Effect of antioxidant supplementation in semen extenders on semen quality and reactive oxygen species of chilled canine spermatozoa

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate quality of chilled dog semen processed with extenders containing various antioxidants. Single ejaculates from five dogs were always pooled and evaluated for concentration, sperm motility, progressive motility (RSF-movement), viability, acrosomal integrity and by the hypo-osmotic swelling (HOS)-test. Also, superoxide (O 2 −) production, hydroxyl radicals (OH ) and total reactive oxygen species (tROS) were determined. Pooled semen was divided in seven aliquots (for control and test conditions), which were diluted to a final concentration of 67 × 10 6 spermatozoa/ml with TRIS–glucose–egg yolk extender with or without the following supplements: control (without antioxidants), vitamin C (0.5 mM), N-acetyl- l-cysteine (NAC; 0.5 mM), taurine (0.2 mM), catalase (100 u/ml), vitamin E (0.1 mM) and 5-(4-dimethylamino-phenyl)-2-phenyl-penta-2,4-dienoic acid (B16; 0.1 mM). The semen aliquots were chilled and preserved at 4 °C. Portions of chilled semen were removed at 24 and 72 h, and semen quality was evaluated after rewarming. At 24 h the mean (±S.E.M.) sperm motility was higher ( p < 0.001) when vitamin E, taurine and B16 were added in the extender, whereas more spermatozoa with RSF-movement were observed ( p < 0.001) in the vitamin E, catalase, B16 and taurine groups. Sperm viability was higher ( p = 0.040) in B16 and vitamin E groups and the percentage of swollen spermatozoa was higher ( p = 0.002) only in the B16 group. Acrosomal integrity and OH were not significantly influenced by any of the antioxidants tested. Superoxide production was significantly lower when vitamin C, B16 and vitamin E were added in semen extenders compared with the control ( p = 0.017). All antioxidant groups, except vitamin C and NAC, contained less tROS compared to the control group, but only the B16 group value differed significantly ( p = 0.05). At 72 h sperm motility was higher ( p < 0.001) when vitamin E, catalase, B16, taurine and NAC were added in the extender. More spermatozoa with RSF-movement were observed ( p < 0.001) in the vitamin E, catalase, B16, taurine and NAC treatment groups. Sperm viability was higher ( p = 0.001) when vitamin E, B16, taurine and vitamin C were added in semen extenders. HOS-test percentages were higher ( p = 0.016) in the B16, vitamin E, catalase and NAC groups. Acrosomal integrity was not influenced in any case. Production of O 2 − was significantly higher using catalase compared to all the other groups ( p = 0.006), while OH was not significantly influenced by any of the antioxidants tested. The addition of vitamin E, catalase and B16 in semen extenders resulted in significantly lower tROS values compared with the controls ( p < 0.0005). The results suggest that vitamin E and B16 had the most pronounced effect in preserving semen quality of chilled dog spermatozoa.