Morphological study of epididymides in the scorpion mud turtle in natural habitat (Kinosternon scorpioides – Linnaeus, 1976)

Abstract

ResumoEstudo morfológico dos epidídimos de jurará em habitat natural (Kinosternon scorpioides -Linnaeus, 1976). No estado do Maranhão, é encontrado o quelônio de água doce Kinosternon scorpioides, conhecido como jurará, que possui valor social, econômico e ambiental. Vinte jurarás adultos foram coletados nos meses de março, junho, setembro e dezembro, correspondendo aos dois períodos do ano: as estações chuvosa e seca. De cada animal colheram-se os epidídimos para averiguar a existência de sazonalidade reprodutiva. Os órgãos foram avaliados por microscopia de luz e eletrônica de varredura e de transmissão e analisados à altura do epitélio epididimário e os diâmetros tubular e luminal. Os epidídimos estavam divididos em rede testis, ducto eferente e ducto epididimário. Na estação chuvosa, eles apresentaram, epitélio pseudoestratificado estereociliado; na estação seca, eles se caracterizaram por células simples, cúbicas e não ciliadas. A morfometria dos diâmetros tubular e luminal e a altura epitelial do epidídimo apresentaram momentos de alternância epitelial ao longo dos períodos estudados, com as maiores médias na estação chuvosa, no período reprodutivo. Os espermatozoides foram observados durante o ano todo, apesar de sua viabilidade não poder ser avaliada. Tendo em vista os dados obtidos, pode-se afirmar que o jurará apresenta sazonalidade reprodutiva.Palavras-chave: Fauna silvestre; Morfometria epididimária; Reprodução; Sazonalidade reprodutiva AbstractIn the state of Maranhao, Brazil, one can find the freshwater chelonian Kinosternon scorpioides, known as scorpion mud turtle, which has social, economic, and environmental value. Twenty adult scorpion mud turtles were collected in the months of March, June, September, and December, corresponding to the two periods of the year: the rainy and dry seasons. The epididymides were collected from each animal to check the existence of reproductive seasonality. The organs were evaluated through light, scanning electron, and transmission microscopy and analyzed at the epididymal epithelium height and the tubular and luminal diameters. The epididymides were divided into rete testis, ductuli efferentes, and ductus epididymis. In the rainy season, they presented stereo ciliated pseudostratified epithelium; in the dry season, they were characterized by simple, cubic, and non-ciliated cells. The morphometry of the tubular and luminal diameters and the epididymal epithelium height showed moments of epithelial alternation over the studied periods, with the highest averages in the rainy season, within the reproductive period. Spermatozoids were observed throughout the year, although their viability couldn't be evaluated. Taking into account the data obtained, one may claim that the scorpion mud turtle presents reproductive seasonality.

Morphology and biometry of the reproductive organs of adult males of Trachemys scripta elegans reared in São Paulo state, Brazil

“…The histological morphology of the epididymis head in T. scripta elegans, with presence of ductuli efferentes and epididymal duct interspersed with connective tissue was similar to that of other turtles (Cabral et al 2011b, Viana et al 2013, Olukole et al 2014. The ductuli efferentes are responsible for the transport of spermatozoa from the testis to the epididymis, and present epithelium capable of reabsorbing more than 90% of the luminal fluid, increasing the concentration of spermatozoa entering the epididymis (Hansen et al 2004).…”

“…The ductuli efferentes are responsible for the transport of spermatozoa from the testis to the epididymis, and present epithelium capable of reabsorbing more than 90% of the luminal fluid, increasing the concentration of spermatozoa entering the epididymis (Hansen et al 2004). In T. scripta elegans, groups of three to 10 ductuli efferentes were observed, as in hamsters (3-10; Ford Junior et al 2014), mammals (5-10; Acharya et al 2015), and Pelusios castaneus (5-8;Olukole et al 2014), whereas the observed simple columnar epithelium differed from the pseudostratified columnar epithelium with areas of ciliated and non-ciliated cells in P. geoffroanus (Cabral et al 2011b); of the simple cuboidal epithelium in K. scorpioides (Viana et al 2013), and of the pseudostratified columnar epithelium in Pelusios castaneus (Olukole et al 2014). In contrast, presence of smooth muscle tissue and loose connective tissue surrounding the ductuli efferentes, irregular contour, and empty lumen were also observed in these species.…”

“…In contrast, presence of smooth muscle tissue and loose connective tissue surrounding the ductuli efferentes, irregular contour, and empty lumen were also observed in these species. In T. scripta elegans, the epididymal duct showed simple columnar epithelium, contrasting with the pseudostratified columnar epithelium in P. geoffroanus (Cabral et al 2011b), with epithelium varying between pseudostratified columnar and simple cuboidal in K. scorpioides (Viana et al 2013), and with the pseudostratified columnar epithelium in Pelusios castaneus (Olukole et al 2014). Alike to these species, the epididymal duct in T. scripta elegans was surrounded by smooth muscle tissue and loose connective tissue, the epithelium was composed of principal and basal cells, and the lumen was filled with spermatozoa.…”

Seasonal morphological variation of the vas deferens of scorpion mud turtle (Kinosternon scorpioides)

“…The vas deferens in jurará are a pair of simple structures, with a convoluted path that extends from the epididymis (Viana 2013) to the cloaca, with the function of transporting and storing spermatozoids. The penis, in turn, is grooved, and composed by the root, body and gland, located in the ventral floor of the cloaca, in which it attaches via a retractor muscle, and is protected by the foreskin (Carvalho et al 2010).…”

IMUNOLOCALIZAÇÃO DE ENTEROGLUCAGON EM CÉLULAS ENDÓCRINAS PRESENTES NO ESTÔMAGO DO MUÇUÃ <italic>Kinosternon scorpioides</italic> (REPTILIA, CHELONIA, KINOSTERNIDAE)

“…Foram utilizados 06 exemplares de muçuã adultos de cativeiro em jejum, sendo três machos e três fêmeas. Para eutanásia, foi utilizado o Tiopental sódico 2,5% por via intramuscular conforme protocolo (8)(9)(10)(11) . Os cortes das três regiões do estômago foram submetidos à técnica da estreptovidina-peroxidase para detecção de antígenos de enteroglucagon presente no epitélio e glândulas do estômago do muçuã.…”