Percentage Of Normal Spermatozoa Research Articles

An association weight matrix identified biological pathways associated with bull fertility traits in a multi-breed population.

Using seven indicator traits, we investigated the genetic basis of bull fertility and predicted gene interactions from SNP associations. We used percent normal sperm as the key phenotype for the association weight matrix-partial correlation information theory (AWM-PCIT) approach. Beyond a simple list of candidate genes, AWM-PCIT predicts significant gene interactions and associations for the selected traits. These interactions formed a network of 537 genes: 38 genes were transcription cofactors, and 41 genes were transcription factors. The network displayed two distinct clusters, one with 294 genes and another with 243 genes. The network is enriched in fertility-associated pathways: steroid biosynthesis, p53 signalling, and the pentose phosphate pathway. Enrichment analysis also highlighted gene ontology terms associated with 'regulation of neurotransmitter secretion' and 'chromatin formation'. Our network recapitulates some genes previously implicated in another network built with lower-density genotypes. Sequence-level data also highlights additional candidate genes relevant to bull fertility, such as FOXO4, FOXP3, GATA1, CYP27B1, and EBP. A trio of regulatory genes-KDM5C, LRRK2, and PME-was deemed core to the network because of their overarching connections. This trio probably influences bull fertility through their interaction with genes, both known and unknown as to their role in male fertility. Future studies may target the trio and their target genes to enrich our understanding of male fertility further.

EFFECT OF SPERMS FREEZABILITY ON SOME SEMEN ATTRIBUTES AND AMINO ACID CONCENTRATIONS IN SEMINAL PLASMA OF HOLSTEIN BULLS

This study investigated the effect of different sperm freezability on some semen characteristics and amino acid concentrations in the seminal plasma of Holstein bulls cryopreserved for two years. The semen straws (0.25 ml) that cryopreserved for two years were divided into three equal groups (7 bulls per group) according to the sperm’s freezability: medium (73.02%; F1), good (83.76%; F2), and high (91.20%; F3). The F1 bulls were superior (P≤ 0.05) in sperm’s cell individual motility (SCIM) for fresh semen as compared with F2 and F3 bulls. The F2 and F3 groups were superior (P≤ 0.01) to the F1 group in live sperm percentage at cryopreservation. The sperm’s DNA damage percentage was lesser (P≤ 0.05) in the F1 and F3 groups as compared with the F2 group. The differences among groups in normal sperm percentage, sperm’s plasma membrane and acrosome integrity percentage, malondialdehyde, and total antioxidant concentrations lacked significance. The essential and non-essential amino acid concentrations in seminal plasma did not differ among groups. In conclusion, sperm freezability influenced some semen attributes but did not affect amino acid concentrations in the seminal plasma of Holstein bulls.

Comparison of methods for morphological evaluation of sheep spermatozoa using the SPERM BLUE kit and Romanovsky-Giemse staining

The purpose of this study is to test and comparatively evaluate the method of morphological examination of ram sperm using a differentiated staining Sperm Blue and Romanovsky-Giemsa staining. The sperm of Dorper rams was collected and examined. The obtained samples (n=10) were diluted in a ratio of 1:100 (PBS solution) to conduct a morphological assessment of sperm. Two methods were used for the morphological assessment of spermatozoa: a set of differentiated staining Sperm Blue (Microptic, exposure of the smear in the fixative – 10 minutes, in the main dye - 18 minutes) and Romanovsky-Giemsa staining (exposure of the smear in the fixative - 10 minutes, in the main dye – 20 minutes). After routine staining, the smears were washed with distilled water, dried, and microscopy was performed (magnification using a 100x10 immersion objective, oil immersion), followed by a manual method of counting the number of morphological forms of sperm. According to the results of a comparative analysis of stained smears, staining with Sperm Blue allows for a detailed morphological study and differentiation of teratozoospermic characteristics. When stained with Romanovsky-Giemsa, normal spermatozoa were clearly visible, but the acrosome was poorly visualized. Manual calculation of the percentage of normal sperm using both dyes resulted in the same decimal result. A statistically insignificant difference in head and tail defects was found between the dyes used (p = 0.41 and p = 0.77, respectively): Romanovsky-Giemsa staining (7.8% and 34.1%) detected these defects more often than Sperm Blue (6.3% and 32.9%). Considering the results obtained, the use of the Sperm Blue dyes dye in veterinary andrology is relevant, in particular for assesment the morphology of sperm of different animal species with the further development of appropriate protocols in terms of the duration of exposure of the smears themselves to the main dye.

Catalase and Uric Acid Prevent Morphological Damage to the Sperm Flagella of Colossoma macropomum During 96 Hours at Low Storage Temperatures.

Oxidative stress is one of the main causes of loss of sperm function during chilled storage. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the effects of a fructose-based extender, which was supplemented with catalase or uric acid, on the motility, viability, morphological integrity, and lipid peroxidation (LPO) of Colossoma macropomum spermatozoa. Sperm was diluted in extenders containing catalase (0; 0.1; 0.8; and 1.5 kU/L) or uric acid (0; 0.25; 0.5; and 1.0 mmol/L) and then stored at 4.3 ± 0.6°C for 96 hours. The chilling storage time had more significant and pronounced effects on practically all the measured sperm quality parameters than the different concentrations of both antioxidants added to the extenders. This was true for sperm motility, motility duration, sperm viability, and the percentage of normal spermatozoa. In fact, for all these parameters, values were higher in the extenders supplemented with catalase or uric acid, than those not supplemented with these antioxidants, especially after 96 hours. The LPO process showed an antioxidant-dependent response. In catalase-supplemented extenders thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) levels increased gradually and significantly with time, but remained stable during the 96 hours of chilled storage in all samples in which uric acid was added. Despite this, TBARS levels were lower in the extenders supplemented with both catalase and uric acid than in those not having these antioxidants. Inverse correlations were found between sperm motility and the damage in sperm flagella. Our findings suggest that the supplementation of an extender with catalase or uric acid is beneficial and protects fish sperm membranes from damage caused by oxidative stress during low-temperature storage. The extenders containing 0.1 kU/L of catalase and 0.25 mmol/L of uric acid provided effective antioxidant protection for the spermatozoa of this important Amazonian fish.

SOME BIOCHEMICAL ATTRIBUTES IN SEMINAL PLASMA OF IRAQI BUFFALO BULLS AND THEIR RELATION TO THE SEMEN QUALITY

This study was undertaken to figure out the relationship between some biochemical characteristics in seminal plasma with the semen quality of Iraqi buffalo bulls (Bubalus bubalis). Semen was diluted with the Tris extender and divided based on the sperm cell's individual motility into two groups. The first group included good-semen quality (GS; n=3), whereas, the second group included poor-semen quality (PS; n=5). The differences between GS and BS groups in all seminal biochemical attributes lacked significance. A negative and significant (P≤0.05) correlation coefficient was noticed between cholesterol concentration and both principal and terminal sperms abnormality (r= -0.52), and total abnormalities (r= -0.53). A positive and significant (P≤0.05) correlation coefficient was shown between cholesterol concentration and normal sperm percentage (r= 0.53). Moreover, there was a negative and significant correlation (P≤0.05) between the triglyceride concentration and each of the percentages of individual sperm motility (r = -0.50) and of live sperm (r = -0.51). It can be concluded that some biochemical characteristics of seminal plasma can be used to predict the semen quality and fertility of Iraqi buffalo bulls.

Genetic parameters for yearling male reproduction traits in tropical composite cattle population.

Fertility is economically important but is hard to quantify and measure in breeding programs which has led extensive breeding programs to ignore fertility in their selection criteria. While female fertility traits have been extensively researched, male fertility traits have been largely ignored. It is estimated that 20% to 40% of bulls have sub-fertility, reducing the number of calves born and profits, highlighting the importance of investigating bull fertility. The most practical measure of male fertility is a bull breeding soundness evaluation (BBSE) which assesses structure as well as semen quality and quantity. Generally, traits recorded in a BBSE are neither genetically evaluated nor used for selection in breeding programs. All traits recorded during a BBSE were analyzed through a series of univariate and bivariate linear mixed models using a genomic relationship matrix to estimate genetic parameters. All genotype and phenotype data were obtained from a tropical composite commercial cattle population and imputed to 27,638 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with a total of 2,613 genotyped animals with BBSE records ranging from 616 to 826 animals depending on the trait. The heritabilities of the 27 traits recorded during a BBSE ranged from 0.02 to 0.49. Seven of the male fertility traits were recommended to be included in a breeding program based on their heritability and their phenotypic and genetic correlations. These traits are scrotal circumference, percent normal sperm, proximal droplets, distal midpiece reflex, knobbed acrosomes, vacuoles/teratoids, and sheath score. Using these seven traits in a breeding program would result in higher calving rates, increasing production and profitability.

Genomic regions and biological pathways associated with sex-limited reproductive traits in bovine species.

Many animal species exhibit sex-limited traits, where certain phenotypes are exclusively expressed in one sex. Yet, the genomic regions that contribute to these sex-limited traits in males and females remain a subject of debate. Reproductive traits are ideal phenotypes to study sexual differences since they are mostly expressed in a sex-limited way. Therefore, this study aims to use local correlation analyses to identify genomic regions and biological pathways significantly associated with male and female sex-limited traits in two distinct cattle breeds (Brahman [BB] and Tropical Composite [TC]). We used the Correlation Scan method to perform local correlation analysis on 42 trait pairs consisting of six female and seven male reproductive traits recorded on ~1,000 animals for each sex in each breed. To pinpoint a specific region associated with these sex-limited reproductive traits, we investigated the genomic region(s) consistently identified as significant across the 42 trait pairs in each breed. The genes found in the identified regions were subjected to Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) colocalization, QTL enrichment analyses, and functional analyses to gain biological insight into sexual differences. We found that the genomic regions associated with the sex-limited reproductive phenotypes are widely distributed across all the chromosomes. However, no single region across the genome was associated with all the 42 reproductive trait pairs in the two breeds. Nevertheless, we found a region on the X-chromosome to be most significant for 80% to 90% (BB: 33 and TC: 38) of the total 42 trait pairs. A considerable number of the genes in this region were regulatory genes. By considering only genomic regions that were significant for at least 50% of the 42 trait pairs, we observed more regions spread across the autosomes and the X-chromosome. All genomic regions identified were highly enriched for trait-specific QTL linked to sex-limited traits (percentage of normal sperm, metabolic weight, average daily gain, carcass weight, age at puberty, etc.). The gene list created from these identified regions was enriched for biological pathways that contribute to the observed differences between sexes. Our results demonstrate that genomic regions associated with male and female sex-limited reproductive traits are distributed across the genome. Yet, chromosome X seems to exert a relatively larger effect on the phenotypic variation observed between the sexes.

Morphology and morphometry of sperm in Kurdish stallions, a local breed from western Iran.

The present work was designed for a thorough investigation into the sperm morphology and morphometry of Kurdish stallions. The semen samples were collected from 10 Kurdish stallions. Three preparations from each ejaculate were stained with eosin-nigrosin (EN), Diff-Quik (DQ) and Rose Bengal (RB). The area, perimeter, length and width of the sperm head as well as tail length and total sperm length were measured. The parameters ellipticity, elongation, roughness and regularity were calculated. The morphology of sperm was also investigated under scanning and transmission electron microscopes. DQ and RB provided more clarified images for examining sperm structures compared to the EN method. The head length, head width, area and perimeter in EN were significantly higher than those in DQ and RB (p ≤ .05). Furthermore, the difference in head width, head area and head perimeter between DQ and RB was not significant (p ≥ .05). The tail length and total sperm length in all methods were close together (p ≥ .05). The highest percentage of normal sperm was seen in DQ and RB methods (82.55 ± 2.88 and 88.31 ± 5.19) respectively. The highest values for ellipticity, elongation and regularity were found in RB, whereas the highest value for roughness was measured in EN. Tail defects including coiled tails, and folded midpieces were the most frequent. Scanning electron microscope revealed two types of head shapes: heads with round anterior border, and heads with flat anterior border. The results indicated that despite the routine use of EN for morphological assessment of stallion sperm, RB and DQ can be considered for more clarified details of sperm structure including acrosome and midpiece. Furthermore, the Kurdish stallion sperm has morphometric traits in the normal range established for stallions; yet, some traits were larger than those reported for other breeds. It seems that the sperm of the Kurdish stallion has a longer head and tail in comparison with other horse breeds.

Effect of diluters on frozen semen production of Black Bengal Goat

The present study was undertaken to investigate the efficacy of three diluters (Triladyl, Andromed and Tris) for the production of frozen semen in Black Bengal goat and their effect on conception rate. Over the course of 6 months, data from six bucks were collected. Each collected sample was diluted with Triladyl, Andromed and Tris diluter, filled into 0.50 ml straws, sealed and equilibrated at 5℃ for freezing. The motility, viability and morphology were evaluated after dilution and in every step of cryopreservation (after equilibration, after freezing and after thawing). It became clear that motility and sperm viability of the frozen thawed semen differed significantly (p<0.05) but differed insignificantly (p>0.05) immediate after dilution among the diluters. The motility of frozen thawed semen was 42.50%±1.71, 34.67%±1.67 and 28.71%±1.55 in Triladyl, Andromed and Tris diluter, respectively. The viability of frozen thawed semen was 40.51%±1.78, 32.24%±1.52 and 26.84%±1.56 in Triladyl, Andromed and Tris diluter, respectively. In case of morphology, it differed insignificantly (p>0.05) among the diluters in every step of cryopreservation. Higher percentage of normal spermatozoa was found in Triladyl based diluter (87.11%) in frozen thawed semen. After 15 days of sample preparation, the motility of prepared sample was again checked to ensure the quality of frozen semen in liquid nitrogen (LN). It differed insignificantly (p>0.05) with frozen thawed semen after 24 hours of production. The obtained conception rate was 38% for Triladyl, 35% for Andromed and 27% for Tris diluter. The results of the study revealed that cryopreservation of buck semen revealed good results with Triladyl diluter followed by Andromed and Tris diluter. Bangladesh Journal of Animal Science 52 (4): 105-113

Effect of diluters on frozen semen production of Black Bengal Goat

The present study was undertaken to investigate the efficacy of three diluters (Triladyl, Andromed and Tris) for the production of frozen semen in Black Bengal goat and their effect on conception rate. Over the course of 6 months, data from six bucks were collected. Each collected sample was diluted with Triladyl, Andromed and Tris diluter, filled into 0.50 ml straws, sealed and equilibrated at 5℃ for freezing. The motility, viability and morphology were evaluated after dilution and in every step of cryopreservation (after equilibration, after freezing and after thawing). It became clear that motility and sperm viability of the frozen thawed semen differed significantly (p<0.05) but differed insignificantly (p>0.05) immediate after dilution among the diluters. The motility of frozen thawed semen was 42.50%±1.71, 34.67%±1.67 and 28.71%±1.55 in Triladyl, Andromed and Tris diluter, respectively. The viability of frozen thawed semen was 40.51%±1.78, 32.24%±1.52 and 26.84%±1.56 in Triladyl, Andromed and Tris diluter, respectively. In case of morphology, it differed insignificantly (p>0.05) among the diluters in every step of cryopreservation. Higher percentage of normal spermatozoa was found in Triladyl based diluter (87.11%) in frozen thawed semen. After 15 days of sample preparation, the motility of prepared sample was again checked to ensure the quality of frozen semen in liquid nitrogen (LN). It differed insignificantly (p>0.05) with frozen thawed semen after 24 hours of production. The obtained conception rate was 38% for Triladyl, 35% for Andromed and 27% for Tris diluter. The results of the study revealed that cryopreservation of buck semen revealed good results with Triladyl diluter followed by Andromed and Tris diluter. Bangladesh Journal of Animal Science 52 (4): 105-113

The relationship between male semen parameters and sperm DNA fragment index with the age

To investigate the relationship between male semen parameters and sperm DNA fragment index with age. Adopt cross-sectional sampling survey design, 3 203 male patients who visited the Department of Reproductive Andrology in the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2019 to June 2021 were selected as subjects. Age range is 18-57 years, with the median age of 30 years. Through quartile regression analysis, the correlation between age and different male semen parameters and DNA fragment index (DFI) was presented. The study population was divided into ≤30 years old group and >30 years old group, and the correlation between age and semen volume, sperm concentration, total sperm count, progressive motility, total motility, percentage of normal sperm and DFI level were compared and analyzed. The results showed that there were significant differences in progressive motility, total motility and DFI level among different age groups (χ2=-4.608, -4.604, -7.719,P all <0.05), but there was no significant difference in semen volume, sperm concentration, total sperm count and percentage of normal sperm (χ2=-1.712, -1.203, -0.149, -0.175,P all >0.05). In the>30 years old age group, there was a very weak negative correlation between male age and semen volume, progressive motility and total motility (r=-0.137, -0.101 and -0.056, P all <0.05). There was a very weak positive correlation between male age and sperm concentration and sperm DFI level (r=0.061, 0.190, P all <0.05), while there was no correlation between male age and total sperm count and percentage of normal sperm (r=-0.018, -0.016,P all >0.05). In conclusion, with the increase of age, especially after the age of 30, semen volume, progressive motility and total motility decreased, while sperm concentration and DFI level increased, and semen quality decreased.

The Effects of Varying Combinations of Dietary Selenium, Vitamin E, and Zinc Supplements on Semen Characteristics and Antioxidant Enzyme Activity of Spermatozoa in 1-Year-Old Native Turkish Ganders

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of dietary Selenium (Se), Vitamin E (Vit E), and Zinc (Zn) and their various combinations on semen quantity, quality, and oxidative enzyme activities of spermatozoa in 1-year-old native Turkish ganders. In this study, 48 1-year-old native Turkish ganders were used. The ganders were randomly divided into 8 dietary treatment groups (Control, Se, Vit E, Zn, Se + Vit E, Se + Zn, Vit E + Zn, Se + Vit E + Zn) with 6 birds each. In addition to the control diet, specific amounts of 0.3 mg/kg Se, 100 mg/kg Vit E, and 100 mg/kg Zn were added to the diets of each treatment group. Semen volume, sperm concentration, sperm motility, sperm quality factor (SQF), and total live and normal sperm percentage were the lowest in the control group and highest in the ganders fed with the Se + Vit E + Zn combination. While the percentage of macro-cephalic and dead sperm was highest in the ganders fed with control feed, the lowest percentage of dead sperm was found in the sperm of the ganders fed with Vit E and Se + Vit E + Zn combinations. The lowest glutathione peroxidase enzyme (GPx) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and the highest amount of malondialdehyde (MDA) were determined in the spermatozoa of the control group ganders. This study revealed that the combined use of Se, Vit E, and Zn in the diet maintained higher semen quantity and quality in 1-year-old native Turkish gander despite the advancing reproduction season compared to the control group.

GGA1 participates in spermatogenesis in mice under stress.

Infertility is recognized as a common and worrisome problem of human reproduction worldwide. Based on previous studies, male factors account for about half of all infertility cases. Exposure to environmental toxicants is an important contributor to male infertility. Bisphenol A (BPA) is the most prominent toxic environmental contaminant worldwide affecting the male reproductive system. BPA can impair the function of the Golgi apparatus which is important in spermatogenesis. GGA1 is known as Golgi-localized, gamma adaptin ear-containing, ARF-binding protein 1. Previously, it has been shown that GGA1 is associated with spermatogenesis in Drosophila, however, its function in mammalian spermatogenesis remains unclear. Gga1 knockout mice were generated using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. Gga1-/- male mice and wild-type littermates received intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections of BPA (40 µg/kg) once daily for 2 weeks. Histological and immunofluorescence staining were performed to analyze the phenotypes of these mice. Male mice lacking Gga1 had normal fertility without any obvious defects in spermatogenesis, sperm count and sperm morphology. Gga1 ablation led to infertility in male mice exposed to BPA, along with a significant reduction in sperm count, sperm motility and the percentage of normal sperm. Histological analysis of the seminiferous epithelium showed that spermatogenesis was severely disorganized, while apoptotic germ cells were significantly increased in the Gga1 null mice exposed to BPA. Our findings suggest that Gga1 protects spermatogenesis against damage induced by environmental pollutants.

Sequence level genome-wide associations for bull production and fertility traits in tropically adapted bulls

BackgroundThe genetics of male fertility is complex and not fully understood. Male subfertility can adversely affect the economics of livestock production. For example, inadvertently mating bulls with poor fertility can result in reduced annual liveweight production and suboptimal husbandry management. Fertility traits, such as scrotal circumference and semen quality are commonly used to select bulls before mating and can be targeted in genomic studies. In this study, we conducted genome-wide association analyses using sequence-level data targeting seven bull production and fertility traits measured in a multi-breed population of 6,422 tropically adapted bulls. The beef bull production and fertility traits included body weight (Weight), body condition score (CS), scrotal circumference (SC), sheath score (Sheath), percentage of normal spermatozoa (PNS), percentage of spermatozoa with mid-piece abnormalities (MP) and percentage of spermatozoa with proximal droplets (PD).ResultsAfter quality control, 13,398,171 polymorphisms were tested for their associations with each trait in a mixed-model approach, fitting a multi-breed genomic relationship matrix. A Bonferroni genome-wide significance threshold of 5 × 10− 8 was imposed. This effort led to identifying genetic variants and candidate genes underpinning bull fertility and production traits. Genetic variants in Bos taurus autosome (BTA) 5 were associated with SC, Sheath, PNS, PD and MP. Whereas chromosome X was significant for SC, PNS, and PD. The traits we studied are highly polygenic and had significant results across the genome (BTA 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, 19, 23, 28, and 29). We also highlighted potential high-impact variants and candidate genes associated with Scrotal Circumference (SC) and Sheath Score (Sheath), which warrants further investigation in future studies.ConclusionThe work presented here is a step closer to identifying molecular mechanisms that underpin bull fertility and production. Our work also emphasises the importance of including the X chromosome in genomic analyses. Future research aims to investigate potential causative variants and genes in downstream analyses.

Effects of aqueous methanolic extract of Bridella ferruginea stem bark on the spermatogenesis, accessory reproductive organs, and organosomatic indices in pubertal male Rattus Norvegicus

There is an increasing trend in the usage of medicinal plants in livestock production with some significantly toxic effects especially to vital organs such as reproductive tissues which necessitates this search. Twenty (20) matured male rats weighing 150-239g randomly assigned into 4 groups (n=5) were used for the sub-acute toxicity. Group 1 rats were treated with distilled water while groups 2-4 were treated with 100, 200, and 400mg/kg respectively of the aqueous methanolic extract of Bridelia ferruginea stem bark (AMEBFSB) for 30 days. Animals were terminated on day 31 and some of the reproductive organs were collected and weighed. The Cauda epididymis served as a semen source for sperm analysis and testes were collected for histological examination. There was a significant decrease (p&lt;0.05) in the final body weights, average weights of testes, epididymis, vas deferens, seminal vesicles, and prostate gland of the treated groups as compared to the control. The semen evaluated showed a significant decrease (p&lt;0.05) in sperm motility, sperm count, and percent normal sperm cell morphology in the 400mg/kg group, no significant difference (p&lt;0.05) in the sperm viability and acrosome integrity as compared to control. Photomicrograph revealed loss and thinning of germinal epithelium and widened seminiferous tubule lumen. In conclusion, the oral administration of AMEBFSB for 30 days in male rats showed that the plant has antispermatogenic effects on reproductive functions.

Semen quality analysis of the Airshire bulls in relation to the AH1 fertility haplotype

The results of the studies (2019-2021) of increased incidence of genetic mutations, such as fertility haplotypes, in the population that result in lower reproductive rates in dairy cattle are presented. Semen quality of the Ayrshire breed bulls was evaluated for motility and morphological indices due to rs475678587 in the UBE3B gene locus associated with the AH1 fertility haplotype. Semen samples (n = 14) were obtained from the Center of Collective Use "Genetic Semen Collection of Domestic and Foreign Cattle Breeds" of the All-Russian Research Institute of Farm Animal Genetics and Breeding (ARRIFAGB) and belonged to the animals born in 2014 and older (average age of bulls was 6-15 years). Genotyping for rs475678587 of the UBE3B gene was performed by Sanger sequencing. Animals with the heterozygous CT genotype were defined as carriers of the AH1 haplotype (AH1-C), and those with the homozygous CC genotype were defined as free of the AH1 haplotype (AH1-F). Frozen-thawed semen was evaluated according to the following parameters: total and progressive motility, percentage of normal spermatozoa. Morphological indices of sperm quality were assessed after differential staining of cellular elements of spermatozoa using a commercial kit "Diakhim-Diff Quick" (ABRIS+ scientific and production company) in sperm smears. The following indicators were taken into account: acrosomal abnormalities, abnormalities in the head, tail, and neck of the spermatozoon. Data on the indicators of native semen (motility, concentration), obtained immediately after collection, were received from the archive of the technical service of the breeding enterprise. The results of the studies have shown that according to physiological and morphological indices the semen obtained from the bulls carrying the haplotype AN1 did not differ significantly from those of the bulls free of the mutation. In terms of total motility, the semen of the haplotype fertility carrier bulls was almost 2% higher than that of the haplotype free bulls. It can be noted that the haplotype carriers of fertility bulls were generally characterized by good sperm fertility indices.

Reproductive performance of captive-reared Indian white shrimp, Penaeus indicus, broodstocks over two generations

Closing the complex life cycle of closed thelycum shrimp in captivity is one of the fundamental challenges in breeding programs. In the present study, we investigated the sexual maturity, broodstock development, and spawning performance of two generations of captive-reared Indian white shrimp, Penaeus indicus, over 36 months originated from a single stock of wild brooders. The post larvae (GN-1) produced from wild P. indicus (G0) and P.L. (GN-2) produced from captive-reared (GN-1) broodstocks were nursery (1000 PL m-3) and grow-out (12 shrimp m-2) reared, and subsequently raised in broodstock ponds (1 shrimp m-2). The annual salinity and photoperiod in broodstock ponds varied between 20 to 36 ppt, and 11.2 -12.5 L and 11.5-12.8 D hours, respectively. The light intensity varied between 91 ± 6 lux at dusk to 75,358 ± 1719 lux at noon. The size at first impregnation or mating was 16.45 ± 1.7 g (132 DOC) and 17.62 ± 1.9 g (90 DOC), respectively, in GN-1 and GN-2 females. By 220 DOC, 25% of the GN-1 females initiated gonad development, whereas 55% of the GN-2 females recorded developing ovaries or were in stage II at 150 DOC. The broodstock attained an average final body weight of 38.85 ± 1.5 g (GN-1) and 42.65 ± 1.8 g (GN-2) by 360 DOC. The highest (p&amp;lt;0.01) eggs per gram body weight (5137 ± 303 eggs g-1) and hatchability, H (83 ± 0.7%), was recorded in wild broodstocks (G0) followed by GN-2 (1,715 ± 162 eggs g-1; H: 69 ± 2%) and GN-1 (1,476 ± 151 eggs g-1; H: 75 ± 1%). However, captive-reared broodstock had better survival (89-92%) than wild broodstocks (71 ± 0.8%). Further, indoor maturation trial (21 days) using ablated broodstocks (GN-1) revealed 79% of the impregnated broodstocks undergo molting, resulting in the loss of sperm pack and subsequent reduction in mating efficacy to 29%. The average sperm count and percentage of normal sperm also recorded (p&amp;lt;0.05) reduction during the maturation cycle. The data generated in the present investigation can form the baseline information for developing the breeding strategy for the genetic improvement of Indian white shrimp in India.

Correlation analysis of sperm DNA fragmentation index with semen parameters and the effect of sperm DFI on outcomes of ART

Routine semen analysis provides limited information about a man’s male reproductive potential and can not always fully explain male infertility. Many male infertilities are caused by sperm DNA defects that routine semen quality analyses fail to detect. In this study, we analyzed the association of sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) with the semen routine, sperm morphology, in vitro fertilization embryo transfer (IVF-ET)/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Further, we explored the predictive value of sperm DFI in evaluating male fertility and the outcome of IVF-ET/ICSI. Data on sperm DFI, sperm routine, and sperm morphology were collected from 1462 males with infertility. According to DFI levels, there were 468 cases in group I (DFI ≤ 15%), 518 cases in group II (15% < DFI < 30%), and 476 cases in group III (DFI ≥ 30%). The correlations of sperm DFI with semen routine and malformation rate were analyzed. Seminal plasma malondialdehyde (MDA), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were assessed. Sperm DFI, semen routine, and sperm morphology were detected in male patients of 101 pairs of IVF-ET/ICSI infertile couples and subdivided into IVF-I group (DFI ≤ 15%), IVF-II group (15% < DFI < 30%), IVF-III group (DFI ≥ 30%), ICSI-I group (DFI ≤ 15%), ICSI-II group (15% < DFI < 30%) and ICSI-III group (DFI ≥ 30%) according to DFI value. The effect of sperm DFI on the outcome of IVF-ET/ICSI was analyzed. There were significant differences in sperm survival rate, sperm concentration, and PR% between groupIII and group II (P < 0.01). There were significant differences in sperm survival rate, sperm concentration and PR% between group III and group I (P < 0.01). There was no significant difference in semen volume, age, abstinence days, or percentage of normal sperm between the three groups (P > 0.05). DFI was positively correlated with MDA content ( P < 0.01) and negatively correlated with TAC (P < 0.01). Sperm DFI was negatively correlated with sperm survival rate, sperm concentration, and PR% (P < 0.01). There was no correlation with age, abstinence days, semen volume, or percentage of normal-form sperm (r = 0.16, 0.05, 0.04, -0.18, p > 0.05). Compared with IVF-I group, the sperm concentration and PR were decreased in IVF-III group. The sperm malformation rate was higher in IVF-III group than that in IVF-II group. Comparatively, the PR was decreased in ICSI-III group. The sperm malformation rate was higher in ICSI-III group than that of the ICSI-I group (P < 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in fertilization rate, cleavage rate, embryo rate, and clinical pregnancy rate between IVF group or ICSI group, and between all subgroups (P > 0.05). Sperm DFI is negatively associated with sperm survival rate, sperm concentration, and PR%. Antioxidants can decrease the rate of DNA fragmentation. Sperm DFI has proven to be very valuable in the male fertility evaluation, but its significance as a predictor of pregnancy outcomes following assisted reproductive technology. (ART) requires further investigation.

Multi-breed genomic predictions and functional variants for fertility of tropical bulls.

Worldwide, most beef breeding herds are naturally mated. As such, the ability to identify and select fertile bulls is critically important for both productivity and genetic improvement. Here, we collected ten fertility-related phenotypes for 6,063 bulls from six tropically adapted breeds. Phenotypes were comprised of four bull conformation traits and six traits directly related to the quality of the bull's semen. We also generated high-density DNA genotypes for all the animals. In total, 680,758 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotypes were analyzed. The genomic correlation of the same trait observed in different breeds was positive for scrotal circumference and sheath score on most breed comparisons, but close to zero for the percentage of normal sperm, suggesting a divergent genetic background for this trait. We confirmed the importance of a breed being present in the reference population to the generation of accurate genomic estimated breeding values (GEBV) in an across-breed validation scenario. Average GEBV accuracies varied from 0.19 to 0.44 when the breed was not included in the reference population. The range improved to 0.28 to 0.59 when the breed was in the reference population. Variants associated with the gene HDAC4, six genes from the spermatogenesis-associated (SPATA) family of proteins, and 29 transcription factors were identified as candidate genes. Collectively these results enable very early in-life selection for bull fertility traits, supporting genetic improvement strategies currently taking place within tropical beef production systems. This study also improves our understanding of the molecular basis of male fertility in mammals.

Ameliorating effect of gold nanoparticles decorated on biodegradable apple pectin modified magnetic nanoparticles on epididymo-orchitis inducing alterations in sperm quality and spermatogenic cells apoptosis

• Fe 3 O 4 @AP-Au NPs reduced spermatogenic cells apoptotic indexes and prostate weight gain. • Fe 3 O 4 @AP-Au NPs improved the sperm percentage with total motility, normal morphology, and progressive motility and Johnsen’s and Miller’s criteria. • The particles are almost homo-morphic and are sized between 30-50 nm. In the current years, conjugated bio-nanomaterials involving magnetic core are interested as promising platform in modern generation biological composites for the treatment of several types of inflammations such as epididymo-orchitis. In this regard, we described a novel Au NPs supported apple pectin (AP) modified magnetic Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles as a novel nano-biocomposite (Fe 3 O 4 @AP-Au NPs). The post-synthetically modified biogenic material was analyzed in details over a number of physicochemical methods like, Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), elemental mapping, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). In the in vivo part, we divided 80 Wistar rats into five following groups (n=16 per group): a. Control-intact group, b. Vehicle group, c. Fe 3 O 4 @AP-Au NPs group, d. epididymo-orchitis group, and e. epididymo-orchitis/ Fe 3 O 4 @AP-Au NPs group. We assessed relative sex organs weight, body weight, germ cell apoptosis, Johnson’s criteria, sperm parameters, and germ cell layers number. Acute epididymo-orchitis raised the prostate relative weight and seminal vesicles and apoptotic indexes of spermatogenic cells, also decreased the quality of sperm such as sperm concentration, normal sperm percentage, and total motility and Johnsen’s and Miller’s scores. Fe 3 O 4 @AP-Au NPs group reduced spermatogenic cells apoptotic indexes and prostate weight gain and improved the sperm percentage with total motility, normal morphology, and progressive motility and Johnsen’s and Miller’s criteria.