Cholestanol-loaded-cyclodextrin improves the quality of stallion spermatozoa after cryopreservation.

This study was to compare the effect of adding cholesterol or cholestanol loaded cyclodextrins in stallion sperm prior to cryopreservation to optimize sperm cryosurvival. Ejaculates from each of eight stallions were diluted to 120 million cells in a S-MEDIUM diluent. The diluted sperm were sub-divided into three treatments: no additive (control); 0.75mg of cyclodextrin pre-loaded with cholesterol (CLC)/120 million sperm (positive control); 1.5mg CLC/120 million sperm; 0.75mg of cyclodextrin pre-loaded with cholestanol (CnLC)/120 million sperm; and 1.5mg CnLC/120 million sperm. To set the experiments, the treated sperm were incubated for 15min at 22°C to allow for the incorporation of cholesterol or cholestanol. In each experiment, treated sperm incubated for 15min at 22°C to allow for incorporation of cholesterol or cholestanol. The samples were then diluted 1:5 (v/v) with Lactose-Egg Yolk diluent and cooled to 5°C over a 2h period. Loaded into 0.25ml polyvinylchloride straws, frozen in liquid nitrogen vapor for 10min, and then plunged into liquid nitrogen until further use. Higher percentages of motile sperm and viable cells were achieved after thawing for stallion sperm treated with CLC and CnLC compared to control (P<0.05). Addition of CnLC also resulted in more number sperm binding to chicken egg perivitelline membrane (CEPM) after cryopreservation than cholestanol and control sperm (P<0.05). In conclusion, CnLC and CLC improved the percentage of post-thaw motility of equine sperm and CnLC provided greater binding efficiency.

Dimensions of the cranium and of the cranial cavity andintracranial volume in goats (Capra hircus LINNAEUS, 1758)

The aim of this project is to determine the dimensions of the cranium and the cranial cavity and the intracranialvolume in goats, using 64 adults. The dimensions of the cranium and cranial cavity were measured throughmetric tape and paquimeter, considering the intervals of the largest distances. To determine the intracranialvolume, balloons of latex were introduced in the cranial cavity, through the magnum foramen, later on, filledwith water that was transferred for graduate test tube. The average and the standard deviation of length, widthand height of the cranium, in millimeters, were respectively: 218.01 ± 6.96, 120.17 ± 10.01 and 108.14 ± 4.46.The average and the standard deviation of length, width, height, in millimeters, and of the volume of thecranial cavity, in cubic centimeters, were respectively: 109.31 ± 7.25, 61.36 ± 4.51, 63.85 ± 2.88 and119.31 ± 12.21. It was observed that, the width of the cranium possesses positive significant correlationswith the length (r = 0.6865), with the height (r = 0.5644) and with the intracranial volume (r = 0.5436).They were still established, positive significant correlations among the height of the cranial cavity, with thelength (r = 0.5682) and with the intracranial volume (r = 0.5473). Differences were evidenced between malesand females, in relation to the dimensions of the cranium and cranial cavity. There wasn’t difference of theintracranial volume in function of the sex of the goats.