Laboratory of Cellular Biology, Department of Morphology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
Theriogenology. 2010 Jan 15;73(2):157-67. doi: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2009.08.009.
Similar to most wild felids, the ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) is an endangered species. However, knowledge regarding reproductive biology of the ocelot is very limited. Germ cell transplantation is an effective technique for investigating spermatogenesis and stem cell biology in mammals, and the morphologic characterization of germ cells and knowledge of cycle length are potential tools for tracking the development of transplanted germ cells. Our goal was to investigate basic aspects related to testis structure, particularly spermatogenesis, in the ocelot. Four adult males were used. After unilateral orchiectomy, testis samples were routinely prepared for histologic, stereologic, and autoradiographic analyses. Testis weight and the gonadosomatic index were 11+/-0.6g and 0.16+/-0.01%, respectively, whereas the volume density of seminiferous tubules and Leydig cells was 83.2+/-1.6% and 9.8+/-1.5%. Based on the acrosomic system, eight stages of spermatogenesis were characterized, and germ cell morphology was very similar to that of domestic cats. Each spermatogenic cycle lasted 12.5+/-0.4 d, and the entire spermatogenic process lasted 56.3+/-1.9 d. Individual Leydig cell volume was 2522mum(3), whereas the number of Leydig and Sertoli cells per gram of testis was 38+/-5x10(6) and 46+/-3x10(6). Approximately 4.5 spermatids were found per Sertoli cell, whereas daily sperm production per gram of testis was 18.3+/-1x10(6), slightly higher than values reported for other felids. The knowledge obtained in this study could be very useful to the preservation of the ocelot using domestic cat testes to generate and propagate the ocelot genome.
与大多数野生猫科动物一样，豹猫（Leopardus pardalis）是一种濒危物种。然而，关于豹猫生殖生物学的知识非常有限。 种细胞移植是研究哺乳动物精子发生和干细胞生物学的有效技术，而生殖细胞的形态特征和周期长度的知识是跟踪移植生殖细胞发育的潜在工具。我们的目标是研究豹猫睾丸结构的基本方面，特别是精子发生。 使用了 4 只成年雄性。单侧睾丸切除术后，常规制备睾丸样本进行组织学、体视学和放射自显影分析。睾丸重量和性腺指数分别为 11+/-0.6g 和 0.16+/-0.01%，而曲细精管和莱迪希细胞的体积密度分别为 83.2+/-1.6%和 9.8+/-1.5%。根据顶体系统，将精子发生的八个阶段进行了特征描述，并且生殖细胞形态与家猫非常相似。每个精子发生周期持续 12.5+/-0.4d，整个精子发生过程持续 56.3+/-1.9d。单个莱迪希细胞的体积为 2522mum(3)，而每克睾丸的莱迪希细胞和支持细胞数分别为 38+/-5x10(6)和 46+/-3x10(6)。每个支持细胞大约有 4.5 个精子，而每克睾丸的日精子产量为 18.3+/-1x10(6)，略高于其他猫科动物的报告值。本研究获得的知识对于使用家猫睾丸繁殖和传播豹猫基因组以保护豹猫非常有用。
