Dependence of the frequency of sperm defects and dimensions on sperm motility in ejaculates of Polish Landrace boars

Abstract

An attempt was made to determine the dependence of the frequency of sperm defects and dimensions on sperm motility in ejaculates of Polish Landrace boars. The study was conducted on 393 ejaculates collected from 33 Polish Landrace boars. Ejaculates were grouped according to the percentage of sperm with progressive motility, distinguishing ejaculates in which the percentage of motile sperm was 70% and 80%. In each ejaculate, the frequency of morphological changes in the sperm was determined and morphometric measurements of the sperm were made. Ejaculates with a higher proportion of sperm with progressive motility were found to contain more sperm. The ejaculate volume and sperm concentration in the ejaculate were not found to be directly associated with sperm motility. The frequency of primary defects was linked to sperm motility. Ejaculates with higher sperm motility contained fewer sperm with primary defects. The frequency of minor morphological changes, however, shows no significant dependence on sperm motility in the ejaculate. The primary morphological sperm defects most often found in ejaculates are a proximal droplet and the Dag defect. Both of these morphological forms are more common in ejaculates with lower sperm motility. The most common secondary sperm defects include sperm with a simple bent tail, sperm with a free normal head, and sperm with a distal droplet. These defects were not found to depend on sperm motility in the ejaculate. Sperm cells in ejaculates with greater sperm motility had slightly larger dimensions than sperm in ejaculates with lower sperm motility. Ejaculates with higher sperm motility are preferable for use in practice, not only because more insemination portions can be prepared from them, but also due to the lower frequency of primary defects.