Effect of antigen stimulation on the oxidative stress parameters in sperm of outbred and inbred rabbits

Svetlin Tanchev,Stanimir Dimitrov,Galina Nikolova,Yanka Karamalakova,Donika Ivanova,Deyana Hristova,Svetlana Georgieva,Antoaneta Zheleva,Vladimir Petrov,Veselina Gadjeva

doi:10.1080/13102818.2017.1323559

Svetlin Tanchev, Stanimir Dimitrov + Show 8 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1080/13102818.2017.1323559

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Abstract

ABSTRACTThe presence of an increased oxidative stress during antigen stimulation was established in the sperm of inbred rabbits by evaluation of the level of real-time free radical formation (ROS and Asc•), final products of oxidation of lipids (MDA) and the activities of antioxidant defence enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT). There was not a significant difference between levels of ROS, Asc• and MDA in inbred and outbred rabbits before immunization. The immune response, represented by levels of ROS and Asc• of inbread and outbread rabbits were statistically significantly higher compared to those before immunization (p = 0.0001 and p = 0.00001) Moreover, the levels of ROS in the sperm of inbread rabbits were statistically significantly higher compared to outbread rabbits (p < 0.05). Oxidative stress was accompanied by an adaptive increase of SOD and CAT activities during the immune response, compared to those before immunization. Furthermore, the increased SOD and CAT activities appeared to be sufficient to inactivate the oxidative stress. We measured reduced levels of ROS, Asc• and MDA 30 days after immunization. When immune response reduced, the observed SOD and CAT activities tended to return to the values before immunization. That might have been connected with the decreased oxidative burden. However, CAT activities remained about 1.5 times higher than that before immunization. In conclusion, our results indicate that the administered antigen stimulation induces oxidative stress in both groups inbred and outbred rabbits.

Highlights

The organisms are subjected to stress when a sudden increase in pro-oxidants overcomes their antioxidant defences that occur when the immune system is activated
After antigen stimulation the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) products in the sperm of inbred rabbits were slightly higher compared to outbred group which means, inbred rabbits were more sensitive to oxidative stress (OS)
We report about 20% increase in ROS production in inbred group of rabbits compared to the same group before antigen stimulation

Summary

Introduction

The organisms are subjected to stress when a sudden increase in pro-oxidants overcomes their antioxidant defences that occur when the immune system is activated. Oxidative damage to spermatozoa can reduce fertility in domestic animals and humans [5] This has been demonstrated recently in wild bird species to affect sperm quality by the reduction of sperm motility and swimming velocity [6]. Inbreeding increases homozygosity, and this, in turn, decreases fitness by either exposing deleterious recessive alleles or reducing the frequency of high fitness heterozygotes [7,8]. This reduction in fitness, and in trait values generally, is known as inbreeding depression and depends on the magnitude of directional dominance in a trait, which itself can be explained by selection [7]. The production of abnormal sperm increases with increased homozygosity, suggesting that

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