Single layer colloid centrifugation technique improves motility, viability and chromatin integrity of ram spermatozoa after thawing.

The cell membrane of ram spermatozoa is more sensitive to the freezing process than in other species due to its composition. As a result, the quality and viability of frozen thawed ram spermatozoa are often poor, which together with the specific structure of the ewe's cervix are the main reasons for lower fertility in ewes after intracervical insemination. In the present study we investigated the effects of semen centrifugation through a single layer of a species-specific colloid (Androcoll-O) on post-thaw quality of ram spermatozoa. Motility, viability and morphology were analysed 0, 6, 12 and 24 h after thawing. DNA fragmentation index (%DFI) of the samples was assessed 0 h after thawing, by SCSA™. Membrane and acrosome integrity of spermatozoa were analysed by Sybr-14/PI/PNA test 0 h after thawing. The proportion of motile spermatozoa was significantly higher in SLC - selected samples in comparison to control (not SLC - selected) samples at 0, 6, 12 (P < 0.001) and 24 h (P < 0.05). The proportion of viable spermatozoa was also significantly higher in SLC - selected samples in comparison to control samples at all times (P < 0.001). The proportion of abnormal acrosomes and morphologically abnormal spermatozoa (MAS) were significantly lower in SLC - selected samples compared to control samples at all times (P < 0.001). Analysis of chromatin stability revealed significantly lower %DFI values in SLC - selected samples compared to control samples (P < 0.001). The SYBR-14/PI/PNA test also revealed significantly better values in SLC - selected compared to control samples (P < 0.05). In conclusion, single layer colloid centrifugation significantly improved post-thaw quality and longevity of ram spermatozoa, making it suitable for artificial insemination initiatives.

Production of piglets with sexed semen employing a non-surgical insemination technique.

The aim of the present study was to ascertain whether multiparous sows could successfully be inseminated with sexed semen non-surgically. Spermatozoa were stained with Hoechst 33342 and separated flowcytometrically in X- and Y-chromosome bearing sperm populations employing the Beltsville Sperm Sexing Technology (BSST). After weaning, estrus was induced in sows with PMSG and hCG. Animals were inseminated once per estrus non-surgically with a specially designed catheter into the tip of the uterine horn, employing 50x10(6) of either sexed or non-sexed spermatozoa diluted in 2 ml Androhep. Pregnant sows were allowed to go to term. Mean pregnancy rate from inseminations with unsexed spermatozoa was 54.5% whereas inseminations with sexed spermatozoa resulted in 33.3% pregnant sows. All but one piglet born after insemination with sexed semen were of the predicted sex. The sex of those piglets born after inseminations with non-sexed spermatozoa was 61.1% for male and 38.9% for female sex. It is concluded that non-surgically inseminations with flowcytometrically sexed spermatozoa can be conducted successfully.

Freezability of equine semen after glass beads column separation.

REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY: The success rate of artificial insemination following the freezing of stallion semen is limited; therefore, improving the stallion semen quality after the freezing and thawing process is a necessary objective. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the influence of glass bead column separation on the freezability of stallion semen. HYPOTHESIS: Glass beads in a column separator remove damaged and dead spermatozoa in the ejaculate during centrifugation. METHODS: In total, 50 ejaculates from 6 Lipizzaner stallions were studied. Each ejaculate was divided into 2 parts, one half processed following standard procedure and the second half used for the column separation procedure. After freezing, semen quality was evaluated using standard tests for motility, morphology and viability of semen. RESULTS: Motility and progressive motility of the column-separated (CS) semen were significantly higher (P < 0.001) before freezing and immediately, 24 and 48 h after thawing. A significant increase (P < 0.001) in the percentage of hypoosmotic positive spermatozoa was observed in CS samples. The percentage of total morphological changes in the separated samples before and after freezing was significantly lower (P < 0.001) compared with samples prepared using the standard procedure. A substantial decrease (P < 0.001) was found in the percentage of spermatozoa with damaged acrosomes. However, the percentage of spermatozoa with coiled tails was increased in the separated samples (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Column separation before freezing has a positive effect on the quality of thawed equine semen. POTENTIAL RELEVANCE: The quality of CS frozen/thawed samples indicates their potential use for increasing insemination success in mares.

Reduction of oxidative stress in bovine spermatozoa during flow cytometric sorting.

The goal of the study was to investigate the effect of antioxidant supplementation on the quality of frozen-thawed flow cytometrically sorted bull spermatozoa. Twelve ejaculates from two Holstein Friesian bulls were sorted according to the Beltsville Sperm Sexing Technology. Each ejaculate was divided into three parts and processed as (i) unsorted controls, (ii) according to a standard sorting protocol and (iii) in the presence of different antioxidants (S-AO). Cooling and freezing of the samples were performed in the same way for all three groups, except that antioxidants were added to the TRIS-egg-yolk freezing extender for those semen samples that were already sorted in the presence of antioxidants. The semen quality in frozen-thawed samples was determined by morphology analysis immediately after thawing, motility estimation in a thermo-resistance test after 0, 6, 12 and 24 h incubation at 37 degrees C and Fluorescein isothiocyanate conjugated PNA/propidium iodide (FITC-PNA/PI) staining after 0, 12 and 24 h of incubation at 37 degrees C. There was a significantly higher (p < 0.05) percentage of motile spermatozoa in S-AO samples in comparison to unsorted frozen-thawed control at 0, 6 and 24 h after thawing and compared with normally sorted samples at all times after thawing. The percentage of damaged acrosomes was significantly lower (p < 0.05) in S-AO samples than in the unsorted controls (20.8 +/- 6.9% vs 30.3 +/- 12.0%). The percentage of morphologically abnormal spermatozoa in this group was significantly lower (p < 0.05) than in the unsorted controls and normally sorted samples (25.8 +/- 5.2%, 36.0 +/- 12.5% and 35.1 +/- 7.4%, respectively). Analysis of frozen-thawed spermatozoa with FITC/PI revealed no significant difference in membrane integrity at 0 and 12 h after sorting, but after 24 h of incubation the S-AO samples had a significantly higher (p < 0.001) percentage of spermatozoa with intact membranes in comparison to unsorted controls and normally sorted semen (40.7 +/- 6.3%, 7.8 +/- 4.7% and 7.4 +/- 4.6%, respectively). The percentage of acrosome-reacted spermatozoa was significantly lower (p < 0.05) in the S-AO samples than in the unsorted controls (14.1 +/- 7.5%, 23.4 +/- 5.4% and 28.8 +/- 6.3% vs 25.9 +/- 14.4%, 38.5 +/- 16.7% and 79.8 +/- 4.1%, for 0, 12 and 24 h after thawing, respectively) and in comparison to normally sorted semen 24 h after thawing (67.3 +/- 10.0%). This study demonstrates the highly protective effects of antioxidants on the quality of flow cytometrically sorted frozen-thawed bull spermatozoa.

Insemination with sex sorted fresh bovine spermatozoa processed in the presence of antioxidative substances.

Flow cytometrically sex sorted spermatozoa are reduced in their fertilizing capacity, particularly when stored either in cooling extender or after freezing in liquid nitrogen. So far, preservation methods for sorted spermatozoa have differed only marginally from procedures used for unsorted semen. In the present study, a TRIS extender was modified to balance major cell damage caused by the sorting process and by liquid storage of the sorted spermatozoa. The new extender, containing a combination of antioxidants (AO) and bovine serum albumin (BSA), significantly increased the lifespan and fertilizing capacity of sex sorted spermatozoa. No significant differences were observed between unsorted controls and sorted samples for motility and status of sperm membranes as tested by fluorescein-isothiocyanat-peanut agglutinin/propidium iodide (FITC-PNA/PI). Acrosome integrity of spermatozoa was significantly better when semen was stored at 15 degrees C for 24 and 48 h in an extender containing AO with or without BSA as compared with controls (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences, in pregnancy rates of heifers inseminated at a natural oestrus, between unsorted controls (16/24, 66.7%) and both sorted groups (AO + BSA: 18/31, 58.1% and AO-BSA: 12/22, 54.5%). Additionally, it was shown for the first time that artificial insemination (AI) with liquid sexed bull spermatozoa stored for 72 h after sorting can result in pregnancy rates similar to AI with non-sorted semen.

Establishment of a pregnancy following intravaginal insemination with epididymal semen from a dog castrated due to benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia was diagnosed in an American Staffordshire Terrier of high breeding value presenting concurrent haematuria. Castration as a treatment was synchronized with the oestrus cycle of a bitch selected for insemination. After castration the cauda epididymis was flushed with Gent semen extender and collected spermatozoa were filtered and analysed by Hamilton Thorn computer assisted sperm analysis. A total of 7 ml semen containing 742 x 10(6) spermatozoa with 76.5% mean motility was used for insemination. Intravaginal insemination of the bitch was performed with an insemination catheter for dogs (Kruuse, Marslev, Denmark) on the day when plasma progesterone levels reached 9.9 ng/ml. Normal pregnancy without complications resulted in eight live-born puppies 63 days after insemination. This is the first report of a normal pregnancy and birth of puppies from a bitch inseminated with epididymal semen obtained from a dog affected by benign prostate hyperplasia.

First established pregnancies in Mediterranean Italian buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) following deposition of sexed spermatozoa near the utero tubal junction.

At the time of AI following Ovsynch protocol, a total of 51 buffaloes were randomly divided in a first group (n = 30) subjected to conventional AI into the uterine body with 20 million non-sex sorted frozen-thawed spermatozoa, while a second group (n = 21) was inseminated near the utero-tubal junction (UTJ) ipsilateral to the ovary carrying the preovulatory follicle with 2.5 million live (4 million total) sex-sorted frozen-thawed spermatozoa. The semen used for flowcytometric sorting was collected and processed on a farm in Italy, and then shipped to a laboratory in Germany. Eleven buffaloes were inseminated with X-chromosome bearing spermatozoa and 10 with Y-chromosome bearing spermatozoa. Conception rates after conventional and UTJ inseminations were 43.3% (n = 13) and 42.8% (n = 9) respectively (p = 0.97). Eight of the nine foetuses obtained after insemination with sexed spermatozoa corresponded to the sex as predicted by the cell sorting procedure (five male and four female foetuses by ultrasound vs six male and three female foetuses by cell sorting). In conclusion, for the first time buffalo semen has been successfully subjected to procedures for flowcytometric sperm sorting and freezing. Low doses of sexed spermatozoa have been deposited near the UTJ giving conception rates similar to those of conventional AI with full dose.