Abstract
BackgroundIdentification of relevant in vivo biomarkers for fertility remains a challenge for the livestock industry. Concentrations of the small peptide hormone oxytocin (OXT), involved in male reproductive function and present in the seminal plasma (SP) of several species could be a robust one. This study characterized concentrations of SP-OXT in ejaculates from boars used in artificial insemination (AI) programs aiming to evaluate its relationship with sperm quality variables and in vivo fertility of their liquid-stored AI-semen. Seminal OXT concentrations (ng/mL) were measured in 169 ejaculates from 61 boars of the Duroc, Pietrain, Landrace and Large White breeds using a direct competitive immunoassay test based on AlphaLISA® technology. Ejaculate (ejaculate volume, sperm concentration, total sperm count) and sperm parameters (motility, viability, intracellular generation of reactive oxygen species, plasma membrane fluidity) were assessed at 0 h and 72 h in AI-semen samples stored at 17 °C. In vivo fertility included only 18 Large White and Landrace boars whose AI-semen was used to inseminated > 100 sows and evaluated both farrowing rate and litter size of 3,167 sows.ResultsThe results showed that SP-OXT differed between boars and between ejaculates within boar (P < 0.05) but not between breeds (Duroc, Pietrain, Landrace and Large White). Ejaculates with higher SP-OXT concentration/mL (hierarchically grouped; P < 0.001) had larger volume and came from younger boars (P < 0.05). Ejaculates of boars showing positive farrowing rate deviation exhibited higher (P < 0.05) SP-OXT concentration/mL than those with negative farrowing rate deviation.ConclusionThe SP concentrations of OXT are boar, ejaculate and age dependent, and positively related with ejaculate volume and farrowing rates of liquid-stored semen AI-doses.
Highlights
Identification of relevant in vivo biomarkers for fertility remains a challenge for the livestock industry
Inter-breed, inter-boar and intra-boar variability in SPOXT concentrations The seminal plasma (SP) concentration of OXT did not differ among breeds, the four breeds showing similar concentrations
Experiment 2: relationship between seminal plasma oxytocin concentrations (SP-OXT) concentration and boar ejaculate characteristics The Spearman correlation coefficients showed that the SP concentrations of OXT were correlated with ejaculate volume (R = 0.46; P < 0.01) and proportions of viable spermatozoa showing both high reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation (R = − 0.34; P < 0.05) and high plasma membrane fluidity (R = 0.35; P < 0.05) in the semen samples analyzed at 0 h of liquid storage (Additional File 1)
Summary
Identification of relevant in vivo biomarkers for fertility remains a challenge for the livestock industry. Concentrations of the small peptide hormone oxytocin (OXT), involved in male reproductive function and present in the seminal plasma (SP) of several species could be a robust one. This study characterized concentrations of SPOXT in ejaculates from boars used in artificial insemination (AI) programs aiming to evaluate its relationship with sperm quality variables and in vivo fertility of their liquid-stored AI-semen. Seminal OXT concentrations (ng/mL) were measured in 169 ejaculates from 61 boars of the Duroc, Pietrain, Landrace and Large White breeds using a direct competitive immunoassay test based on AlphaLISA® technology. Recent studies have highlighted some SP proteins and peptides as putative biomarkers for sperm functional capacity and in vivo fertility outcomes of pig semen AI-doses [13,14,15,16]. Glutathione peroxidase-5 [13, 17], anti-Müllerian hormone [18] or transforming growth factor-1 [19]
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