Toluidine blue stain and sperm abnormalities in rabbits

ABSTRACT

Five mature New Zealand bucks were used in this study to examine the efficacy of the toluidine blue stain to determine the normal and abnormal spermatozoa recovered from testis and epididymis [unilateral cryptorchidism and free]. The results revealed that the sp"iatids released from the cryptorchid testis were deeply stained by the toluidine blue. Misshaped sperm heads were stained with toluidine blue and appeared faintly stained, where they were exposed to sever testiar degeneration. The normal spermatozoa wert unstained except the distal part of the head stained darkly due to the chroniatin condensation in this part. The abnormal spermatozoa either from the testis or the epididymis appeared deeply stained with the toluidine blue stain. It was observec that the toluidine blue stain has the ability to stain the unstabilized chromatin which was prominent in the abnormal sperrnatids or spermatozoa. This result will help in the diagnosis of the testicular degeneration [primary sperm abnormalities] which will be reflected on the sire and semen evaluations