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Segabinazzi LGTM, Dell'Aqua CDPF, Cavalero T, Frasson M, Lisboa FP, Papa FO, Alvarenga MA. Post-cooling sperm processing can rescue sperm quality of cooled-stored stallion semen. Theriogenology 2024; 227:21-30. [PMID: 38996526 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2024.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 07/01/2024] [Accepted: 07/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024]
Abstract
Poor sperm quality in cooled-shipped semen has been related to subpar fertility in horses. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the ability of post-cooling sperm processing to improve sperm parameters of cooled-stored stallion semen for artificial insemination. For all experiments, ejaculates were collected, processed, and diluted in skimmed milk-based (SM) medium and stored at 5 °C/24h. In all experiments an aliquot of unprocessed cooled semen was used as a control. In the first experiment (Exp 1.), cooled-stored semen from 16 stallions (n = 32) was processed by SpermFilter or centrifugation (600×g/10min) and resuspended in an egg yolk-based freezing medium containing permeating cryoprotectants (EY-C) for cryopreservation. Sperm recovery and motility parameters were immediately assessed after sperm resuspension in both groups and compared with unprocessed (Unp) samples. In Exp 2., cooled semen samples from six stallions (n = 18) were processed using SpermFilter and resuspended in SM or EY-C. Motility parameters and plasma membrane integrity were assessed in all groups (Unp, SM, and EY-C). In Exp 3, cooled semen from four stallions (n = 20) was processed by SpermFilter, resuspended in SM, EY-C, or egg yolk-based medium without cryoprotectants (EY-nC); and submitted to a thermoresistance test (37 °C/3h). Motility parameters, plasma membrane integrity and stability, mitochondrial membrane potential, mitochondrial superoxide generation, and DNA fragmentation index were evaluated in all groups. Finally, in Exp 4, 39 estrous cycles of 11 mares were inseminated with unprocessed (n = 6) cooled-stored semen or semen cooled at 5 °C/24h and then processed by SpermFilter and resuspended in SM (n = 5), EY-C (n = 11), EY-nC (n = 11), or centrifuged and resuspended in EY-C (n = 6). Overall, semen processing and resuspension in EY mediums (EY-C and EY-nC) improved sperm parameters compared with those of unprocessed semen (P < 0.05). Centrifugation (91 ± 5 %) recovered more sperm than SpermFilter (84 ± 9 %; P < 0.05). Sperm resuspended in EY-nC maintained better sperm parameters throughout the thermoresistance test than those in the other groups (P < 0.05). The fertility rates were similar between all groups (P > 0.05). In conclusion, processing and resuspension in EY medium can improve sperm parameters in post-cooled-stored stallion semen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo G T M Segabinazzi
- São Paulo State University, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil; Center 2, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, PO Box 334, Basseterre, St. Kitts, USA.
| | | | - Thais Cavalero
- São Paulo State University, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mariana Frasson
- São Paulo State University, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fernando P Lisboa
- São Paulo State University, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil; El Rincon Centro de Reproduccion Equina, Marco Paz, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Frederico O Papa
- São Paulo State University, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marco A Alvarenga
- São Paulo State University, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
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Martins-Bessa A, McLean AK. Advances in Donkey and Mule Research. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:2238. [PMID: 39123764 PMCID: PMC11311073 DOI: 10.3390/ani14152238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2024] [Accepted: 07/29/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Donkeys (Equus asinus) and mules represent approximately 50% of the entire domestic equine population in the world and play an essential role in the lives of thousands of people, primarily in developing countries [...].
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Martins-Bessa
- Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
- Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Amy K. McLean
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA;
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Segabinazzi L, Carmo MT, Freitas-Dell'Aqua CDP, Alvarenga MA, Papa FO, Canisso IF. Post-cooling semen processing and sperm re-suspension as an alternative method to circumvent poor semen cooling in stallions. Equine Vet J 2024; 56:697-710. [PMID: 38567428 DOI: 10.1111/evj.14085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Artificial insemination with cooled-shipped semen is the primary method used in the equine breeding industry; yet, sperm quality and fertility can be suboptimal for some stallions when standard techniques are used. Therefore, there is a critical need to develop alternative approaches for these stallions. OBJECTIVE To assess sperm quality parameters and fertility of cooled-stored stallion semen processed by SpermFilter® or centrifugation and resuspended in three extenders. STUDY DESIGN Controlled and field study. METHODS In Experiment 1, semen was collected from 21 stallions classified as having good ('Good-coolers', n = 8) or poor ('Bad-coolers', n = 13) semen cooling. The semen was extended at 30 million spermatozoa/mL in a skimmed milk-based (SM) diluent, and refrigerated for 24 h. Then, the cooled-stored semen was processed through SpermFilter® or centrifugation, and the resulting sperm pellets were resuspended in SM, SM containing pentoxifylline (SM-P), or an egg yolk-based (EY) extender. Unprocessed cooled-stored semen served as control. Sperm motility parameters, plasma membrane integrity (PMI), and mitochondrial membrane potential (HMMP) were assessed in cooled-semen pre- and post-processing. Experiment 2, cooled semen from 9 stallions classified as Bad-coolers was used to inseminate 18 embryo donor mares at 66 cycles (Unprocessed, n = 22; SpermFilter®/SM-P, n = 16; or SpermFilter®/EY, n = 28). Data were analysed with a mixed model and Tukey's as posthoc, and logistic regression. RESULTS Processed semen resuspended in EY had superior sperm motility compared to unprocessed, SM and SM-P (p < 0.0001). Semen processed by SpermFilter® resuspended in SM-P was similar to EY (p > 0.05). Pellet resuspension with EY and SM-P improved the HMMP of Bad-cooler stallions (p = 0.0010). Semen processed by SpermFilter® had superior PMI to centrifuged semen (p < 0.0001). Mares inseminated with SpermFilter®/SM-P (50%, 8/16) or SpermFilter®/-EY (68%, 9/28) had higher pregnancy rates than mares bred with unprocessed semen (14%, 3/22) (p < 0.001). MAIN LIMITATIONS Low number of mares in the fertility trial. CONCLUSION Sperm quality and fertility of Bad-cooler stallions can be enhanced by SpermFilter® and pellet resuspension with either EY or SM-P.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Segabinazzi
- Department of Veterinary Surgery and Animal Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, FMVZ, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho", UNESP, Botucatu, Brazil
- Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, St. Kitts, West Indies
| | - Marcio T Carmo
- Department of Veterinary Surgery and Animal Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, FMVZ, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho", UNESP, Botucatu, Brazil
| | - Camila de P Freitas-Dell'Aqua
- Department of Veterinary Surgery and Animal Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, FMVZ, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho", UNESP, Botucatu, Brazil
| | - Marco A Alvarenga
- Department of Veterinary Surgery and Animal Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, FMVZ, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho", UNESP, Botucatu, Brazil
| | - Frederico O Papa
- Department of Veterinary Surgery and Animal Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, FMVZ, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho", UNESP, Botucatu, Brazil
| | - Igor F Canisso
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
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Baqerkhani M, Soleimanzadeh A, Mohammadi R. Effects of intratesticular injection of hypertonic mannitol and saline on the quality of donkey sperm, indicators of oxidative stress and testicular tissue pathology. BMC Vet Res 2024; 20:99. [PMID: 38468237 PMCID: PMC10926677 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-024-03915-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The aim of the present study was to examine donkey sperm quality after intratesticular injection of hypertonic mannitol (HM) and saline (HS). METHODS Randomly assigned to five treatment groups were 15 adult male donkeys: (1) Control group (no treatment), (2) Surgery group (surgical castration for testosterone control), (3) NS group (normal saline intratesticular injection), (4) HS group (hypertonic saline), and (5) HM group. We injected 20 mL per testicle. We took 5 mL blood from all donkeys before injection. Castration was performed under general anesthesia 60 days later. Samples included blood and testicular tissue. Total motility (TM), progressive motility (PM), movementy features, DNA damage, morphology, viability, and plasma membrane functionality were evaluated. Hormone analyses, histomorphometric studies and oxidative stress indices including total antioxidant capacity (TAC), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), and NADP+/NADPH were evaluated. Apoptosis, pyroptosis-related Bax, Caspase-1, GSDMD, and Bcl-2 expression were also assessed. RESULTS In HS and HM groups, testosterone, epididymal sperm count, motility, viability, and plasma membrane functionality dropped while sperm DNA damage increased. HS and HM groups had significantly lower histomorphometric parameters, TAC, GPx, SOD, GSH, and Bcl-2 gene expression. MDA, NADP+/NADPH, Bax, Caspase-1, and GSDMD gene expression were substantially higher in the HS and HM groups than in the control group. CONCLUSIONS Toxic effects of hypertonic saline and mannitol on reproductive parameters were seen following, hence, they might be considered as a good chemical sterilizing treatment in donkeys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammadreza Baqerkhani
- Department of Theriogenology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University, P.O. Box: 57561-51818, Urmia, Iran
| | - Ali Soleimanzadeh
- Department of Theriogenology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University, P.O. Box: 57561-51818, Urmia, Iran.
| | - Rahim Mohammadi
- Department of Surgery and Diagnostic Imaging, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran
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Semen Quality of the First and Second Ejaculates Collected from Breeding Inactive Stallions after Cooling and Freezing. Vet Sci 2023; 10:vetsci10030173. [PMID: 36977212 PMCID: PMC10053074 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci10030173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to assess the semen quality after the cooling and freezing of the first and second ejaculates of the season, which were collected 1 h apart. After collection (n = 40 ejaculates), the gel-free semen volume, concentration, total number of sperm, and sperm morphology were determined. An aliquot of each ejaculate was extended and cooled for 48 h; a second aliquot was cushion-centrifuged and cooled for 48 h; and a third aliquot was processed and then frozen. The total motility (TM) and progressive motility (PM), plasma membrane integrity (PMI), and high mitochondrial membrane potential (HMMP) were assessed pre-(0 h), 24 h, and 48 h post-cooling and before and after freezing. The second ejaculate had a lower gel-free semen volume (p = 0.026). The sperm concentration was greater in the first than in the second ejaculate (p < 0.001). The sperm morphology was similar between the ejaculates (p > 0.05). Cushion-centrifugation prevented a reduction in the TM, PM, and PMI over time (p < 0.05). The TM, PM, and PMI decreased after freezing but not between the ejaculates (p > 0.05). The first and second ejaculates of the season, which were collected 1 h apart, varied in quantity but not in quality after cooling and freezing.
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Podico G, Canisso IF. Retrograde Flushing Followed by Slicing Float-Up as an Approach to Optimize Epididymal Sperm Recovery for the Purpose of Cryopreservation in Equids. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:1802. [PMID: 35883349 PMCID: PMC9312152 DOI: 10.3390/ani12141802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to assess the parameters of epididymal sperm harvested by retrograde flushing (RF) followed by slicing float-up (SF). Epididymides from donkeys (n = 18) and horses (n = 28) were subjected to RF with a freezing extender and then SF technique. The retrieved sperm after RF and SF was evaluated for volume, concentration, and total sperm and then cryopreserved separately. Post-thaw total motility (TM) and progressive motility (PM) were evaluated with CASA. Sperm membrane integrity (SMI) and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) were assessed with flow cytometry. Sperm concentration was greater in donkeys than horses (684 ± 62.9 vs. 494 ± 50.9 million sperm/mL) (p = 0.02). The total sperm harvested was lower in SF (3.6 ± 0.7 billion) than RF (10.4 ± 1.5 billion) and in horses (4.6 ± 0.8 billion) than in donkeys (10.7 ± 1.8 billion) (p < 0.05). RF followed by SF resulted in 57% and 31% more sperm per harvest in donkeys and horses. Results of TM and PM before freezing were not affected by technique or species (p > 0.05). Post-thawing SMI and MMP did not vary with technique or species (p > 0.05); TM and PM were not influenced by the technique or the species (p > 0.05) but by their interaction (p = 0.005). In conclusion, using RF followed by SF enhances sperm recovery without affecting cryopreservation in equids.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Igor F. Canisso
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA;
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Podico G, Lago-Alvarez Y, Carossino M, Ferrer MS, Arnold CE, Canisso IF. Epididymal Sperm Granuloma and Antisperm Antibodies in Donkeys. J Equine Vet Sci 2021; 101:103450. [PMID: 33993945 DOI: 10.1016/j.jevs.2021.103450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2021] [Revised: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to describe and compare semen parameters (pre-freeze and post-freezing) and antisperm antibodies (ASA) of donkeys with epididymal sperm granuloma and healthy controls. Feral donkeys (n = 10) castrated in a concurrent study were enrolled in the present experiment. Three donkeys had unilateral granulomas, two donkeys had bilateral granulomas, whereas the remaining five had grossly normal epididymides. The granulomas were either single or multiple, firm, well-circumscribed, tan to red, and 1-5 mm in size. Upon incision, abundant, thick, tan to white-yellow fluid was recovered. Histopathology revealed epithelioid macrophages, multinucleated giant cells, and abundant sperm cell fragments with mineralized cellular debris. Each epididymis was dissected, and semen harvested for cryopreservation. Semen was assessed for sperm motility parameters, plasma membrane integrity, and mitochondrial membrane potential. All donkeys had semen cryopreserved in a standard manner. In addition, post-thaw semen from all donkeys was assessed for ASA (IgG and IgA), acrosome integrity and morphology. Post-thaw, the progressive sperm motility and the percentage of sperm with an intact plasma membrane were reduced in donkeys with sperm granuloma (P = 0.04). There was no difference in total sperm motility, morphology, or damaged acrosome across groups (P > 0.05). Three donkeys with sperm granuloma (60%) displayed increased IgG and IgA ASA. In conclusion, sperm granulomas only marginally affected sperm quality and resulted in IgG ASA binding to sperm with damaged plasma membrane. It remains to be determined if sperm granuloma and ASA affect fertility in donkeys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgia Podico
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, Urbana IL
| | - Yamilka Lago-Alvarez
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, Urbana IL
| | - Mariano Carossino
- Louisiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory and Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA
| | - Maria S Ferrer
- Department of Large Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA
| | - Carolyn E Arnold
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
| | - Igor F Canisso
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, Urbana IL.
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