Oxidative stress and DNA integrity on cooled semen of tigrina (Leopardus tigrinus)

• Grant number: 07/03858-5
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: August 01, 2007
• End date: March 31, 2009
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Reproduction
• Principal Investigator: Valquiria Hyppolito Barnabé
• Grantee: Valquiria Hyppolito Barnabé
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The fertilization capacity diagnosis of a seminal sample is important for a high and consistent reproductive efficiency. The oxidative stress is considered one of the major causes of the spermatic disfunction, beyond being one of the main factors associates to the loss in the fertility of the semen during its manipulation and storage (Atiken et al., 1998). Disorders in the organization of the genomic material also can have a serious impact in the reproduction, since a steady cellular matrix is crucial in the embryonic development. Routine semen analyses investigate morphologic and functional parameters, but they do not approach the integrity of the spermatic DNA(Frasier, 2004). For the success of a conservancy reproduction program, the use of biotechnologies directed to the genetic variability preservation of the wildlife populations is necessary (Wildt et al., 1995). The aim of this study is to analyze the spermatic viability under refrigeration as the resistence to the oxidative stress and the integrity of the ADN, as well as the correlation between these factors. Twelve little-spotted-cats, kept in captivity, will be used. Their semen will be submitted to the cooling in different ways, during 24 hours. All the data will be registered and statistically analyzed. We hope to verify the possibility of keeping the semen cooled for a period of 24 hours without the occurence of cellular damages that disable its use on reproduction biotechnologies. (AU)