Semen characteristics evaluation in capuchin monkey (Cebus apella) in captivity, before and after bilateral vasectomy

Abstract

The effects of bilateral vasectomy on the seminal characteristics were assessed in capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella). Six adult male monkeys were housed separately in outdoor pens at the Fundação Parque Zoológico de São Paulo. Semen samples were collected by electroejaculation, after anesthetized the animals, 15 days before and once a month from 1 to 5 months after vasectomy. Immediately after the ejaculation, semen was analyzed for volume (ml), pH, motility (%), vigour (0-5), concentration (cells/ml), defects (%) and percentage of intact acrosoma (%). The percentage of intact acrossoma was analyzed only in the collection before the vasectomy and the concentration was done in only four males in these collection because have no semen enough for all analyses. One month after the vasectomy ejaculated spermatozoa were non-motilite and non-vigour in all vasectomized males. In addition the Mean/SEM of cells/ml before the vasectomy was 2.8±1.3 x10(6)/ml and after two months of the vasectomy was 4.7±1.6 x10(6)/ml, 0.8±0.7 x10(6)/ml, respectively. Only after the thirty month the number of cells/ml was zero. Our results suggest that the vasectomized males may be back to the group, without risks of accidental fecundating, only 3 months after vasectomy.