PSV-35 Correlation of acute-phase blood proteins level and quality and cryostability of sperm in horses

Abstract

Abstract The aim of this work was to study the relationship between acute phase indicators of a biochemical blood test with the quality and cryostability sperm in stallions. Semen from 59 stallions (aged from 5 to 15 years) were collected during the breeding season (February–May). Blood plasma samples were studied using a Vegasys automatic biochemical analyzer (Analyzer Medical System, Italy). The following parameters were determined in blood plasma: total protein, level of albumin, globulin, albumin/globulin ratio, C-reactive protein, fibrinogen. Each sperm sample was evaluated by volume, concentration, total sperm, as well as progressive motility and survival of sperm in chilled and thawed sperm during hypothermic storage at +40С. The normality of the distribution of quantitative traits was determined using the Shapiro-Wilk test. For each of the indicators, the Spearman coefficient was calculated. Significance of differences was assessed using the Mann-Whitney test, the results were statistically significant at P ≤0.05. The concentration of biochemical parameters in blood serum averaged: total protein - 67.4 ± 0.7 g/l, albumin - 39.4±0.6 g/l, globulins - 28.4±0.8 g/l, C reactive protein - 0.3±0.1 mg/l, fibrinogen - 3.1±0.1 g/l. A significant negative correlation between the plasma fibrinogen and sperm survival during hypothermic storage (at +4ºС) of chilled (r=0.48; P < 0.001) sperm and progressive sperm motility after thawing (r =-0.29; < 0.05) was found. We suggest that an increase in the level of fibrinogen in the blood may indicate the presence of latent inflammatory, immuno-mediated processes in the body, including those affecting the quality and cryostability of sperm in stallions. Authors acknowledge financial support from Russian Science Foundation, Grant No: 20-16-00101, development program of Bioresource collections “Cryobank of genetic recourses the All-Russian Research Institute for Horse Breeding.”