Supplemented stallion seminal plasma can improve impaired motility due to the dilution effect in chilled Asian elephant sperm.

Abstract

The dilution effect and effect of restoring seminal plasma (SP) proportion in diluted semen were determined in chilled Asian elephant sperm. Semen was collected from eight males, and samples with ≥30% motile sperm were used in the study. Tris-glucose-egg yolk extender (TE) was used for cooled storage at 4°C for 48hr. In experiment 1 (n=18), semen was diluted to 1:1, 1:3, 1:7 and 1:15 with TE (volume per volume). There were no significant changes in sperm viability and sperm with normal acrosome integrity among dilutions, but sperm motility and motility velocities were greater (p<.05) in the 1:1 dilution than those of the 1:7 and 1:15 dilutions at 48hr of storage. In experiment 2, supplemented SP was derived from elephants and stallions. In experiment 2.1, diluted semen (1:7 dilution) was restored with SP to obtain a 1:2 proportion (n=8). Sperm motility, viability and sperm with normal acrosome integrity were similar among treatments, but motility velocities were greater (p<.05) with stallion SP at 48hr of storage. In experiment 2.2, diluted semen (1:15 dilution) was restored with SP to obtain a 1:3 proportion (n=10). Sperm viability and sperm with normal acrosome integrity were similar among treatments at 48hr of storage. However, sperm motility and motility velocities were greater (p<.05) with stallion SP than those of others. In conclusion, elephant sperm motility was affected by a dilution effect and restoration of SP proportion with stallion SP, but not with elephant SP, could improve motility in chilled highly diluted sperm.