scholarly journals Use of aqueous extract of noni in extender for sheep semen freezing

2018 ◽  
Vol 70 (5) ◽  
pp. 1547-1556
Author(s):  
A.L.C. Nascimento ◽  
A.D.F. Santos ◽  
H.C. Azevedo ◽  
J.M.D.S. Velarde ◽  
C.A. Lima ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The study aimed to evaluate the action of aqueous extract of noni in an extender for sheep semen freezing. Treatments differed in inclusion of aqueous extract of noni in the extender: T1 ˗ no addition; T2 ˗ 24µg/mL; T3 ˗ 72µg/mL; and T4 ˗ 120µg/mL. Ejaculates were collected, diluted in the four treatments, and frozen. After thawing, the semen was subjected to a thermoresistance test and evaluated for subjective motility, vigor, membrane integrity assessment by hypo-osmotic swelling test, live-dead assay, computer-assisted sperm analysis and the status of sperm capacitation and acrosome reaction. Data were subjected to ANOVA, and then to Student Newman Keuls’s test at 5% significance level. In the thermoresistance test after two hours of incubation, motility in T4 (120µg/mL) was lower than in the other treatments, with no differences in the HoS test in either diluted semen or in the semen evaluated immediately post-thawing, while for the other times, treatments showed similar responses. Regarding the motility parameters, a difference was observed for progressive motility, curvilinear velocity, average path velocity, and amplitude of lateral head displacement. As to the sperm capacitation status, a difference was observed between treatments for the sperm capacitated with intact acrosome.

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 135
Author(s):  
A. Usuga ◽  
G. Restrepo ◽  
B. Rojano

Oxidative stress has been identified as a major cause of low seminal fertility. Among the components of stallion seminal plasma, some enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants have been identified, which protect sperm from injurious effects of reactive oxygen species (ROS); however, the characterisation of these components is still in preliminary stages, as well as their relationship with freezability. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of some components of seminal plasma (SP) on stallion semen freezability. Semen of 30 Colombian Creole horses, and a total of 60 ejaculates, were collected. Semen was centrifuged to recover the SP. It was lyophilized and some components were assayed: total protein concentration (TP) by Bradford assay, CRISP3 protein concentration by ELISA, vitamin C (CVIT), vitamin E (EVIT) and vitamin A (AVIT), by HPLC; content of iron (Fe), copper (Cu), magnesium (Mg) and Zinc (Zn) by atomic absorption spectroscopy flame. Semen was supplemented with 10% stallion lyophilized SP and cryopreservation was performed. Post-thaw, total motility (TM), progressive motility (PM), straight line velocity (VSL), curvilinear velocity (VCL), average path velocity (VAP), amplitude of lateral head displacement (ALH) and beat cross frequency (BCF), were assessed using a computer-assisted sperm analysis (SCA®, Microptic SL, Barcelona, Spain). Sperm viability (SV) was determined by the Live/Dead kit (Molecular Probes Inc., Eugene, OR, USA). Normal sperm morphology (NM) was performed by the supravital technique and plasmatic membrane integrity (MI) was evaluated by the hypo-osmotic test. For statistical analysis, completely randomised mixed models were fitted. Levels according to the concentration of components of SP (high, medium, and low) were established. Comparisons of the means between levels were done with Tukey’s test. The significance level used for all assessments was P < 0.05. Means for TP of 0.35 mg BSA/g, CRISP3 of 55.22 ng/mg, CVIT of 2.66 mg/g, EVIT of 72.36 µg/g, AVIT of 37.37 µg/g, Fe of 17.37 mg/kg, Cu of 33.64 mg/kg, Mg of 109.08 mg/kg, and Zn of 0.49 g/100 g of SP were found. We found that a high level of CRISP3, AVIT, Cu, and Fe had higher results for post-thaw TM, PM, NM; medium levels of TP and Mg showed higher post-thaw TM, PM, NM, and MI; and lower levels of Zn had better results for post-thaw TM, PM, VCL, and VAP. In contrast, high and medium levels of CVIT had a deleterious effect on post-thaw TM, PM, SV, NM, and MI. We concluded that there is a relationship between concentrations of seminal plasma components and stallion semen freezability.


2020 ◽  
Vol 72 (3) ◽  
pp. 729-736
Author(s):  
J. Almeida ◽  
M.F. Brito ◽  
V.A.B. Becerra ◽  
B.P. Neves ◽  
P.A. Auler ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT This study investigated in vitro the efficacy of four different extenders (TES-TRIS and TRIS with LDL low-density lipoprotein at concentrations of 10 or 5%) on the longevity of buffalo sperm in the refrigeration process at 5ºC. Sperm motility was assessed every 24 hours up to 72 hours of incubation using computer assisted sperm analysis and sperm membrane integrity was examined by the hypoosmotic test (HOST) at T1, T24, T48 and T72 hours. Eleven buffaloes (1 ejaculate per buffalo) of the Murrah breed were used, ranging in age from 4 to 5 years. Immediately after collection, each ejaculate was fractionated into 4 aliquots, and each aliquot was diluted in one of four diluents to obtain 50x106SPTZ/mL. The samples were packed in 0.5mL straws and refrigerated (-0.25°C/min) to 5°C and maintained at this temperature until evaluation. Prior to evaluation the samples were heated at 37°C for 30 seconds. The statistical package used for analysis was STATA 12.0 "Statistical Analysis Software" and means were compared by the Friedman test (P<0.05). The results of sperm kinetics and HOST indicate that the TRIS diluent with 10% LDL could be a promising alternative for semen refrigeration at 5ºC, to be used in conventional and fixed time artificial insemination.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed R. M. El-Khawagah ◽  
Mohamed M. M. Kandiel ◽  
Haney Samir

Buffalo spermatozoa are more sensitive for cryopreservation compared to other species. This study aimed to evaluate the consequences of quercetin against cryodamage of buffalo frozen–thawed spermatozoa characteristics. Semen of Egyptian bulls (n = 4) was extended in OptiXcell extender incorporated with quercetin at 0 (control), 2.5, 5.0, 10.0, 20.0, 40.0, and 80.0 μM before cryopreservation. Frozen–thawed semen was evaluated for sperm motility by computer-assisted sperm analyzer (CASA), viability, morphology, membrane, and acrosome integrities. The kinematics parameters including average path velocity (VAP; μm/s), straight linear velocity (VSL; μm/s), curvilinear velocity (VCL; μm/s), amplitude of lateral head displacement (ALH; μm), beat cross frequency (BCF; Hz), linearity [LIN, (VSL/VCL) × 100], and straightness [STR, (VSL/VAP) × 100] were assessed. The sperm-free extender was evaluated for aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and H2O2. Homogenized sperm cells were evaluated for oxidative stress biomarkers [superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPX)], and lipid peroxidation [malondialdehyde (MDA)]. The highest values of total motility, progressive motility, viability, intact acrosome, and membrane integrity substantially improved with 10 μM of quercetin. STR (%) was substantially low (P &lt; 0.01), and VCL (μm/s) and ALH (μm) were markedly high (P &lt; 0.05) in 10 μM of quercetin. The outflow of ALT enzyme to extracellular fluid was lower with 10 μM of quercetin (P &lt; 0.001) and higher at 2.5 μM of quercetin. The spermatozoa leaked AST was markedly lower at 5.0, 10 (P &lt; 0.001) and 20 μM (P &lt; 0.05) of quercetin. The activity of antioxidant enzymes was eminently low at all quercetin concentrations, and this was accompanied by the decrease in H2O2 in the media. SOD activity at 10–80 μM, CAT at 5.0–40 μM, and GPX at 2.5–80.0 μM of quercetin in spermatozoa were substantially low. MDA level significantly (P &lt; 0.001) decreased at all quercetin concentrations. In conclusion, the incorporation of quercetin at the level of 10 μM is promising in improving buffalo semen characteristics and lower the freezing–thawing oxidative stress.


2011 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 218
Author(s):  
E. G. A. Perez ◽  
M. Nichi ◽  
C. A. Baptista Sobrinho ◽  
P. A. A. Góes ◽  
A. Dalmazzo ◽  
...  

Sperm recovery from the caudae epididymides can be advantageous for preserving semen of endangered animal species. In this context, the domestic cat is a suitable model for the study of sperm physiology in endangered feline species and the research on epididymal sperm preservation combined with the use of reproductive biotechnologies including intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). The aim of the present study was to examine the sperm collected from the cauda and caput of the cat epididymis using functional tests. Testicles and epididymides from 5 adult tomcats were collected by orchiectomy and maintained at 4°C for 4 h, until semen collection. Semen samples were collected from the epididymal tail and head by careful dissection. Samples were then analysed for motility by computer assisted sperm analysis (CASA; only for the caudal sperm). The 3-3′ diaminobenzidine stain was used as an index of mitochondrial activity, the eosin nigrosin stain as an index of membrane integrity, the simple stain (fast green/Bengal rose) as an index of acrosome integrity, and the measurement of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) as an index of lipid peroxidation. Statistical analysis was performed using the SAS System for Windows (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA; least significant differences test and Spearman correlation; P < 0.05). No motility was observed in samples collected from the epididymal head, whereas samples from the tail showed 50.0 ± 4.2% motile spermatozoa. Surprisingly, more spermatozoa with high mitochondrial activity were found in the epididymal head than in samples from the tail (74.0 ± 3.5 v. 50.0 ± 4.3%, respectively). Similarly, samples collected from the head showed a higher susceptibility against the attack of ROS (31.9 ± 5.5 v. 16.3 ± 7.1 ng of TBARS/106 sperm, respectively). Furthermore, epididymal head sperm showed a lower percentage of sperm with intact membrane and a higher percentage of sperm with intact acrosome (44.9 ± 3.3 and 78.4 ± 1.8 v. 66.4 ± 4.2 and 56.7 ± 4.4%, respectively). Our results demonstrate that, during maturation, feline sperm are subjected to high oxidative stress, as shown by the lipid peroxidation assay, which would lead to structural damage to biomolecules, DNA, lipids, carbohydrates and proteins, as well as other cellular components, such as mitochondria, and acrosomal impairment. Similar results were found in humans, in which higher levels of oxidative stress occurred in the post-testicular environment. The plasma membrane seems to be more resistant to damages. This may be due to the described rearrangement in the lipid profile occurring during maturation, but studies to test this hypothesis are still underway.


2010 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 204
Author(s):  
J. Dorado ◽  
M. J. Galvez ◽  
M. R. Murabito ◽  
S. Demyda ◽  
L. J. De Luca ◽  
...  

Tris-egg yolk-based diluents provide adequate cryoprotection for the sperm of most species. This study was conducted to compare the ability of Tris-glucose extender containing 2 different concentrations of egg yolk to maintain sperm motility and acrosome integrity of canine spermatozoa during 72 h of preservation. For this purpose, a total of 20 ejaculates from 4 clinically healthy dogs (2 Spanish Greyhound, 1 German Pointer, and 1 Crossbreed) were collected by digital manipulation. The sperm-rich fraction of each ejaculate was divided into 2 aliquots. Then, they were diluted in Tris-based extender and centrifuged at 700g for 8 min. Sperm pellets were resuspended in either Tris buffer added to 20% (EY20) or 10% centrifuged egg yolk (EY10) and cooled to 5°C over 72 h. The effects of these extenders on motility and acrosome integrity were assessed objectively using a computer-aided semen analyzer (Sperm Class Analyzer, Microptic SL, Spain) and Spermac® staining, respectively. Each cooled-rewarmed semen sample was evaluated after 24, 48, and 72 h of preservation. Sperm motion parameters shown by computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA) are progressively motile (PMS) and motile spermatozoa (MS), curvilinear velocity (CLV), average path velocity (APV), progressive speed (SLV), and lateral head displacement (LHD). Data were statistically analysed by ANOVA. Dependent variables expressed as percentages were arsine-transformed before analysis. Differences between mean values were evaluated by the Duncan method. Data were presented as mean ± SEM. Differences were considered significant when P < 0.05. Analyses were performed using the statistical package SPSS 12.0. A total of 98 172 motile sperm trajectories were analyzed by CASA: 52 259 in EY20 and 45 913 in EY10. After 24, 48, and 72 h of preservation, MS and PMS were statistically higher (P < 0.01) in EY20. No significant differences were found for LHD using either extender over a 72-h period. No significant differences were observed for CLV using either extender during the first 2 days. At Day 3, CLV data were significantly higher (P < 0.01) in EY20. Similarly, from Day 2, APV was significantly higher (P < 0.001) in EY20. After 24 h of preservation, SLV was statistically higher (P < 0.001) in EY10, whereas the opposite tendency was found at Day 3. No significant differences were observed for SLV using either extender after 48 h of preservation. During the first 2 days, acrosome integrity was statistically higher (P < 0.001) in EY20. At hour 72, higher acrosome integrity (P < 0.001) was observed in EY10. In conclusion, we have observed that the EY20 extender provided higher motility after 72 h of chilled preservation; however, the acrosome membrane integrity was better preserved in EY10.


2012 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 139
Author(s):  
J. R. Saenz ◽  
C. Dumas ◽  
B. L. Dresser ◽  
M. C. Gómez ◽  
R. A. Godke ◽  
...  

Previously, we have shown that survival of cat sperm is maintained in both non-egg yolk, semi-defined extenders and in extenders with greatly reduced levels of egg yolk (2%). Usually, cryoprotectant is added to extended samples after gradual cooling to 4°C, but recent reports have shown that satisfactory sperm survival can be obtained after addition at 22°C. Here, our objectives were to examine sperm survival after (1) cryopreservation from 22°C vs after gradually cooling to 4°C or (2) cryopreservation in a completely defined extender without animal or plant proteins vs extender + 2% egg yolk. Epididymides from local veterinary clinics were dissected in HEPES 199 medium (He199). The sperm suspension was filtered (40 μ), layered onto a density gradient column and centrifuged at 650 × g for 20 min. Then, the sperm pellet was resuspended in 1 mL of He199 and centrifuged for 5 min at 800 × g and the subsequent pellet was extended in TEST Buffer with either 0% (0% EY) or 2% egg yolk (2% EY). Next, 0% EY samples were further split into 2 groups—either gradually cooled to 4°C before 12% glycerol (1:1) was added (4C-0%EY) or 12% glycerol (1:1) was added at 22°C without cooling (22C-0%EY). Control samples extended in 2% EY were cooled to 4°C before addition of 12% glycerol (1:1) (4C-2%EY). Samples were loaded into 0.25-mL straws and placed in a –80°C freezer for 20 min before storage in LN2. Sperm samples were thawed in air (22°C) for 5 s and immersed in a 60°C water bath for 5 s. After a 7-step addition of He199, samples were centrifuged at 800 × g for 5 min and pellets resuspended in He199. Sperm samples were evaluated for motility (Mot; computer-assisted semen analysis, 37°C) at 0 h (initial assessment), after cooling to 4°C (PC) and at 0-h (0-PT) and 3-h post-thaw (3-PT) incubation at 37°C. Membrane integrity (MI; SYBR 14-PI) and acrosomal status (AS; FITC-PNA) were analysed at the initial assessment, 0-PT and 3-PT. Results are shown in Table 1. At 4°C (PC), sperm extended in 0% EY and 2% EY maintained 92 and 91%, respectively, of their initial motility (66%). At 0-PT and 3-PT, motility in the 3 groups had decreased by >50% and >70%, respectively. Motility at 3-PT in the 22C-0%EY treatment was less than the other 2 treatments (P < 0.05; 1-way ANOVA). At 0-PT, samples in the 4C-2%EY group had a higher membrane integrity value (P < 0.05) than did the 22C-0%EY group, whereas that of the 4C-0%EY group was not different from the other 2 groups. However, at 3-PT, both groups cooled to 4°C before cryopreservation had higher membrane integrity values (P < 0.05) than the group cryopreserved at 22°C. At 0-PT and 3-PT, the percentage of sperm with intact acrosomes ranged from 69% (4C-2%EY) to 59% (22C-0%EY) and from 55% (4C-2%EY) to 43% (22C-0%EY) of the initial value (89%), respectively. In summary, we demonstrated that cat epididymal sperm could be frozen successfully in a completely defined TEST-buffered extender. Furthermore, we confirmed that addition of cryoprotectant (i.e. glycerol) after gradual cooling to 4°C is beneficial to post-thaw survival. Table 1.Motility (Mot), membrane integrity (MI) and acrosomal status (AS) of cat epididymal sperm before and after cryostorage


2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 116
Author(s):  
Y. Pirosanto ◽  
A. Molina ◽  
M. Valera ◽  
J. Dorado ◽  
E. Terán ◽  
...  

Reproductive performance is one of the key factors in livestock production. It is well known that reproductive traits are influenced by several genetic factors, such as the increase of individual inbreeding levels, which are associated with changes in sperm motility and shape in several species. In horses, the increase in inbreeding is a common problem because of the reduction in effective population size and the increase in selection intensity observed in several breeds. However, studies assessing the effect of high levels of inbreeding on the sperm quality of stallions are scarce. In the present study, we aimed to determine the effect of increased inbreeding levels and age on the sperm motility patterns of Purebred Spanish horses (PRE). We performed kinetic characterisation of 557 sperm samples of 82 PRE stallions aged between 3 and16 years, using computer-assisted sperm analysis (Androvision™, Minitube). We evaluated 5 parameters in 6 different fields per sample: curved line velocity (VCL, µm/s), velocity average path (VAP, µm/s), velocity straight line (VSL, µm/s), amplitude of lateral head displacement (ALH, µm), and beat-cross frequency (BCF, Hz). We determined the pedigree-based inbreeding coefficient (Fped) based on ∼300,000 PRE pedigree records to evaluate the inbreeding effect. Individuals were separated into 2 groups: highly inbred (n=339) and lowly inbred (n=218) according to an F value of 12.5%. Differences between groups were analysed using a generalized linear model. The analysis did not show significant differences (P&gt;0.05) in the variables analysed with respect to the age of stallions. However, VAP, VCL, and AHL were lower in highly inbred than in lowly inbred animals (P&lt;0.05), suggesting less velocity and amplitude of head displacement. In the case of BCF, no significant differences (P&gt;0.05) were observed between the two study groups. In conclusion, age did not affect sperm quality parameters in the age group of stallions analysed. In addition, we demonstrated that high inbreeding coefficient reduced the mean velocity and trajectory pattern of spermatozoa in PRE.


Nanomedicine ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (20) ◽  
pp. 1965-1980
Author(s):  
Teresa Vilanova-Perez ◽  
Celine Jones ◽  
Stefan Balint ◽  
Rebecca Dragovic ◽  
Michael L Dustin ◽  
...  

Aim: To investigate exosomes as a noninvasive delivery tool for mammalian sperm. Materials & Methods: Exosomes were isolated from HEK293T cells and co-incubated with boar sperm in vitro. Results: Internalized exosomes were detected within 10 min of co-incubation. Computer-assisted sperm analysis and flow cytometry demonstrated that even after 5-h of exposure to exosomes, there were no significant deleterious effects with regard to sperm motility, viability, membrane integrity and mitochondrial membrane potential (p > 0.05), thus indicating that exosomes did not interfere with basic sperm function. Conclusion: HEK293T-derived exosomes interacted with boar sperm without affecting sperm function. Exosomes represent a versatile and promising research tool for studying sperm biology and provide new options for the diagnosis and treatment of male infertility.


2020 ◽  
pp. 2209-2218
Author(s):  
Fernando Evaristo da Silva ◽  
Jaqueline Candido Carvalho ◽  
Camila de Paula Freitas Dell'Aqua ◽  
Frederico Ozanam Papa ◽  
Marc Roger Jean Marie Henry ◽  
...  

The use of cooled semen in artificial insemination operations results in higher pregnancy rates than the use of frozen semen. This result seems to be related to the more severe damage triggered by the freezing process than that observed during refrigeration. Due to its ability to bind to sperm-binding proteins and calcium ions, sodium caseinate has been studied as a substance capable of preventing early sperm capacitation, a significant cause of the decreased pregnancy rate resulting from the use of frozen semen. The first objective of this study was to evaluate whether a commercial egg yolk diluent developed for frozen bovine semen could be used for buffalo semen cryopreservation; the second objective was to investigate the effect of this diluent in combination with sodium caseinate during the procedures of buffalo sperm cryopreservation using flow cytometry and computer-assisted sperm analysis. In the first part of the study, comparing the results of spermatic kinetics and plasma and acrosomal membrane integrity, it was observed that the freezing process resulted in more cell damage than the cooling process. In the second part of the study, no effects of the addition of sodium caseinate to the egg yolk diluent were observed. From the results of the present study, it was possible to conclude that the egg yolk-based diluent was suitable for buffalo semen cryopreservation and that the addition of sodium caseinate did not decrease the harmful effects related to seminal cryopreservation.


2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Minjie Lin ◽  
Xiyi Zhang ◽  
Ray N. Murdoch ◽  
R. John Aitken

A variety of media were compared for their ability to sustain the motility of tammar wallaby spermatozoa over an 8-h period following swim–up from coagulated semen. The study demonstrated that a modified Tyrode’s solution, Biggers, Whitter and Whittingham medium (BWW) was significantly better than any of the other assessed media in supporting wallaby sperm motility. After 8 h of incubation in BWW, motility was maintained at 79.3 ± 9.3%, with 77.0 ± 10.4% rapid and 65.7 ± 8.7% progressively motile spermatozoa. By contrast, motility was <10% at the same 8-h time point in all of the other media assessed. After 2 h of incubation in BWW, tammar spermatozoa consumed more oxygen than their counterparts in PBS (52.0 ± 2.7 vs 75.0 ± 6.6 μL per 108 spermatozoa per 2 h; P < 0.001). Motility was not enhanced in any of these media by the addition of 5 mM N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, the major energy substrate in wallaby semen. However, addition of dibutyryl cAMP and pentoxifylline in BWW resulted in the extremely rapid induction of hyperactivated motility in the entire sperm population. This burst of hyperactivated motility was entirely dependent on calcium in BWW and significantly inhibited by calmidazolium, a calmodulin inhibitor. A set of computer-assisted sperm analysis parameters were identified that permitted the accurate quantification of hyperactivation rates in this species. This is the first comparative analysis of media for harvesting and incubating marsupial spermatozoa and the first record of hyperactivated motility in any marsupial species.


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