ATP content, oxidative stress and motility of beluga (Huso huso) semen: effect of short-term storage.

Abstract

An effective technique for short-term storage of semen is essential when processing multiple sperm samples and when semen must be transported from collection sites to hatcheries for the fertilization of ova or to laboratories for cryopreservation. In this experiment, beluga (Huso huso) sperm were used to evaluate the effects of short-term storage on several quality parameters (i.e. motility, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content and oxidative stress indices). Sperm cells exhibited > 50% motility during 3 days of storage with an average total duration of sperm motility varying from 13.33 ± 5.77 to 278.33 ± 25.65 s, and no motile spermatozoa were recorded after 9 days of storage. The levels of oxidative stress indices (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and carbonyl derivatives of proteins) and antioxidant activity (superoxide dismutase) increased significantly after 3 days of storage. The ATP content also decreased significantly after 2 days of storage. The results of this study can be used to develop effective reproduction management and cryopreservation protocols for this endangered fish.