[Sperm-autophagocytosis in rams affectes with Brucella ovis]

Studied was micrographically the semen of rams affected with infectious epididymitis admixed with leukocytes and Brucella ovis organisms. The animals were CFT-positive for brucellosis. It was found that in addition to the abundantly phagocytized Brucellae in the cytoplasm of the polymorphonuclear leukocytes there were fairly often surrounding sporadic spermatozoa or groups of them whose flagellae and heads have penetrated into the respective leukocyte. To elucidate this phenomenon ultrasections were studied of leukocytes isolated from the semen of these animals using electron microscope. Autophagocytosis of the spermatozoa was observed, manifested to a varying degree. In some of the cases the spermatozoa showed no changes, while in other cases there was lysis predominantly of the plasmalemma; still in third cases both the leukocytes and the phagocytized elements (spermatozoa and Brucella organisms) were completely destroyed. It is believed on the basis of ultrastructural data that phagocytosis takes place actively through engaging the pseudopodia of the leukocytes in the epididmis where the spermatozoa are in the status of anabiosis. On the other hand, proceeding from the state in which there are phagocytized heads vs. fully retained normal structure the concept is set forth that probably spermatozoa gain access to the leukocytes by means of active penetration. The authors refer to this immunologic phenomenon in the biology of breeding, first observed by them, as autophagocytosis of spermatozoa.