Effect of pH on the metabolism and fertility of turkey spermatozoa.

Abstract

Oxygen uptake during a 4-h incubation period at 37 degrees C, and the motility of the spermatozoa before and after incubation, increased significantly with increasing pH from 6.3 to 8.8. No interaction between buffer and pH was noticed. In a second series of experiments on the aerobic metabolism of turkey spermatozoa, the effect of the pHs 6.8, 7.3 and 7.8 was studied. Fructose was formed from glucose without regard to the pH of the medium. The glucose consumption, i.e. the glucose disappearance minus fructose formation, the lactic acid accumulation, and the oxidation of glucose and of other substances, were higher, although not always statistically, at pH 7.8 than at pH 6.8. The percentage of fertile eggs during the 3rd week of collection after insemination with fresh semen diluted in the pH 7.8 medium was significantly lower than that with semen diluted in the pH 6.8 or 7.3 media. After 4 h of storage at 15 degrees C, the decrease in the fertility of spermatozoa in the high pH medium was apparent from the 1st week of collection.