Application of antioxidants in extender on bull sperm cryopreservation to reduce the male effect in dairy fertility.

Because male and female effects on fertility must be considered, it may be difficult to achieve accurate and repeatable fertility predictions using only sperm characteristics given differences in breed, health, and season. Improving sperm quality after cryopreservation may be a method to reduce the male effect on the fertility outcome. This study was conducted using 2 different Certified Semen Service approved extenders, one containing plant-derived antioxidants, to assess cryopreserved sperm quality and determine pregnancy per AI (P/AI) in a commercial dairy farm.

Adiposity in mares induces insulin dysregulation and mitochondrial dysfunction which can be mitigated by nutritional intervention.

Obesity is a complex disease associated with augmented risk of metabolic disorder development and cellular dysfunction in various species. The goal of the present study was to investigate the impacts of obesity on the metabolic health of old mares as well as test the ability of diet supplementation with either a complex blend of nutrients designed to improve equine metabolism and gastrointestinal health or L-carnitine alone to mitigate negative effects of obesity. Mares (n = 19, 17.

Phospholipase C Zeta 1 (PLCZ1): The Function and Potential for Fertility Assessment and In Vitro Embryo Production in Cattle and Horses.

Phospholipase C Zeta 1 (PLCZ1) is considered a major sperm-borne oocyte activation factor. After gamete fusion, PLCZ1 triggers calcium oscillations in the oocyte, resulting in oocyte activation. In assisted fertilization, oocyte activation failure is a major cause of low fertility.

Cryopreservation of equine spermatozoa reduces plasma membrane integrity and phospholipase C zeta 1 content as associated with oocyte activation.

Background: Phospholipase C zeta (PLCZ1) is considered the major sperm-borne oocyte activation factor. Cryopreserved stallion spermatozoa are commonly used for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). However, plasma membrane damage and protein modifications caused by cryopreservation could impair sperm structure and function, leading to a reduction of PLCZ1 and oocyte activation after ICSI.

Spermatozoa cooled to 5°C one day after collection from porcine commercial semen doses retain sperm functionality with reduced bacterial load.

Background: Commercial porcine semen is stored at 17°C, leading to a reduction of sperm quality and increase of bacterial growth.

Objectives: To evaluate the effect of 5°C storage on porcine sperm functionality cooled one day after collection.

Materials And Methods: Semen doses (n = 40) were transported at 17°C and cooled at 5°C one day after collection.

Effect of season, genetic line and temperature during transport on sperm motility of commercial insemination doses of pooled boar semen: A retrospective study.

Commercial pooled semen from boars of maternal and terminal genetic lines was analysed over two consecutive years, as part of an external quality control program. Semen doses were prepared for two total sperm counts (2.0 × 10 /75 ml [n = 578] and 1.

Validation of a new multiparametric protocol to assess viability, acrosome integrity and mitochondrial activity in cooled and frozen thawed boar spermatozoa.

Background: Motility, morphology, membrane integrity and DNA fragmentation are sperm characteristics routinely used to assess quality of boar spermatozoa. However, the evaluation of individual parameters has intrinsic restrictions in the estimation of potential fertility. Therefore, we aimed to validate a new multiparametric protocol to assess fertility potential through the evaluation of viability, acrosome integrity and mitochondrial activity within the same sperm population for cooled and frozen-thawed boar spermatozoa.

Retrospective analysis of commercial heterospermic and homospermic cooled boar semen: Effect of the season, sample type and shipping temperature on sperm quality.

We retrospectively analysed data from heterospermic and homospermic boar semen for motility and morphology during a 2-year period. Homospermic doses were also evaluated for viability, acrosome integrity, DNA fragmentation, osmolality and pH. Additionally, we investigated the effect of temperature upon arrival and the agreement between viability and motility as evaluating tool.

Effect of Caffeine and Pentoxifylline Added Before or After Cooling on Sperm Characteristics of Stallion Sperm.

Different additives have been tested in cooled stallion sperm, in order to maintain sperm quality and to ameliorate the decrease in sperm fertility potential. In several species, caffeine and pentoxifylline promote sperm motility by increasing energy production. We evaluate the effects of caffeine and pentoxifylline when added to stallion sperm before or after cooling.

Localisation of phospholipase Cζ1 (PLCZ1) and postacrosomal WW-binding protein (WBP2 N-terminal like) on equine spermatozoa and flow cytometry quantification of PLCZ1 and association with cleavage in vitro.

Oocyte activation is initiated when a fertilising spermatozoon delivers sperm-borne oocyte-activating factor(s) into the oocyte cytoplasm. Candidates for oocyte activation include two proteins, phospholipase Cζ1 (PLCZ1) and postacrosomal WW-binding protein (PAWP; also known as WBP2 N-terminal like (WBP2NL)). We localised PLCZ1 and WBP2NL/PAWP in stallion spermatozoa and investigated the PLCZ1 content and sperm parameters as well as cleavage after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).

Effects of extender, cryoprotectants and thawing protocol on motility of frozen-thawed stallion sperm that were refrozen for intracytoplasmic sperm injection doses.

We examined the effects of different freezing extenders, cryoprotectant agents (CPA) and initial thawing temperatures for preparing doses of refrozen stallion sperm for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Single ejaculates, from twelve stallions, were frozen in lactose-EDTA-egg yolk extender (LE) with 5% glycerol. In experiment 1, sperm were initially thawed to 5 °C or 37 °C, before being diluted in LE or skim milk-egg yolk extender (SMEY) containing either 5% glycerol (GLY), 5% methylformamide (MF) or 5% of a combination of both (GMF).

Use of microfluidics to sort stallion sperm for intracytoplasmic sperm injection.

We determined if microfluidic sorting (MF) of frozen-thawed stallion sperm improves sperm population characteristics and results in embryo development after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). The efficiency and efficacy of MF sperm separation was evaluated by comparing pre- and post-separation sperm population variables. Procedural comparisons were performed after sorting with MF, single-layer colloidal centrifugation (SLC) or swim-up (SU), and cleavage and embryo development were evaluated after ICSI using MF-sorted sperm.

Association of equine sperm population parameters with outcome of intracytoplasmic sperm injections.

Limited clinical information is available regarding sperm population parameters that are important for use with equine intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Therefore, the appropriateness of a sample of sperm is typically not known before ICSI. The aim of our study was to determine which sperm population characteristics were predictive of ICSI outcome.