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Induced nuclear metachromasy evaluated in spermatozoa of "pe-duro" bulls^*

C.M.C. Britto' °^{I, II}; M.L.S. Mello^I

^IDepartamento de Biologia Celular, Instituto de Biologia, UNICAMP, 13081 Campinas, SP, Brasil. Send correspondence to M.L.S.M.
^IIPermanent address: Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Piauí, 64000 Teresina, PI, Brasil

ABSTRACT

The phenomenon of induced nuclear metachromasy was investigated in sperm cells from "pé-duro" bulls compared to those of specimens from an elite herd. The aim was to detect chemical anomalies at the level of DNA-protein complexes which affect the fertilizing capacity of the spermatozoa of these animals. Thirty percent of the "pé-duro" specimens showed high percentages of spermatozoa with nuclear metachromasy besides other characteristics which do not recommend preservation of their semen. The other "pé-duro" bulls showed low percentages of metachromatic sperm cell nuclei. However, not all of them appear to be indicated as donors of semen for preservation. Some of them (nearly 40% of the sample) present oligozoospermy and significant percentages of morphological abnormalities in the sperm cells. The search for induced nuclear metachromasy in bull spermatozoa must thus be accompanied by a morphological analysis of the sperm cells and determination of the spermatozoa] concentration in the ejaculate.

Keywords: nuclear; metachromasy; spermatozoa; "pe-duro"; bulls.

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* Part of a thesis submitted by C.M.C. Britto to the Instituto de Biologia, UNICAMP, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master's degree