Computer-Assisted Sperm Analysis of Head Morphometry and Kinematic Parameters in Warmblood Stallions Spermatozoa

Abstract

The present study was conducted to determine the seminal characteristics of warmblooded stallions and to assess a relationship between motility parameters of spermatozoa and sperm head dimensions using computer-assisted sperm analysis. In total, 35 ejaculates were collected during the breeding season 2016 from 10 clinically healthy and fertile warmblooded stallions (age 3–22 years). The volume of ejaculate (mL), sperm concentration (M/mL), motility of sperm with kinematic parameters, and sperm morphometry were evaluated. The motility characteristics, sperm concentration, and morphometric parameters of sperm were determined objectively using Sperm Class Analyzer (SCA, MICROPTIC SL). The overall mean ± standard deviation values for volume of ejaculate, concentration, total motility (MOT), progressive motility, curvilinear velocity, straight-line velocity (VSL), average path velocity (VAP), straightness, linearity, amplitude of lateral head displacement, beat-cross frequency, elongation, and area were 50.29 ± 29.88 mL, 210.64 ± 90.98 × 106/mL, 88.68 ± 10.8%, 36.64 ± 15.36%, 63.23 ± 15.98 μm/s, 31.02 ± 9.39 μm/s, 47.53 ± 14.32 μm/s, 65.24 ± 5.72%, 48.8 ± 8.34%, 2.68 ± 0.41 μm, 7.29 ± 0.84 Hz, 36.2 ± 3.59%, 15.49 ± 1.54 μm2, respectively. There were significant differences among stallions in all evaluated parameters of sperm (P < .05). There were significant positive correlations between area and velocity parameters (VSL, VAP, and wobble coefficient [WOB]). The elongation positively correlated with MOT. More elongated sperms demonstrated a lower frequency of curvilinear path intersections with the average path.