Ultrastructure of sperm ‘tail stump’ defect in wild boar

Abstract

Sperm 'tail stump' defect was found in ejaculates of a wild boar maintained in captivity. It was in good physical condition, the testes and genital tract were found to be of normal size and consistency. There was no evidence of macroscopic abnormalities at the clinical analysis and at necropsy. The volume and concentration of the semen samples obtained by electroejaculation were lower than normal. The slides examined contained a high level of abnormal spermatozoa (52.7%). The most frequent morphological finding was a droplet-like form attached to the base of the head or a very short stump. The non-stumped spermatozoa had no normal tail but a shortened one. Analysing the histological structure with light microscopy, no ring of spermatozoa was observed lining the lumen of the seminiferous tubules and the characteristically cellular structure was not conserved. The ultrastructural examination evidenced a disorganisation of the normal tubular structure of the flagellum, with lost of regular pattern of the axial bundle of fibrils and the mitochondrial helix. The origin of this abnormality is unknown.