Seasonal semen quality of a local and commercial taurine cattle breeds, raised in a subtropical climate: Relationship between external morphology of the animals and climate.

Livestock production is considered an important factor influencing global warming; however, climate change has also been considered one of the major factors affecting livestock production and reproduction. The present study was carried out in the Southern region of Brazil and aimed to assess the seasonal influence of climatic factors and external morphology of the animals on the semen quality. Three ejaculates were obtained from each bull (Crioulo Lageano and Angus) in summer and winter seasons. Motile cells, sperm vigor, sperm concentration, sperm membrane status, and sperm abnormalities were analyzed in fresh and post-thawed semen. In addition, the sperm kinetics using CASA was assessed on post-thawed semen. Environmental data such as air temperature (AT), relative humidity (RH), mean radiant temperature (MRT) and temperature-humidity index (THI) were measured. Furthermore, body and testicular metrics, as well as hair coat characteristics, were recorded in each season on all bulls. Environmental traits differed significantly between seasons. Results of the PLS regression and Spearman's correlations confirmed a negative relationship between climatic variables and sperm traits in both seasons. Semen quality between breeds and seasons was similar, satisfactory, and heat stress was not sufficient to impair spermatozoa viability. External morphological traits were considered non-important in the final model. The findings of this study suggest that AT, MRT, and THI were the most important factors that could affect seminal characteristics of bulls raised in a subtropical climate.

An overview of the results of hysterosonography prior to in vitro fertilization.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to analyze the results of hysterosonography performed prior to in vitro fertilization (IVF) and to correlate anomalous findings with hysteroscopy. METHODS: Findings from 197 hysterosonograms of patients examined in an assisted reproduction clinic between January 2012 and August 2014 were included. Enrollment criteria: patients in preparation for IVF not recently submitted to uterine examination through hysterosalpingography or hysteroscopy referred to hysterosonography. Uterine cavity evaluation was considered anomalous when one or more of the following were found: polyps, submucous myomas, uterine synechiae, Müllerian duct anomalies. Individuals with cavity abnormalities that might interfere with IVF results were referred to hysteroscopy. RESULTS: Normal test results were seen in 170/197 of the cases (86.3%). Eighteen of the 197 cases (9.1%) were suspected for polyps, two (1%) for submucous myoma, six (3.5%) for synechiae, and one (0.5%) for Müllerian duct anomalies. Sixteen of the patients diagnosed with abnormalities underwent hysteroscopy to confirm or treat the suspected pathology. In only two cases there was no agreement between tests: one patient suspected for synechiae and another for polyps were not confirmed; another individual suspected for polyps was found to have focal endometrial thickening in hysteroscopy. The positive predictive value (PPV) in our study was 93.7%. CONCLUSION: In most cases, the diagnoses obtained by hysterosonography showed normal uterine cavities. The most common anomalous findings were polyps, followed by synechiae, submucous myoma, and Müllerian duct anomalies. Hysterosonography is a good option for evaluating the uterus and offers a high positive predictive value, while hysteroscopy stands as the gold standard.

Efeito da suplementação oral de selênio e tocoferol sobre a membrana plasmática espermática em touros da raça Brangus / Effect of oral supplementation of selenium and tocopherol on the spermatic plasma membrane in Brangus bulls

Objetivou-se com o estudo avaliar o efeito da suplementação dietética com selênio e tocoferol sobre a integridade da membrana espermática e qualidade do sêmen fresco e criopreservado em reprodutores bovinos da raça Brangus. Foi avaliado o sêmen de 17 animais que foram divididos em grupo controle (GC) e grupo suplementados por via oral com 400 UI Tocoferol e 0,45 mg Selênio (GS). Os dados foram analisados através da Anova com nível de 5% de significância. Foi observado efeito significativo da suplementação sobre a integridade de membrana plasmática no sêmen fresco (GC 26,70% vs GS 35,71%; p=0.0164) e sêmen criopreservado (GC 8,74% vs GS 11,36%; p=0,0213). A suplementação, com selênio e tocoferol, promoveu efeito positivo sobre a integridade da membrana espermática dos animais da raça Brangus.

Postpartum hormone and energy profiles and their influence on the resumption of ovarian cyclicity in Curraleiro Pé-Duro cows.

The objective of this study was to evaluate hormone and energy profiles in the postpartum period and to correlate these profiles with the resumption of ovarian cyclicity, as well as characterizing the postpartum short estrous cycle of Curraleiro Pé-Duro cows. Twelve Curraleiro Pé-Duro cows were examined via rectal palpation and ultrasound at 10 days postpartum, and subsequently examined daily to evaluate the resumption of ovarian cyclicity as well as every five days in order to evaluate uterine involution. Upon analysis of the data, it was possible to observe the formation of two distinct groups, one of which was comprised of those animals which returned to cyclicity within 60 days postpartum and another comprised of those animals which returned to cyclicity more than 105 days postpartum. Therefore, animals were divided into two groups; precocious, designated Ov Group, and delayed, designated NOv Group, wherein the cut-off time for all tests was 60 days postpartum. Statistically significant differences (P < 0.01) between the groups occurred only regarding the day of 1st ovulation, which in the Ov Group averaged 51.4 ± 9.3 days and in the NOv Group averaged 138.3 ± 19.8 days postpartum. The other postpartum short estrous cycle variables assessed did not show statistically significant differences (P > 0.05) between the groups. NEFA, BHBA and thyroxine concentration levels did not differ (P > 0.05) between the groups in any of the statistical analyses. However, in the analysis comparing growth curves, triglycerides levels were higher for the Ov Group (P = 0.04) and cholesterol levels were higher for the NOv Group (P = 0.02). In this experiment, a small influence of a negative energy balance between the groups was observed, suggesting that these animals can present significant genetic variability due to natural selection, as evidenced by the formation of groups of animals with precocious and delayed reproductive characteristics.