen of 6 Nellore bulls were submitted to four treatments: Control, Insulin (100µUI/mL); IGF-I (150ng/mL) and Insulin + IGF-I (50µUI/mL and 75ng/mL, respectively). After freezing, rapid resistance tests, Tripan and Giemsa Blue staining, and computerized analysis of sperm motility and integrity of the plasma and acrosomal membranes and the intermediate part were performed by fluorescent probes. The term rapid resistance test had effect within the time of each treatment, but not between treatments. In the computer analysis of sperm motility, sperm movement, motility and velocity no effects of treatments were observed on any of these variables. The same results were obtained with the fluorescent probes and the Blue dye Trypan / Giemsa. The addition of Insulin and IGF-I, alone or in combination, to the semen freezing dilution medium had no effect on the metabolic and structural condition of sperm cells.

RESUMO Este estudo tem como objetivo avaliar a adição da vitamina C, da glutationa reduzida e do trolox sobre características espermáticas do sêmen refrigerado de suínos. Seis cachaços foram coletados pela técnica de mão enluvada (10 coletas/animal). O sêmen foi diluído em MR-A®. Após as avaliações prévias, os tratamentos foram adicionados: grupo controle: apenas diluidor; grupo vitamina C: 200μM/mL de vitamina C; grupo trolox: 200μM/mL de trolox; grupo glutationa: 2.5mM/mL de glutationa reduzida. O sêmen foi armazenado em caixas térmicas e alocado dentro do refrigerador a 15oC e avaliado nos tempos zero, 12, 48 e 72 horas . Após 30 horas de incubação, cada tratamento foi dividido em duas frações iguais e adicionou-se a mesma concentração de antioxidantes em uma das partes. Os resultados demonstram que a suplementação de glutationa reduzida preserva a motilidade espermática após 24 horas, bem como tem maior percentual de acrossoma intacto na presença desse antioxidante. Não houve efeito ao se adicionar uma segunda dose dos antioxidantes. Em conclusão, o acréscimo da glutationa reduzida ao diluidor de sêmen suíno é uma alternativa promissora para melhor preservação das características espermáticas, e a adição da segunda dose dos antioxidantes durante o armazenamento é prejudicial ao sêmen.

ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate the addition of Vitamin C, reduced Glutathione and trolox on sperm characteristics of pork refrigerated semen. Six pigs were collected through the technique of gloved hand (10 ejaculates/animals). The semen was diluted in MR-A®. After the previous evaluations, the treatments were added: Control group: diluent only; Vitamin C Group: 200μM/mL Vitamin C; Trolox Group: 200μM/mL Trolox; Glutathione group: 2.5mM/ml Reduced glutathione. The semen was stored in thermal boxes and placed inside the refrigerator at 15oC and evaluated at D0, 12, 48, 72 hours. After 30 hours of incubation, each treatment was divided into two equal fractions and the same concentration of antioxidants was added in one of the parts. The results show that reduced glutathione supplementation preserves sperm motility after 24 hours but also has a higher percentage of acrosome intact in the presence of this antioxidant. There was no effect of adding a second dose of the antioxidants. In conclusion, the addition of reduced Glutathione to the swine semen diluent is a promising alternative for better preservation of sperm characteristics and the addition of the second dose of antioxidants during storage is detrimental to semen.

The aim of this study was to compare testosterone concentration, body weight, scrotal circumference and age to penis detachment from days 30 to 240 in young Boer goat males (n = 22) born during the dry (n = 11) and the rainy (n = 11) seasons. In the dry season the parameters varied as follows: body weight from 3.7 ± 1.1 to 34.0 ± 4.7 kg, scrotal circumference from 7.9 ± 0.8 to 25.7 ± 2 cm, and testosterone concentration from 259.4 ± 172.4 to 4613.4 ± 2892 pc/mL. In the rainy season parameters varied as follows: body weight from 9.7 ± 2.3 to 28.1 ± 6.9 kg, scrotal circumference from 9.5 ± 1.5 to 22.0 ± 3.0 cm and testosterone from 521.9 ± 311.3 to 3417.9 ± 2021.8 pc/mL. At three months of age, 70% of animals born during the rainy season presented with penis detachment, compared to 67.6% of animals born during the dry season at five months of age. Penis detachment occurred in all males at four and seven months for animals born in the rainy and dry seasons, respectively. There was a positive correlation between testosterone concentration and body weight in the dry (r = 0.30) and rainy (r = 0.43) seasons, between testosterone and scrotal circumference in the dry (r = 0.42) and rainy (r = 0.52) seasons, and between body weight and scrotal circumference in the dry (r = 0.93) and rainy (r = 0.88) seasons. The animals born during the rainy season showed earlier development in all the evaluated parameters than animals born during the dry season. It was found that scrotal circumference is directly correlated to body weight and testosterone concentration.