Total Sperm Production Research Articles

The effects of vitamin E supplementation on sperm parameters, chromatin integrity, and gene expression before and after freezing in aged mice.

Some age-related testicular changes, such as Sertoli cell vacuolization and blood-testis barrier breakdown, reduce total sperm production and male fertility. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of vitamin E on restoring testicular function in aged mice. Sperm cryo-resistance was also assessed. Twenty-eight 48-week-old male Naval Medical Research Institute mice were divided into four groups for a daily gavage of vitamin E: the control group received distilled water, while the three treatment groups were administered 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg, respectively, for 4 weeks. Subsequently, semen analyses, DNA fragmentation index (DFI), and protamine deficiency tests were conducted. Testicular histology, tissue antioxidant enzyme activity, and gene expression levels were also assessed. The two higher dosages of vitamin E were associated with a higher sperm count, greater progressive motility, and improved sperm morphology (p<0.05). These benefits were also evident after sperm freezing (p<0.05). Although chromatin abnormalities increased following vitrification, the treatment groups showed better outcomes (p<0.05). The tubular diameter, epithelium height, and luminal diameters remained unchanged with age. The tissue antioxidant capacity was greater in the groups receiving the high doses of vitamin E. Additionally, significant increases in inhibitor of DNA binding protein-4 (Id4) and GDNF family receptor alpha-1 (Gfra1) expression were observed in the higher vitamin E dosage groups, and promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger protein (Plzf) expression was notably present in the 400 mg/kg treatment group compared to the control group (p<0.05). Antioxidant supplementation might enhance reproductive outcomes in aging males. The observed effects included improved sperm cryo-resistance, which is advantageous for future applications such as sperm freezing or fertility preservation.

238 Effect of electronically controlled floor cooling pad on semen performance of Duroc boars during the summer heat stress

Abstract The objective of the study was to evaluate the effects of using electronically controlled floor cooling pad (ECP) on boar semen production during the summer season in a boar stud in Scottsville, Kentucky. Sixty boars (526.26 ± 188.69 d old) were placed in two rows of pens (2.06 x 0.66 m) in a 350 head tunnel ventilated boar barn and were randomly assigned to either CONTROL (n = 30; no ECP) or PAD (n = 30) treatments. The ECP had 4.25 L cold water flushed through a group of 5 pads connected to each other, when temperature sensors reached 27°C or every 4 mins for sensors placed on 5th pad and 24°C or every 4 mins for sensors placed on 1st pad. Boars experienced natural summer heat stress (daily temperature, humidity and dewpoint: Mean = 24.03°C, 87.9%, 21.7°C, hourly mean high = 28.9°C, 83.4%, 25.8°C) for a period of 30 d from July 15, 2023 to August 14, 2023 wherein the cooling pad remained on and were flushing based on the set points mentioned above. Semen was collected from each boar at least once each week and semen samples were diluted in a commercial semen extender and analyzed for motility using a CASA system, volume using a gram scale, and concentration using a spermiodensimeter. A semen sample was also stained using Hancock stain and evaluated at 100x oil immersion to assess sperm morphology (100 sperm cells analyzed as normal or having retained cytoplasmic droplets, distal midpiece reflex or other head/tail abnormalities). Total sperm production, percentage of morphologically normal sperm, percentage of motile sperm were calculated and used to determine whether the ejaculate met threshold for use in an artificial insemination program or whether the ejaculate was trashed. Data were evaluated using PROC MIXED for repeated measures in SAS (v.9.4) with the main effects of treatment and week, using the age of the boar, and the number of days between collections as covariates, and boar nested within treatment as a random effect. There were no differences between CONTROL and PAD boars for semen production measures (P &amp;gt; 0.05). PAD boars had greater morphologically normal sperm compared with CONTROL boars using Hancock stain (P = 0.0362); however, this effect was lost when the percentage of total normal sperm for the entire ejaculate was calculated (P = 0.56). Overall, maintaining boars on floor cooling pads during the summer months had minimal impacts on semen production and reduced the presence of morphologically abnormal sperm.

Seasonal changes in sperm freezability of sex-reversed female rainbow trout

In order to obtain sex-reversed females of Salmonid fish (SRF; neomales, masculinized females) the hormonal treatment of fertilized eggs or larvae is used. As a consequence, masculinized fish possess less-developed testes without functional spermatic ducts. Therefore, the semen of sex-reversed females is generally characterized by low or highly variable quality and reflects testicular rather than ejaculated semen. The aim of our study was to evaluate the alterations in sperm freezability of sex-reversed female rainbow trout during the progression of the spawning season. Sperm concentration, seminal plasma osmolality, semen pH, gonadosomatic index (GSI) and total sperm production (TSP) were monitored in fresh semen. The sperm motility parameters, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production and sperm viability were examined throughout the spawning season in fresh and frozen/thawed semen. The day of the spawning season did not affect sperm motility of fresh semen. During the equilibration of semen, 2–3-fold increase in the sperm motility compared to fresh semen on each day of the spawning season was recorded. A decrease in the sperm motility after cryopreservation compared to equilibrated semen on each day of the spawning season was recorded. The highest ATP concentrations in fresh semen were noted on the 21st day of the spawning season, whereas in cryopreserved semen, these values were the highest on the 16th and 21st days of the spawning season. The viability of fresh semen did not change during the spawning season; however, the highest sperm viability after cryopreservation was observed between the 11th and 21st days of the spawning season. These results should be taken into account during the planning of cryopreservation of semen of valuable SRF individuals, which will be further used for fertilization of eggs under hatchery conditions.

Seasonal effects on the semen production of Bali bulls (Bos javanicus) in West Nusa Tenggara's Lelede regional artificial insemination center

&lt;p class="MDPI17abstract"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Objective: &lt;/strong&gt;The purpose of this research is to determine the effect of the rainy and dry seasons on the sperm qualities and frozen sperm production of Bali bulls at the Lelede Regional Artificial Insemination Center (RAIC) in West Nusa Tenggara.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="MDPI17abstract"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;A total of 1226 ejaculates were examined from five Bali bulls during a 24-month period (November 2018–October 2019), which was classified into rainy (November–April, 658 ejaculates) and dry (May–October, 568 ejaculates) seasons. Semen volume (mL), sperm velocity (1-4), motility (%), concentration (x106 cell/ml), pre-freezing motility (%), post-freezing motility (%), recovery rate (%), and total frozen semen production were examined as sperm quality measures.&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="MDPI17abstract"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;The results indicated that during the rainy season, ejaculates and processed sperm were more abundant than during the dry season. Additionally, the features of discarded fresh semen in the volume parameter were significantly (P&amp;lt;0.05) larger during the dry season than during the rainy season. The pattern in semen output rises during the dry season and decreasing during the rainy season.&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions: &lt;/strong&gt;It was concluded that the rainy season results in a higher number of ejaculates and total sperm production than the dry season. Meanwhile, no differences in sperm characteristics exist between the two seasons.&lt;/p&gt;

Gonad development and sperm characteristics of male silver catfish (Rhamdia quelen) fed diets with different oil sources / Desenvolvimento gonadal e características espermáticas de jundiás machos (Rhamdia quelen) alimentados com dietas com diferentes fontes de óleo

It is widely accepted that broodstock nutrition or enriched diets with certain compounds greatly impacts fish reproductive performance, especially the input of different concentrations of fatty acids (especially polyunsaturated ones). Thus, here we evaluated reproductive variables in male catfish (Rhamdia quelen) of 18.45 ± 1.22 g fed with diets containing different lipid sources: fish, canola, sunflower, soybean and olive oils. 300 juvenile R. quelen were randomly distributed in 20 net-tanks (1m3) disposed inside a 200 m2 masonry pond, and the experiment was composing five treatments with four replicates, and were fed during 90 days, with a 3% inclusion level of the oils in the diets. The histological evaluations of the fish testicles were characterized in the final development stage and maturation in all animals, regardless of the offered diet. Spermatic normality, seminal volume, total sperm production, seminal pH and testosterone level did not present significant differences among treatments. Higher sperm concentration was more pronounced in males fed a diet containing sunflower oil. Parameters obtained by computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) showed that the poor sperm quality were verify when fish were fed diets containing olive and canola oil. The gonadosomatic, hepatosomatic and viscerosomatic fat indexes of the animals were similar, regardless of the supplied lipid source. In a practical perspective, we concluded that soybean and sunflower oils can be used as replacement to fish oil in diets for male specimens of R. quelen while the canola and olive oils should be avoid, because decrease the sperm quality.

Evaluation of testicular echotexture with Ecotext as a diagnostic method of testicular dysfunction in stallions

This study aimed to assess if Ecotext, a new software for evaluation of testicular echotexture, is a good method for diagnosis of stallions with testicular dysfunction (TD). Relationships between Ecotext parameters and sperm motility and production, testicular volume, and testicular blood flow were also studied. Ecotext provides a total of six echotexture parameters: Ecotext 1 (black pixels), 2 (white pixels) and 3 (grey pixels), and another 3 parameters related to hypoechogenic areas: Ecotext tubular density (ETD), Ecotext tubular diameter (ETd), and Ecotext tubular area (ETA). Stallions (n = 33) were assessed using proven diagnostic techniques (spermiogram, B-mode and Pulse Doppler ultrasound), and subsequent analysis with Ecotext. Animals were classified as “control stallions” (n:21, acceptable semen quality), and “stallions with TD” (n:12, poor semen quality (TM < 60%, PM < 45% and total nº of sperm with PM < 2000 × 106 spz), that were subdivided into “induced TD group” (immunized, anti-GnRH vaccine) and “acquired TD group”. The acquired TD group showed differences in all Ecotext parameters in relation to controls (Ecotext 1:0.11 ± 0.17 vs 2.82 ± 2.52, Ecotext 2:1584.0 ± 575.8 vs 388 ± 368.2, Ecotext 3:134.2 ± 9.26; ETA: 2.14 ± 0.59 vs 5.40 ± 1.90; ETd: 65.66 ± 6.27 vs 86.93 ± 10.65 and ETD: 92.35 ± 11.24 vs 132.10 ± 16.35, p ≤ 0.001). Results suggest acquired TD stallions were suffering testicular degeneration with loss of architecture and function as all Ecotext parameters were altered in relation to controls. Induced TD horses only showed a reduction in ETD (116.2 ± 8.59 vs 132.10 ± 16.35, p ≤ 0.001), despite all sperm parameters being worse. These findings suggested immunized stallions probably only experience an acute loss of testicular functionality and parenchyma architecture is likely not affected since differences in Ecotext parameters with control stallions were not detected. ETD was the best parameter to identify animals with TD (AUC: 0.84, optimal cut-off value of 124.3 seminiferous tubules/cm2). Correlations were found between ETD and Doppler indices (PI: 0.60; RI: 0.47 p ≤ 0.001), total testicular volume (r: 0.48; p ≤ 0.05) and sperm motility (TM:0.51; and PM:0.54; p ≤ 0.001) and production (r:0.51; p ≤ 0.001). In summary, Ecotext could identify changes in testicular echotexture of stallions with TD. Results open the possibility for new research focused on establishing the relationship between Ecotext parameters and histomorphometry features in stallion testes.

Identification of proAKAP4 concentration variations in dromedary sperm and their correlation with monthly semen parameters.

ProAKAP4 is synthetized as a precursor polypeptide that must be converted into mature AKAP4 in living spermatozoa and is considered as a functional marker of spermatozoa. The gene is well-conserved in mammals although uncharacterized in Camelidae. In the present study, we investigate the expression metabolism of proAKAP4 and AKAP4 proteins and evaluate their seasonal dynamics relative to semen quality in dromedary camels. Semen parameters including volume and viscosity and characteristics of sperm including concentration, total production, total and progressive motility, vitality, acrosome integrity and morphological abnormalities were assessed in semen samples collected weekly from six camels during the rutting season, from November to April. Only total sperm production varied, peaking in January. Both the precursor proAKAP4 and AKAP4 proteins were investigated and shown to express biochemical properties similar to those described in other mammals. ProAKAP4 concentrations expressed in ng/10 million spermatozoa as assayed using a specific ELISA showed a strong positive correlation with ejaculate volume (P = 0.045), viscosity (P < 0.001) and sperm total motility (P = 0.049). Furthermore, their concentrations exhibited clear seasonal variations in camel semen. In conclusion, the assessment of proAKAP4 concentrations in camel sperm provides a novel parameter to assess sperm quality. Further studies should be performed to investigate proAKAP4 concentrations relative to fertility in Camelidae that may help to define the right time for mating and semen collection and increase the success of breeding programs.Lay summaryBreeding related to the seasons/time of year in the camel has been reported in several studies. A better knowledge of semen quality during the breeding season would assist in determining the best period for mating in camels. However, conventional sperm parameters are held to be unsatisfactory because they cannot predict breeding potential. ProAKAP4 a sperm-specific protein has been described as a functional marker of sperm and a key fertility marker in several species but has not been described in camels. Motility or membrane integrity parameters of semen collected throughout the breeding season and also the presence of proAKAP4 protein were investigated. ProAKAP4 was identified for the first time in camels and their concentrations exhibited clear seasonal variations in camel semen showing strong correlations with ejaculate volume and total motility and viscosity. Further studies should be performed to investigate proAKAP4 concentrations relative to fertility in camels to define the right time for mating and increase the success of breeding programs.

Predicting sperm production of young dairy bulls using collection history and management factors

Selection of elite young dairy bulls by using genomic data shortened the generation interval and increased pressure to collect and market germplasm at an early age. The objectives of this study were (1) develop prediction models for daily, weekly, and monthly total sperm (TSp) production from collection history, health status, and management factors, and (2) assess the ability of these models to forecast future TSp production, as well as differences in prediction accuracy by seasonality or age of bull. Data consisted of 43,918 daily processing records from 1,037 Holstein and Jersey bulls between 10 and 28 mo of age at collection. Potential explanatory variables included year and season of collection, barn location, collection frequency, breed, scrotal circumference, TSp in previous months, health events, and age at arrival, first collection, and current collection. Linear regression, random forest (RF), Bayesian regularized neural network, model tree, multilayer perceptron neural network with multiple layers, and extreme learning machine were used to predict daily, weekly, and monthly TSp (R v3.5.1, https://www.r-project.org/). In the additive approach, all prior data were used for training; however, in the fixed-window approach, records from 3 previous months were used for age-based prediction, records from 4 previous months or 1 yr were used for the monthly date-based analyses, and records from 1 previous month or year were used for the weekly date-based analyses. Model performance was measured by root mean squared error (RMSE) and the correlation (r) between actual and predicted TSp in testing sets. In monthly analyses, RF with additive training performed best in age-based (RMSE = 13.6 billion cells, r = 0.93) and date-based (RMSE = 11.9, r = 0.94) prediction, compared with linear regression (age-based RMSE = 16.6, r = 0.89; date-based RMSE = 15.5, r = 0.90) and Bayesian regularized neural network (age-based RMSE = 14.1, r = 0.92). On average, RMSE was 0.93 or 0.14 billion cells greater with fixed 4-mo or 1-yr training windows, respectively, than in the additive analyses. The most important management variables affecting TSp were collection frequency, TSp in previous months, and age at collection. Results indicate RF models with additive training can predict TSp output of individual bulls with ≥85% accuracy up to 4 mo into the future. Spikes in accuracy were associated with sire summary times and company processing changes, and accuracy tended to stabilize when bulls reached 19 to 20 mo of age.

18 Predicting monthly total sperm production of dairy bulls using additive and fixed age-based training windows

Abstract Selection of elite young bulls using genomic data has shortened the generation interval and increased pressure to collect large quantities of semen at an early age. Younger bulls pose a challenge in forecasting total sperm production, due to non-linear relationships between management factors and semen production. Our aims were to compare prediction methods for forecasting monthly total sperm (TS), evaluate additive versus fixed-window training sets, and identify management factors that improve TS forecasting. Data were from a commercial AI company and included 8,060 monthly collection records from 1,118 Holstein and Jersey bulls between 10 and 28 mo of age. Potential explanatory variables included: year and season of collection; barn location; number of collections per month; breed; scrotal circumference at 10–11 mo of age; TS in three previous collection months; and age at arrival, first collection, and current collection. Training and testing sets were split by age at collection. In the additive approach, all prior data were used as training, while in fixed-window, records from 3 previous months were used. Five-fold cross validation was used to train models (R v3.5.1). Prediction models included linear regression (LM), random forest (RF), and Bayesian regularization neural network (BRNN), with performance measured by root mean squared error (RMSE) and correlation (r) between actual and predicted TS of testing sets. Models with fixed training sets (RMSE = 19.07, r = 0.847) performed better than additive training sets (RMSE = 19.82, r = 0.833). RF (RMSE = 19.25, r = 0.855) performed slightly better than BRNN (RMSE = 19.25, r = 0.828) and LM (RMSE = 19.87, r = 0.836). The most important management variables affecting TS were: collection frequency, TS in previous collection months, and age at collection. Preliminary results suggest fixed-window training of RF models yield best TS prediction.

The effect of dietary organic selenium on reproductive performance of broiler breeder roosters under dexamethasone induced stress

Stress has deleterious impact on semen quality and fertility of roosters. This study was investigated to know whether dietary supplementation of organic selenium (oSe) could improve semen quality and fertility of male broiler breeder under dexamethasone (Dexa) induced stress. Forty broiler breeder roosters (64 week of age) were randomly allotted to four groups (10 roosters/group) and fed a standard diet supplemented with different levels of oSe during 10 successive weeks of the experimental period. To induce stress, the birds received injections of 2 mg/kg BW of Dexa during weeks 5 and 6 of the experiment, in one-day-intervals manner. The roosters were not treated with Dexa and oSe (negative control; NC), or treated with Dexa and different levels of oSe including 0 (positive control; PC), 0.30 (Se30+Dexa) or 0.45 (Se45+Dexa) mg/kg diet. Body weight was measured weekly and semen quality parameters and fertility were evaluated every two weeks. Except for seminal volume and total sperm production which was not affected by the treatment, body weight, semen quality parameters, total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in seminal plasma were influenced by interactive effect of treatment and time (P < 0.05). Dexamethasone injection adversely affected semen quality parameters (semen concentration, motility and plasma membrane integrity) in PC group compared to NC group (P < 0.05); however, dietary supplementation of oSe ameliorated these negative impacts in Dexa-treated roosters (P < 0.05). Fertility was also improved by dietary supplementation of oSe compared to control groups (P < 0.05). These results indicate that although induction of stress have negative effects on rooster semen quality parameters, dietary inclusion of oSe may exert beneficial impact on mitigating the harmful effects of stress on semen quality and fertility rate of broiler breeder roosters.

Effect of different treatment agents and post-treatment latency times on spermiation stimulation of northern pike (Esox lucius) under controlled conditions

The effect of different treatment agents, namely, carp pituitary homogenate (CPH), Ovaprim ([D-Arg6, Pro9NEt]-sGnRH + domperidone) and a dopamine-receptor antagonist (metoclopramide), on the stimulation of northern pike (Esox lucius) spermiation was tested under controlled conditions. To carry out the experiment, males (n = 84) were divided into four groups: control (n = 21); CPH (n = 21); Ovaprim (n = 21); metoclopramide (n = 21). The control group was given 0.9% NaCl but no hormonal treatment. After 24 h, sperm was collected from seven males belonging to control (n = 7), CPH (n = 7), Ovaprim (n = 7) and metoclopramide (n = 7). This procedure was repeated after 48 and 72 h post-treatment. At each time, sperm was collected from seven males from each group only once. After collection, the quantity and quality of sperm were determined. It was confirmed that the treatment agent and latency time (the time between treatment and sperm collection) are two factors affecting the quantity and quality of northern pike sperm collected under controlled conditions. The highest total sperm volume and total sperm production (TSP) were noted in the CPH group compared to the Ovaprim, metoclopramide and control groups. In contrast, the time of sperm collection affected the sperm concentration (SC), TSP and sperm pH. With increasing time, SC and TSP decreased, which indicated the occurrence of sperm hydration being part of the final sperm maturation process. Sperm maturation is in turn a consequence of increases in sperm pH and seminal plasma osmotic pressure between 48 and 72 h post-treatment. Sperm motility and sperm kinetic parameters were affected by treatment agent and the time of sperm collection. This indicates that the sperm’s ability to move that is achieved in the optimal environment (in spermatic ducts) is dependent on both factors which determine sperm maturation in northern pike under controlled condition.

The effects of short-term medroxyprogesterone acetate on rut related behaviors, semen characteristics and fertility in farmed reindeer bulls

The effects of medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) on velvet antler cleaning, hypophagia, aggressive behavior and fertility were evaluated in farmed reindeer bulls during a 2-year study. Eight reindeer bulls aged 1–4 years were divided into 2 groups balanced for age. During each year, one group (MPA, n = 4) was treated with MPA 2 wk prior to the expected onset of rut while the other group (CTL, n = 4) served as untreated controls. Feed consumption, behavior and antler cleaning were recorded daily or 3 x weekly for 3 mo. Each year a dominant CTL and MPA bull were put into separate harems of estrous synchronized females for 1 wk in mid-September. Following harem breakup, semen was collected from all bulls via electroejaculation and evaluated. In Year 2 the bulls were switched such that year 1 MPA bulls received the CTL treatment and year 1 CTL bulls received MPA treatment. In Year 2 all eight bulls received MPA treatment/booster following semen collection. In both years, MPA treatment reduced rut associated body weight loss (p ≤ 0.05), rut associated hypophagia (p ≤ 0.001), interfered with velvet antler cleaning, and abolished aggressive rut related behavior. All of these changes suggest suppression of testosterone mediated effects. Alternatively, semen parameters differed little between treatment groups with the exception of reduced sperm concentration and total sperm production in MPA bulls (p ≤ 0.05). All CTL bulls in Year 2 exhibited full rut behavior with the dominant bull successfully breeding 100% of females available for breeding, suggesting no carryover effect of MPA treatment from the previous year. The MPA bull successfully bred 4 of 6 females (Year 1) but the MPA bull in Year 2 failed to sire any offspring. A single 400 mg treatment of MPA just prior to rut was sufficient to suppress rut associated aggression and hypophagia on a short-term (3 mo) basis. It did not however, completely suppress fertility.

Dietary boron supplementation enhances sperm quality and immunity through influencing the associated biochemical parameters and modulating the genes expression at testicular tissue

IntroductionDietary boron improves immune and antioxidant status and calcium metabolism in mammals. However, till date the effects of dietary boron supplementation on male reproduction, especially on sperm production and sperm quality in farm animals are not documented. ObjectiveThe present study was aimed to investigate the influence of dietary boron on semen production, semen quality, immunity and molecular changes in the testis, blood and seminal plasma and to assess the interrelationship with other minerals in male goats. MethodologyThe study was conducted in 21 adult male goats divided into 3 groups (control, boron and selenium supplemented groups, n = 7 each). In boron group, boron was supplemented at 40 ppm and in selenium group, selenium was supplemented at 1 ppm over and above the basal level. In control group, only the basal diet was fed without supplementary boron or selenium. The feeding trial was carried out for 60 days. Selenium was taken as a positive control for the dietary boron supplementation experiment. Following feeding trials, the sperm concentration, kinematics and functional attributes, immunity and molecular level changes in the testis, biomolecular changes in the blood and seminal plasma and also interrelationship with other minerals were studied. ResultsThe average sperm concentration (million/ml) and the total sperm production (million/ejaculate) were significantly (p < 0.05) increased in boron supplemented group when compared to selenium and control groups. The boron levels in blood plasma (r = 0.65) and seminal plasma (r = 0.54) showed a positive correlation with sperm progressive motility. Blood and seminal plasma metabolic biomarker namely, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (p < 0.01) was significantly lower in the boron and selenium supplemented group than control, while alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (p < 0.05) was significantly lower in the boron supplemented group than selenium and control group. There was a significant increase in the mRNA expression of serine proteinase inhibitor (SERPIN) and interferon γ (IFNγ) in the testis of boron supplemented than the control group. Boron supplementation up-regulated the immune-regulatory gene, interleukin 2 (IL2) and antioxidant gene, catalase (CAT) in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). On contrary, toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) mRNA expression was significantly (p < 0.05) down-regulated in boron and selenium supplemented groups. ConclusionThe study revealed that dietary boron supplementation increased the sperm output, sperm motility and enhanced the immune and antioxidant defense capacity in male goats. The improved semen quality can be attributed to enhanced expression of testicular SERPIN, a crucial protein for the regulation of spermatogenesis process.

Effects of dietary curcumin supplementation on seminal quality indices and fertility rate in broiler breeder roosters

ABSTRACT 1. Decreased semen quality is an underlying contributor to age-related subfertility in broiler breeder roosters. This study investigated the effects of dietary curcumin (derived from turmeric) supplementation as an antioxidant source on semen quality and fertility in broiler breeder roosters. 2. Twenty-eight Ross 308 roosters were randomly allotted to four groups with seven birds in each and were fed a standard diet supplemented with different levels of curcumin at 0 (C0), 10 (C10), 20 (C20) and 30 (C30) mg/bird per day from 48 through to 61 weeks of age. Body weight and semen quality traits were evaluated on a weekly basis and seminal concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA) as a measure of antioxidation status were quantified at one-week intervals during the first 11 weeks of the trial (48–59 weeks of age). Semen samples from last 2 weeks (60 and 61 weeks of age) were used to artificially inseminate to assess the sperm-egg penetration (SP) in perivitelline membrane and fertility rates. 3. Except for body weight and ejaculate volume, other characteristics, including semen concentration, total sperm production, progressive motility and plasma membrane integrity were linearly improved by the increasing levels of curcumin supplementation (P < 0.01). However, dietary curcumin levels were linearly and quadratically associated with decreased seminal concentration of MDA (P < 0.01 and P < 0.03), percentage of abnormal sperm (P < 0.01 and P < 0.07) and increased plasma membrane functionality (P < 0.01 and P < 0.04), respectively. The SP holes in perivitelline membrane were increased in a linear and quadratic manner in response to increasing levels of curcumin (P < 0.01). Moreover, fertility rate was linearly improved (P < 0.01) as the dosage of curcumin increased, and resulted in 8, 12 and 14% improvements in the birds fed C10, C20 and C30, compared to C0, respectively. 4. In conclusion, the results showed that increasing levels of dietary supplementation of curcumin was associated with beneficial effects on semen quality indices and fertility rate in aged broiler breeder roosters.

Impacts of residual feed intake and pre-natal diet on reproductive potential of bulls

Our objective was to determine effects of genetic potential for residual feed intake (RFI) and pre-natal diet on post-natal growth and reproductive development of bulls. Twenty-five bull calves with a divergent potential for RFI were produced by mating purebred Angus heifers (60) categorised as high or low RFI and inseminated with semen from high or low RFI bulls. From 30 to 150 days of gestation, half the heifers (balanced for RFI across treatments) in each RFI category were fed to gain 0.7 or 0.5 kg/day (~100% and 75% of recommended feed intake; designated normal- and low-diet, respectively). Birthweights of bull calves (n = 25) did not differ significantly among treatment groups (P ≥ 0.1). However, there was a tendency (P &amp;lt; 0.1) for a maternal diet*time interaction for bull weights, with bulls from low pre-natal diet fed heifers growing faster between 10 and 16 months of age than bulls from normal pre-natal diet fed heifers. Furthermore, high-RFI bulls had a larger scrotal circumference (P &amp;lt; 0.01) and attained puberty (P &amp;lt; 0.05) earlier than low-RFI bulls. Other testes measures, including paired testes volume, epididymal sperm reserves, daily sperm production and total sperm production, were not significantly different among treatment groups (P ≥ 0.1). High RFI bulls tended (P &amp;lt; 0.1) to have better average sperm motility than low RFI bulls. However, sperm morphology, viability and chromatin damage were not different (P ≥ 0.1). In summary, young beef bulls with low RFI had smaller testis, delayed onset of puberty (~1.7 months) and tended to exhibit lower progressive motility compared with high RFI bulls. Pre-natal diet had no direct influence on male reproductive development, nor did it interact with RFI of bulls.

Effects of increased levels of supplemental vitamins during the summer in a commercial artificial insemination boar stud

Heat stress due to increasing extremes in ambient temperature and humidity results in reduced semen quality in boars. This has caused reduced efficiency of the swine industry, requiring more boars to breed the same number of sows. Vitamins such as vitamin C (VC) and E (VE) have been shown to improve semen quality in boars. Recently, vitamin D has been shown to improve semen quality in boars. The purpose of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of increased supplemental vitamins on boar reproduction during the summer season in a commercial boar stud. One hundred and sixty Pig Improvement Company (PIC) terminal line boars (n = 32 per treatment) and 39 maternal, heat-sensitive boars (n = 7 or 8 per treatment) were randomly allocated to treatment and fed a corn and soybean meal-based diet adjusted based on individual boar body condition score. A control (CNT) diet was used that met PIC recommendations for boars. Increased supplementation of specific vitamins was given in the form of a top-dress and consisted of CNT wheat middlings, CNT plus VC (560 mg/day), CNT plus 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 (VD) (125 µg/day), CNT plus VE (275 mg/day) and CNT plus VC, VD and VE (CDE). The experiment was split into three periods based on maximum daily high temperatures in the barn, where period 1 was weeks 1 to 4, period 2 was weeks 5 to 11 and period 3 was weeks 12 to 14. Semen was collected from boars as needed using the stud’s normal production schedule and was analyzed for sperm quantity and quality characteristics. There were no dietary effects on semen volume, sperm concentration or total sperm production (P ≥ 0.553). Total motility of sperm was not impacted by diet (P = 0.115); although, VC tended (P = 0.064) to have a greater progressive motility than CDE. Percentages of morphologically normal sperm and normal acrosomes were not affected by dietary supplementation (P ≥ 0.157). Period effects were observed for most semen quality parameters, with quality generally becoming reduced over time. The present study demonstrates that increased supplementation of vitamins beyond PIC recommendations was not beneficial for boar reproduction during the summer.

Increasing saugeye (S. vitreus × S. canadensis) production efficiency in a hatchery setting using assisted reproduction technologies

Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) are used to increase fertilization rates in a number of animal species. However, their use with sauger (Sander canadensis), the paternal contributor in the production of the recreationally and economically important saugeye (Sander vitreus × S. canadensis), is limited. State fishery management agencies are periodically unable to meet saugeye production goals due to the inability to collect sufficient numbers of sauger broodstock, as well as a lack of protocols for standardized sperm use during production. Therefore, the need exists to overcome sauger sperm limitation during the saugeye production season using ARTs. Toward this end, we investigated the effect of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) on sperm production, determined an efficient sperm-to-egg ratio for fertilization, and validated the use of a densimeter to measure sauger sperm cell concentration for precise sperm addition during fertilization. The effect of hCG on sperm production was evaluated by comparing pre- and post-treatment milt parameters between fish treated with either hCG or saline (control). Treating fish with hCG increased sperm volume relative to saline controls (hCG 0.64 ± 0.19 mL/kg; control: 0.31 ± 0.05 mL/kg). However, sperm cell concentration and total sperm production were unaffected. To determine an efficient sperm-to-egg ratio, fresh milt from several individuals was pooled and used to fertilize walleye eggs at three sperm-to-egg ratios (20,000, 50,000, and 100,000 sperm/egg). The range of sperm-to-egg ratios used in this study did not significantly affect fertilization rates (20,000: 82.67 ± 3.38%, 50,000: 91.33 ± 2.67% and 100,000: 88.67 ± 3.44%). Lastly, by using linear regression to compare densimeter and hemocytometer estimates in serially diluted sperm we were able to accurately estimate hemocytometer estimates (R2 = 0.96, p < 0.05). In conclusion, our study provides tools and standards that can be implemented by hatchery staff to increase saugeye production efficiency and lay the foundation for using ART for sauger and other fish species.

Effect of carp pituitary homogenate (CPH) and sGnRHa (Ovaprim) on northern pike (Esox lucius) spermiation stimulation and its effect on quantity and quality of sperm

The effect of carp pituitary homogenate (CPH, n = 7) at a dose of 2.0 mg kg−1 and (D-Arg6, Pro9NET)-sGnRH + domperidone (Ovaprim, n = 7) at a dose of 0.5 ml kg−1 in northern pike (Esox lucius) sperm maturation under controlled conditions was examined. On the control group, 0.9% NaCl at a dose of 1.0 ml kg−1 (n = 7) was used. Sperm was collected 48 h following injection. Sperm quantity (total sperm volume, total sperm production and sperm concentration), sperm motility using the Computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) system and sperm and seminal plasma quality (sperm pH, seminal plasma osmotic pressure and seminal plasma pH) were determined for each male separately in each group. The results of the present study demonstrate that hormonal treatment had a positive effect on sperm maturation in northern pike, regardless of the hormonal preparation used. However, even though no differences were found in total sperm volume and total sperm production between fish injected with either CPH or Ovaprim, it should be highlighted that the highest progressive motile sperm (PRG), straight-linear velocity (VSL) and movement linearity (LIN) was noted in fish treated with Ovaprim. It was also found that it is possible to collect sperm from non-hormonally manipulated fish. However, in such a case, only a small sperm volume (around 0.1 ml) characterised by lowered PRG (below 40%) was noted. Considering the fact that only after Ovaprim application sperm motility with progressive movement of sperm above 50% was observed, the hatchery practice of collection of sperm 48 h after its application (at a dose of 0.5 ml kg−1) may be recommended.

146 In Utero Heat Stress Causes Reduced Testicular Area at Purberty, Reduced Total Sperm Production, and Increased Sperm Abnormalities in Boars.

146 In Utero Heat Stress Causes Reduced Testicular Area at Purberty, Reduced Total Sperm Production, and Increased Sperm Abnormalities in Boars.

In utero heat stress causes reduced testicular area at puberty, reduced total sperm production, and increased sperm abnormalities in boars

In utero stress has been shown to negatively affect intact male rats and mice, though very little research has been conducted in boars. The objectives of the present studies were to determine the effects of in utero heat stress (IUHS) on postnatal development and the response to postnatal heat stress of boars. Ten boars were selected at weaning from litters subjected to IUHS or in utero thermoneutral (IUTN) during 30–60 days of gestation. The boars were evaluated for reproductive performance from birth through 57 weeks of age (WOA). Testicular area tended to be smaller for IUHS boars compared to IUTN boars at 24 WOA (P = 0.080). Libido did not differ for IUHS or IUTN (P = 0.818). Total sperm production was reduced in IUHS boars compared to IUTN boars (P ≤ 0.038). Semen volume and semen concentration did not differ (P ≥ 0.469 and P ≥ 0.664, respectively). Total motility and progressive motility did not differ for IUHS and IUTN boars (P ≥ 0.430 and P ≥ 0.652, respectively). In utero heat stressed boars had a greater incidence of sperm with tail abnormalities than IUTN (P ≤ 0.042). In utero heat stressed boars had a lower incidence of sperm with proximal droplets following mild, postnatal heat stress compared with IUTN (P = 0.005). In utero heat stress resulted in significant reductions in sperm production and increased sperm abnormalities in boars. The IUHS boars may be slightly more tolerant to postnatal heat stress, though more research is needed.