Non-thermal plasma treatment improves chicken sperm motility via the regulation of demethylation levels

Jiao Jiao Zhang,Young Sun Mok,Nameun Kim,Huynh Luong Do,Seong Bong Kim,Taeho Kwon,Dong Kee Jeong,Sang Baek Lee,Nisansala Chandimali

doi:10.1038/s41598-018-26049-5

Jiao Jiao Zhang, Young Sun Mok + Show 7 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-26049-5

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Abstract

The quality of avian semen is an important economic trait in poultry production. The present study examines the in vitro effects of non-thermal dielectric barrier discharge plasma on chicken sperm to determine the plasma conditions that can produce the optimum sperm quality. Exposure to 11.7 kV of plasma for 20 s is found to produce maximum sperm motility by controlling the homeostasis of reactive oxygen species and boosting the release of adenosine triphosphate and respiratory enzyme activity in the mitochondria. However, prolonged exposure or further increase in plasma potential impairs the sperm quality in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Optimal plasma treatment of sperm results in upregulated mRNA and protein expression of antioxidant defense-related and energetic metabolism-related genes by increasing their demethylation levels. However, 27.6 kV of plasma exerts significant adverse effects. Thus, our findings indicate that appropriate plasma exposure conditions improve chicken sperm motility by regulating demethylation levels of genes involved in antioxidant defense and energetic metabolism.

Highlights

Sperm quality of male chickens directly affects fertility and hatchability[1], which are the most important economical requisites of poultry breeding because they determine the profitability of production
Our results show that sperm motility is improved within 40 s of non-thermal plasma exposure to 11.7 kV, peaking at 20 s (Table 1)
Our results show that plasma exposure at 11.7 kV within 40 s results in an increase of sperm motility, without corresponding significant changes in sperm morphology, viability, integrity of acrosome and DNA, and total fertility

Summary

Introduction

Sperm quality of male chickens directly affects fertility and hatchability[1], which are the most important economical requisites of poultry breeding because they determine the profitability of production. The middle region of sperm contains numerous mitochondria to supply energy for flagellum movement These biological features indicate a central role of energetic metabolism in sperm motility to ensure the successful fertilization and reproduction of male chickens. When cells or tissue surfaces are exposed to non-thermal DBD plasma a variety of biologically active reactive species are generated, reactive oxygen species (ROS)[4,12,13]. We hypothesize that non-thermal DBD plasma may affect chicken sperm quality by mediating the ROS balance and energetic metabolism. The pronounced hypermethylation observed in the radiation-exposed spermatozoa implies defective chromatin condensation, which in turn produces morphologically abnormal spermatozoa[23] These findings prompt that changes in sperm quality are potentially influenced by changes in DNA methylation levels following plasma exposure

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