Artigo Acesso aberto Produção Nacional Revisado por pares

Characterization of the estrous cycle in Galea spixii(Wagler, 1831)

2015; Colégio Brasileiro de Patologia Animal (CBPA); Volume: 35; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1590/s0100-736x2015000100017

ISSN

1678-5150

Autores

Amilton César dos Santos, Diego Carvalho Viana, Bruno Machado Bertassoli, Gleidson Benevides de Oliveira, Daniela Moraes de Oliveira, Ferdinando Vinícius Fernandes Bezerra, Moacir Franco de Oliveira, Antônio Chaves de Assís Neto,

Tópico(s)

Morphological variations and asymmetry

Resumo

The Galea spixii inhabits semiarid vegetation of Caatinga in the Brazilian Northeast. They are bred in captivity for the development of researches on the biology of reproduction. Therefore, the aim of this study is characterize the estrous cycle of G. spixii, in order to provide information to a better knowledge of captive breeding of the species. The estrous cycle was monitored by vaginal exfoliative cytology in 12 adult females. After the detection of two complete cycles in each animal, the same were euthanized. Then, histological study of the vaginal epithelium, with three females in each phase of the estrous cycle was performed; five were paired with males for performing the control group for estrous cycle phases, and three other were used to monitor the formation and rupture of vaginal closure membrane. By vaginal exfoliative cytology, predominance of superficial cells in estrus, large intermediate cells in proestrus, intermediate and parabasal cells, with neutrophils, in diestrus and metestrus respectively was found. Estrus was detected by the presence of spermatozoa in the control group. By histology, greater proliferation of the vaginal epithelium in proestrus was observed. We conclude that the estrous cycle of G. spixii lasts 15.8 ± 1.4 days and that the vaginal closure membrane develops until complete occlusion of the vaginal ostium, breaking after few days. Future studies may reveal the importance of this fact for the reproductive success of this animal.

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