20 SPERM CHARACTERIZATION OF ASTURCON PONIES AFTER COLLECTION AND EQUILIBRATION/REFRIGERATION BEFORE FREEZING

2007 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 128
Author(s):  
C. Tamargo ◽  
C. Díez ◽  
J. De La Fuente ◽  
M. Carbajo ◽  
J. M. Benito ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Semen Quality ◽  
Sperm Quality ◽  
Sperm Concentration ◽  
Skim Milk ◽  
Egg Yolk ◽  
Morphological Abnormalities ◽  
Unique Source ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Breeding Soundness

The need to conserve farm animal biodiversity is accepted by many countries through the ratification of the convention of biological diversity, and sperm quality is known to be an important criterion in the evaluation of breeding soundness. The aim of this work was to characterize the semen of a local breed of ponies 'Asturcon' (maintained free over the mountains all year around) before its incorporation into a germplasm bank. Semen was obtained from six stallions (6–17 years of age) using an artificial vagina, 3 days/week, during 12 weeks. Immediately after collection, gel-free semen was evaluated for volume, sperm concentration, and motility. Semen motility was again evaluated after equilibration/refrigeration. For evaluation of individual (IM) and progressive motility (PM) rates, semen was diluted (20 � 106 spermatozoa/mL) and analyzed with a CASA System (SCA; Microptic S.L., Barcelona, Spain). Five fields per sample were evaluated (minimum 500 spermatozoa/sample) under a phase contrast microscope (100�). Semen samples were subjected to a hypo-osmotic swelling test (HOS) test to detect the presence of swollen tails in a 100 mM citrate–fructose solution. Percentages of altered acrosomes and morphological abnormalities were determined by counting 100 spermatozoa (1000�). Then, semen was diluted and centrifuged for 10 min at 600g. After the supernatant was discarded, the pellet was re-suspended in freezing medium (skim milk extender containing 2% egg yolk and 2.5% glycerol) to a final concentration of 100 � 106 spermatozoa/mL, and equilibrated/cooled (60 min) to 4�C. Statistical analysis was carried out by means of the GLM and CORR procedures and Duncan test for means (SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, NC, USA). A significant effect between males (P < 0.05) on semen quality, such as volume of the ejaculate, sperm concentration, and morphological abnormalities, were detected among stallions. On the other hand, positive and significant correlations were found between the sperm motility immediately after collection and after equilbration/refrigeration (r = 0.73; P < 0.05); moreover, sperm motilities (both fresh and refrigerated) correlated with the results of the HOS test (r = 0.56; P < 0.001, and r = 0.27, P < 0.05, respectively). These preliminary results confirm that the sperm of the Asturcon ponies breed can be collected and will survive the equilibration/refrigeration procedures. Conservation and development of local breeds is important because they represent a unique source of genes for improving health and performance traits of industrial breeds. However, complementary studies on the ability of the stallion sperm to survive freezing/thawing procedures in rates higher than 30% are needed to ensure that genetic banks are correctly created. This work was performed in collaboration with ACPRA and Dep�sito de Sementales de Santander (Spain), and supported by RZ2004-00031-C02-01.

Factors affecting the response of working boars to changing environmental temperature

1991 ◽  
Vol 1991 ◽  
pp. 140-140
Author(s):  
Angela H Cliff ◽  
J H Dunne ◽  
P R English ◽  
J S M Hutchinson ◽  
O Macpherson
Keyword(s):  
Heat Stress ◽  
Adverse Effects ◽  
Environmental Temperature ◽  
Semen Quality ◽  
Sperm Quality ◽  
Sperm Concentration ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
High Environmental Temperature ◽  
Sudden Rise ◽  
Sperm Output

It is well established that high environmental temperature can have adverse effects on sperm concentration and the normality of sperm in the boar. Induced abnormalities include reduced motility, abnormal heads, proximal droplets, coiled and bent tails and abnormal acrosomes (Malmgren and Larsson, 1989). While all stages of spermatogenesis can be adversely affected, the primary spermatocytes are most vulnerable to these influences. Since spermatogenesis occurs over 45 days, any adverse effects of elevated ambient temperature can affect sperm quality for around 6 weeks. The maximum period of infertility appears around weeks 3 and 4 after heat stress. Reduced levels of testosterone and sometimes of LH following heat stress are implicated in these adverse effects. There is evidence that boars subjected to high constant temperature (30°C), which have become acclimatised to such, are affected less in terms of sperm output and quality (Cameron and Blackshaw, 1980) than when boars are subject to sudden major increases in temperature from fairly low levels (15 to 30 C) e.g. during the summer months (Antonyuk et al, 1983). There also appears to be large differences between boars in their ability to adapt to exposure to high environmental temperature by minimising temperature rise and avoiding adverse effects on semen quality (Cameron and Blackshaw, 1980). These workers found that boars prone to heat stress show an acute rise in body temperature in response to elevated environmental temperature and this sudden rise has a more adverse effect on semen quality than the length of exposure to the elevated temperature. There appears to be little information available on the reasons for such important between boar differences. This study was carried out to determine rectal temperature responses of boars to varying summer temperature in an intensive pig enterprise in Scotland and to attempt to determine some of the factors associated with ‘high’ and ‘low’ responding boars.

scholarly journals The Association Between Race, Obesity, and Sperm Quality Among Men Attending a University Physician Practice in Washington, DC

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 155798832092598
Author(s):  
Nathan L. McCray ◽  
Heather A. Young ◽  
Michael S. Irwig ◽  
David Frankfurter ◽  
Arnold M. Schwartz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Semen Quality ◽  
Sperm Quality ◽  
Sperm Count ◽  
Sperm Concentration ◽  
World Health ◽  
Washington Dc ◽  
Physician Practice ◽  
Research Attention ◽  
Men Of Color ◽  
Hispanic Men

A decades-long decline in sperm counts in Western countries has coincided with an increase in obesity rates, prompting study into their association. Few of these studies have incorporated men of color, the sperm health of whom is relatively unknown. The present exploratory study evaluated the association between body mass index (BMI), race, ethnicity, and sperm parameters among a diverse sample of U.S. men attending a Washington, DC physician practice. Semen samples were collected and processed at a single laboratory and sperm concentration, motility, morphology, and count were evaluated according to World Health Organization (WHO) 5th edition criteria. Multivariate models accounted for covariates related to sperm health. The study population ( n = 128) was largely obese (45.3%) or overweight (34.4%), and 36.0% were black or Hispanic. Black men had lower adjusted sperm concentration compared to white men (75.0 million/mL to 107.4 million/mL, p = .01) and were more likely to have oligozoospermia ( p = .01), asthenozoospermia ( p = .004), and low sperm count ( p < .0001). Hispanic men had higher adjusted sperm concentration compared to non-Hispanic men (124.5 million/mL to 62.1 million/mL, p = .007) and were less likely to have teratozoospermia ( p = .001). Obesity and BMI were associated with lower sperm motility and count in crude models only. Given the study’s sample size its findings should be interpreted with caution but align with the limited epidemiological literature to date that has evaluated racial and ethnic differences in semen quality. Heightened clinical research attention is needed to ensure men of color are included in representative numbers in studies of urologic and andrologic health.

23 Sperm quality of Pure Spanish stallions is affected by inbreeding coefficient and age

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 137
Author(s):  
Y. Pirosanto ◽  
M. Valera ◽  
A. Molina ◽  
J. Dorado ◽  
S. Demyda-Peyrás
Keyword(s):  
Sperm Motility ◽  
Inbreeding Depression ◽  
Negative Correlation ◽  
Semen Quality ◽  
Sperm Quality ◽  
Sperm Concentration ◽  
Inbreeding Coefficient ◽  
Semen Parameters ◽  
Computer Assisted

Inbreeding depression, a genetic condition produced by the mating of close-related individuals, has been associated with a reduction of fertility in several species. However, a loss in sperm quality was also associated with age. In horses, the few existing reports have described a tendency of both parameters to produce a negative effect on sperm quality. However, those reports were performed using a subjective evaluation of sperm motility. In the present study, a total of 692 ejaculates from 86 Pure Spanish stallions (PRE), aged between 3 and 22 years, were evaluated using a computer-assisted methodology to determine the effect of inbreeding in four semen parameters: free-gel volume (V), sperm concentration (C, by haemocytometer), and total (TM) and progressive (PM) sperm motility (by Spermvision sperm class analyser; Minitube). The inbreeding coefficient (F) was estimated using 300 000 PRE pedigree records approximately (minimum pedigree depth, eight equivalent complete generations; range, between 1 and 30.1%). Stallion, age, ejaculate, and season of semen collection were the variables included in the statistical model (general linear model), with ejaculate and season being the variables with a major effect (by variance components analysis). Our results showed that sperm concentration (r=−0.18; P&lt;0.0001) and volume (to a lesser extent) were reduced with advancing age, both showing a major decline after 15 years of age. To the contrary, sperm motility was not affected by age of the stallion. We also found a negative correlation between the inbreeding coefficient and ejaculate volume (r=−0.14; P&lt;0.001), with a marked decrease seen when F was between 7 and 20%. Also, a negative correlation was observed in PM (r=−0.08; P&lt;0.05), although to a lower extent. Conversely, C and TM were not affected by inbreeding depression (P&gt;0.05). In conclusion, our results demonstrated that high levels of inbreeding can compromise severely the sperm quality of the PRE stallion, which, subsequently, may have a negative influence on fertility. Ongoing studies using genomic data will help to detect genetic variants associated with stallion semen quality and how it is influenced by inbreeding in specific genomic regions.

scholarly journals Secular variations in sperm quality: fact or science fiction?

2002 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 403-412 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luc Multigner ◽  
Alejandro Oliva
Keyword(s):  
Science Fiction ◽  
Semen Quality ◽  
Sperm Quality ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Sperm Concentration ◽  
Human Sperm ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Homogeneous Groups ◽  
Secular Variations

The debate concerning the possible degradation in human sperm quality began in the 1970s, was revived at the beginning of the 1990s and has continued to mobilize the scientific community ever since. After the meta-analysis by Carlsen et al. (1992) showing a decline in human semen quality over the last 50 years, several groups investigated the sperm characteristics of more or less homogeneous groups of men who had provided semen at the same center for 10 to 20 years. A significant decrease in sperm concentration was reported in some studies, but not in others. Meanwhile, there is an increasing number of reports suggesting that physical and chemical factors introduced and spread by human activity in the environment may have contributed to sperm decline. At the end of the 20th century the debate on declining semen quality is not closed. The lack of certainty and the serious consequences that such a decline would have on the fertility of human populations make this an important public health issue at the start of the 21st century. For this reason, intensive research should be developed in both fundamental and epidemiological domains, particularly in South America, where industrial and agricultural pollution pose a serious threat to the population.

scholarly journals Repeatability Estimates For Seminal Traits And Their Phenotypic Relationships With Testes Measurements And Performance Traits In Black Bengal Buck

1970 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 34-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
AK Rajuana ◽  
MR Tayabur ◽  
MA Hoque ◽  
SS Husain ◽  
Z Sultana
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Sperm Motility ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Semen Quality ◽  
Sperm Concentration ◽  
Normal Sperm ◽  
Semen Volume ◽  
Performance Traits ◽  
Mass Activity ◽  
And Performance

Repeatability for seminal traits and their phenotypic relationships with testes measurements and performance traits in Black Bengal bucks were estimated from a total of 116 repeated observations on 15 young Black Bengal bucks. Performance traits included age, body condition and body weight of bucks. Testes measurements were testes length, breadth and volume, and scrotal circumference, while seminal traits were ejaculate volume, semen density, mass activity, sperm motility, sperm concentration, total sperm per ejaculation and percent of normal sperm. High positive correlations (ranging from 0.81 to 0.90) were found between body weight and testes measurements. Semen volume and percent of normal sperm were positively correlated with age, body condition and body weight of bucks (ranging from 0.24 to 0.60). The testes measurements were strongly and positively correlated with semen volume and total sperm per ejaculation (ranging from 0.53 to 0.61), while the correlations between testes measurement and percent of normal sperm were moderate (ranging from 0.34 to 0.44). Among seminal traits, strong correlations were found between semen volume and total sperm per ejaculation (0.81) and, between mass activity and sperm motility (0.82). Repeatability of ejaculate volume was higher (r = 0.78) which indicated that selection or culling for semen ejaculate volume could be practiced from single or few observations. It could be concluded that bucks’ age, body weight and body condition along with testes volume should be considered as selection criteria for improving semen quality and semen production of breeding bucks. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjas.v37i2.9879 BJAS 2008; 37(2): 34-41

scholarly journals Effect of whole and clarified egg yolk based extenders on post-thaw semen quality in bulls.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Prosper Kamusasa ◽  
Eddington Gororo ◽  
Fungayi Primrose Chatiza
Keyword(s):  
Semen Quality ◽  
Sperm Quality ◽  
Egg Yolk ◽  
Quality Parameters ◽  
Normal Morphology ◽  
Semen Cryopreservation ◽  
Bull Semen ◽  
Inclusion Level ◽  
Whole Egg

Abstract This study was conducted to evaluate the comparative cryoprotective effects of whole egg yolk and clarified egg yolk on post thaw sperm quality parameters and to determine the optimum clarified egg yolk inclusion level (10-20%) in semen extenders for Mashona bull semen cryopreservation. It was shown that there was a significant decrease in sperm quality variables following cryopreservation. Semen quality increased with the concentration of clarified egg yolk, indicating a positive relationship between egg yolk LDL concentration and maintenance of in vitro sperm quality. The 20% clarified egg yolk (CEY20) extender treatment gave post-thaw motility, viability and normal morphology values which were comparable to the control (20% whole egg yolk, WEY20). The 10% clarified egg yolk concentration gave the least post-thaw quality values and the greatest proportion of defective spermatozoa. This experiment found no advantage of replacing whole egg yolk with up to 15% clarified egg yolk in Mashona bull semen cryopreservation. However, 20% clarified and 20% whole egg yolk performed similarly in the maintenance of post-thaw sperm motility, viability and normal morphology.

scholarly journals The Association Between Abstinence Period and Semen Parameters: Results in Normal Samples and Different Sperm Pathology

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Min Xie ◽  
Silvan Hämmerli ◽  
Kerstin Blickenstorfer ◽  
Brigitte Leeners
Keyword(s):  
Semen Quality ◽  
Sperm Quality ◽  
Sperm Count ◽  
Sperm Concentration ◽  
Semen Parameters ◽  
Sexual Abstinence ◽  
Normal Morphology ◽  
Few Data ◽  
Total Motile Sperm Count ◽  
Abstinence Period

Abstract Purpose: The length of sexual abstinence seems to influence sperm quality. However, few data on the relevance of abstinence time in pathological sperm samples are available. With our study, we look for associations of abstinence length and semen quality. Methods: We studied semen samples from 4423 men undergoing fertility evaluation. Sperm concentration, percentage of progressively motile spermatozoa, total motile sperm count, percentage of spermatozoa with normal morphology, were compared after each day and 0-2, 3-7 and >7 days of abstinence. Results: We found that a longer abstinence time was related to higher sperm concentration in normal semen samples (P<0.001) and in semen samples with any sperm pathology (P<0.001, P=0.004) with the exception of oligozoospermia (P=0.125). Longer abstinence time was also associated with significantly reduced progressive motility in normal samples (P<0.001) and in cases of teratozoospermia (P<0.001). In normal samples a higher percentage of sperm were morphologically normal after a shorter abstinence period (P=0.03); in oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (OAT) samples, this was the case after a longer abstinence period (P=0.013). Conclusion: A longer abstinence time is associated with higher sperm concentration, whereas sperm motility is optimal after shorter abstinence times; results on morphology are controversial. The recommendation on abstinence time needs to be adjusted in relation to the parameter that needs to be improved.

scholarly journals Optimization of Sperm Cryopreservation Protocol for Mediterranean Brown Trout: A Comparative Study of Non-Permeating Cryoprotectants and Thawing Rates In Vitro and In Vivo

Animals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giusy Rusco ◽  
Michele Di Iorio ◽  
Pier Paolo Gibertoni ◽  
Stefano Esposito ◽  
Maurizio Penserini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brown Trout ◽  
Semen Quality ◽  
Sperm Quality ◽  
Egg Yolk ◽  
Dna Integrity ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
C 30 ◽  
Thawing Rate

The aim of our study was to test the effects of different non-permeating cryoprotectants (NP-CPAs), namely low-density lipoproteins (LDLs), sucrose, and egg yolk, and thawing rates on the post-thaw semen quality and fertilizing ability of the native Mediterranean brown trout. Pooled semen samples were diluted 1:3 (v:v) with 2.5%, 5%, 10%, or 15% LDL; 0.05, 0.1, or 0.3 M sucrose; or 10% egg yolk. At the moment of analysis, semen was thawed at 30 °C/10 s or 10 °C/30 s. The post-thaw semen quality was evaluated, considering motility, the duration of motility, viability, and DNA integrity. Significantly higher values of motility and viability were obtained using egg yolk/10 °C for 30 s, across all treatments. However, LDL and sucrose concentrations affected sperm cryosurvival, showing the highest post-thaw sperm quality at 5% LDL and 0.1 M sucrose. Based on the in vitro data, egg yolk, 5% LDL, and 0.1 M sucrose thawed at 10 °C or 30 °C were tested for the in vivo trial. The highest fertilization and hatching rates were recorded using egg yolk/10 °C (p < 0.05). According to these in vitro and in vivo results, egg yolk emerged as the most suitable NP-CPA and 10 °C/30 s as the best thawing rate for the cryopreservation of this trout sperm, under our experimental conditions.

111 ESTIMATION OF SPERM QUALITY IN FRESH AND FROZEN - THAWED SEMEN FROM ASTURIANA DE LOS VALLES BULLS

2006 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 163
Author(s):  
C. Tamargo ◽  
M. Carbajo ◽  
C. Diez ◽  
D. Martin ◽  
C. O. Hidalgo
Keyword(s):  
Sperm Motility ◽  
Semen Quality ◽  
Sperm Quality ◽  
Membrane Integrity ◽  
Daily Routine ◽  
Morphological Abnormalities ◽  
Hypoosmotic Swelling Test ◽  
Motion Characteristics ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Casa System

Artificial insemination and semen cryopreservation have significantly improved the breeding potential of male animals. However, current freezing techniques commonly result in reduced semen quality (Januskauskas et al. 1999 Theriogenology 52, 641-658), and surviving cells are affected post-thaw either structurally or functionally (Nagy et al. 2004 Anim. Reprod. Sci. 80, 225-235). In this work we analyze the impact of cryopreservation on Asturiana de los Valles bull sperm. Ejaculates (n = 373) from seven adult bulls were weekly collected by means of artificial vagina. Immediately after collection, routine parameters including volume (V), mass motility (MM), and concentration (C) of sperm cells were evaluated. Then the semen was extended with a commercial extender, loaded into 0.25-mL plastic straws at a concentration of 23 � 106 per straw, frozen and stored for further analysis. Four straws per ejaculate were thawed, pooled and analyzed for motion characteristics by means of a CASA system (Sperm Class Analyzer, SCA 2002� Microptic S. L., Barcelona, Spain) added to an optical phase-contrast microscope with heatable (37�C) stage. Immediately after thawing, we analyzed the % of motile spermatozoa (MS) and the % of progressively motile spermatozoa (PMS); then samples were incubated for 3 h at 37�C and MS and PMS were measured again (MS3 and PMS3, respectively). Functional integrity of the plasmallema was evaluated by the hypoosmotic swelling test (HOST) together with the % of typical tail coiling/swelling (percentage of HOST-positive spermatozoa, HOST-PS). The % of viable spermatozoa (VS) [membrane integrity was evaluated by fluorescence microscopy with a dual staining system (propidium iodide (PI) and 6-carboxyfluorescein diacetate (CFDA)]. Sperm showing partial or complete red fluorescence (PI staining) were considered nonviable, whereas sperm showing complete green fluorescence were considered viable. Altered acrosomes (AA) and morphological abnormalities were also determined. The % of morphological abnormalities was classified according to their location in head (HA), midpiece (MA), and tail (TA). Proximal and distal cytoplasmic droplets were counted as separate abnormalities (CD). Data were analyzed by the MEANS procedure of SAS (SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, NC, USA). A significant (P < 0.05) decrease in the sperm motility was observed after freezing/thawing (MS: 80.20 � 0.75 vs. 47.36 � 1.04, and PMS: 68.73 � 0.73 vs. 42.14 � 0.96 for fresh and frozen-thawed semen, respectively). Also, the frozen-thawed sperm showed increased % of HA, MA, AA, HOST-PS, and VS (P < 0.05). These morphological abnormalities could contribute to decreasing sperm motility. The new computer and video technologies provide useful information about sperm quality and can be used in the daily routine of processing semen. This work was performed in collaboration with ASEAVA.

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