Full text
| |
| Author(s): |
Rodrigo de Souza Amaral
Total Authors: 1
|
| Document type: | Doctoral Thesis |
| Press: | São Paulo. |
| Institution: | Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ/SBD) |
| Defense date: | 2012-06-15 |
| Examining board members: |
Claudio Alvarenga de Oliveira;
Marcelo Alcindo de Barros Vaz Guimarães;
Gisele Akemi Oda;
Ricardo José Garcia Pereira;
Vera Maria Ferreira da Silva
|
| Advisor: | Claudio Alvarenga de Oliveira; Fernando César Weber Rosas |
| Abstract | |
The aims of this study were to define urinary and salivary hormone levels during estrous cycle in Amazonian manatees; and to verify the existence of differences on urinary and salivary reproductive hormones during two different trimesters of the year. Seven adult animals (4 males and 3 females), kept at LMA/INPA were analyzed. Salivary samples from males and urinary and salivary samples from females were collected during 12 weeks in two different trimesters, during two consecutive years. Salivary testosterone from males was measured by radioimmunoassay kit. Urinary estrogens progestins and LH and salivary estradiol and progesterone from females were measured by enzyme immunoassay. The estrous cycle showed duration of 39.67±1.15 days and 44.00±2.00 days for urinary and salivary matrices, respectively, and showed two estrogens peaks accompanied by peaks of urinary LH before the rise of progestins. This hormonal pattern was previously reported only in elephants. The males showed a salivary testosterone peak at the end of Trimester II (35.91±5.64 pg/ml; P<0.05), this fact suggest a male anticipation to the female reproductive season. The females showed high values of urinary and salivary steroids and urinary LH during most of months of the Trimester I when compared with the Trimester II (P<0.05), and the females usually showed hormonal cyclic pattern during Trimester I and acyclic pattern during Trimester II, suggesting the existence of reproductive seasonality even in captive conditions. Therefore, I conclude that the peculiar characteristics of Amazonian manatees estrous cycle may have biological importance for mating strategies, as in elephants; T. inunguis apparently shows reproductive seasonality, and it is not synchronized by food availability; it is possible to use as saliva as urine to monitor the reproductive physiology of Amazonian manatee, being important tools in studies about reproductive biology for this species. (AU) | |
| FAPESP's process: | 08/05760-5 - Reproductive physiology of captive Amazonian manatee (Trichechus inuguis: hormonal patterns in males and females during rise/full and fall/dry seasons of Amazonian Basin rivers, and ovarian cyclicity |
| Grantee: | Rodrigo de Souza Amaral |
| Support Opportunities: | Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate |