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Article << Previous     |     Next >>   Contents Vol 25(3)

Spermatogenesis is seasonal in the large hairy armadillo, Chaetophractus villosus (Dasypodidae, Xenarthra, Mammalia)

Juan P. Luaces A, Luis F. Rossi A, Valeria Merico B, Maurizio Zuccotti C, Carlo A. Redi B D E, Alberto J. Solari A, Maria S. Merani A F and Silvia Garagna B E F

A Laboratorio de Biología Cromosómica, Facultad de Medicina, UBA, Paraguay 2155 10°P Lab 6, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
B Laboratorio di Biologia dello Sviluppo, Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie ‘Lazzaro Spallanzani’, Universita’ degli Studi di Pavia, Via Ferrata 9, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
C Sezione di Istologia ed Embriologia, Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale, Universita’ degli Studi di Parma, Parma, Italy.
D Fondazione Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy.
E Centro di Ingegneria Tissutale e Centro di Eccellenza in Biologia Applicata, Universita’ degli Studi di Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
F Corresponding author. Emails: mmerani@fmed.uba.ar; silvia.garagna@unipv.it

Reproduction, Fertility and Development 25(3) 547-557 http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/RD12127
Submitted: 7 December 2011  Accepted: 20 April 2012   Published: 6 June 2012


 
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Abstract

Very little is known about the distinct reproductive biology of armadillos. Very few studies have investigated armadillo spermatogenesis, with data available only for Euphractus sexcinctus and Dasypus novemcinctus. In the present study, we analysed male germ cell differentiation in the large hairy armadillo Chaetophractus villosus throughout the year, describing a cycle of the seminiferous epithelium made of eight different stages. Evaluation of the testis/body mass ratio, analysis of the architecture of the seminiferous epithelium and the frequency of defective seminiferous tubules allowed identification of a temporal interruption of spermatogenesis during the period between mid-May to July (mid–end autumn) in correlation with very low testosterone levels. Overall, these results suggest that spermatogenesis is seasonal in C. villosus.

Additional keywords: germ cells, reproduction, seminiferous epithelium, Sertoli cells.


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