Seminal plasma aids the survival and cervical transit of epididymal ram spermatozoa.

Seminal plasma purportedly plays a critical role in reproduction, but epididymal spermatozoa are capable of fertilisation following deposition in the uterus, calling into question the biological requirement of this substance. Through a combination of direct observation of spermatozoa in utero using probe-based Confocal Laser Endomicroscopy, in vivo assessment of sperm fertility and in vitro analysis of various sperm functional parameters, this study investigated the role of seminal plasma in spermatozoa transit through the cervix of the ewe. Following deposition in the cervical os, epididymal spermatozoa previously exposed to seminal plasma displayed an enhanced ability to traverse the cervix as evidenced by both significantly higher pregnancy rates and numbers of spermatozoa observed at the utero-tubal junction when compared with epididymal spermatozoa not previously exposed to seminal plasma. The beneficial effect of seminal plasma on sperm transport was clearly localised to transit through the cervix as pregnancy rates of spermatozoa deposited directly into the uterus were unaffected by exposure to seminal plasma. This phenomenon was not explained by changes to sperm motion characteristics, as seminal plasma had no effect on the motility, kinematic parameters or mitochondrial membrane potential of spermatozoa. Rather, in vitro testing revealed that seminal plasma improved the ability of epididymal spermatozoa to penetrate cervical mucus recovered from ewes in oestrus. These results demonstrate that the survival and transport of ram spermatozoa through the cervix of the ewe is not linked to their motility or velocity but rather the presence of some cervical penetration trait conferred by exposure to seminal plasma.

Motility of liquid stored ram spermatozoa is altered by dilution rate independent of seminal plasma concentration.

The fertility after use of liquid stored ram semen following cervical AI rapidly decreases if semen is stored beyond 12h. The dilution of seminal plasma is often cited as a key contributor to the diminished motility and fertility of ram spermatozoa subjected to liquid preservation. Two experiments were conducted to assess the effect of spermatozoa concentration (i.e. dilution rate) and percentage of seminal plasma on the motility and viability of liquid stored ram spermatozoa. In Experiment 1, semen was diluted to one of seven concentrations ranging from 0.2 to 1.4×10(9)spermatozoa/ml with milk and assessed for motility after 3 or 24h of storage at 15°C. In Experiment 2, semen was collected and washed to remove seminal plasma before re-dilution to 0.2-1.4×10(9)spermatozoa/ml with milk containing 0%, 20% or 40% (final v/v ratio) seminal plasma and assessed for viability and motility after 3 or 24h of storage at 15°C. Whereas motility was not affected by spermatozoa concentration after 3h of storage, the proportion of progressive spermatozoa decreased after 24h of storage when spermatozoa concentration was greater than 1.0×10(9)spermatozoa/ml. The duration of preservation and the spermatozoa concentration affected spermatozoa motility but had no impact on spermatozoa viability. This negative effect of greater spermatozoa concentrations on motility was independent of the presence and the concentration of seminal plasma. The seminal plasma at both concentrations (20% and 40%) had a protective effect on spermatozoa motility after 24h of storage. These findings have the potential to improve the efficiency of cervical AI with liquid stored ram semen.

The identification of proteomic markers of sperm freezing resilience in ram seminal plasma.

The source and composition of seminal plasma has previously been shown to alter the ability of spermatozoa to survive cryopreservation. In the present study, the ionic and proteomic composition of seminal plasma from rams with high (HSP; n = 3) or low (LSP; n = 3) freezing resilient spermatozoa was assessed. 75 proteins were identified to be more abundant in HSP and 48 proteins were identified to be more abundant in LSP. Individual seminal plasma proteomes were established for each of the six rams examined. For each ram, correlations were conducted between previously recorded freezing resilience [1] and individual spectral counts in order to identify markers of freezing resilience. 26S proteasome complex, acylamino acid releasing enzyme, alpha mannosidase class 2C, heat shock protein 90, tripeptidyl-peptidase 2, TCP-1 complex, sorbitol dehydrogenase and transitional endoplasmic reticulum ATPase were found to be positively correlated (r(2) > 0.7) with freezing resilience. Cystatin, zinc-2-alpha glycoprotein, angiogenin-2-like protein, cartilage acidic protein-1, cathepsin B and ribonuclease 4 isoform 1 were found to be negatively correlated (r(2) > 0.7) with freezing resilience. Several negative markers were found to originate from the accessory sex glands, whereas many positive markers originated from spermatozoa and were part of or associated with the 26S proteasome or CCT complex.

A prospective study of changes on nutritional patterns 6 months before and 18 months after retirement.

To present results from a two year prospective study on diet, 6 months before and 18 months after retirement. The studied population exhibited an increase in social and physical activities over time after retirement. A significant decrease in weight was found in men 18 months after retirement. Retired individuals reported taking more time for breakfast. 45.5% of retired individuals, compared to 25.5% before retirement, took more than 30 minutes for lunch than before retirement. The amount of dietary nutrients consumed remained the same before and after retirement. However, retired individuals ate out more often, and had guests more frequently. Nutrients' distribution is similar before and after retirement. Given a life expectancy of more than 20 years after retirement, it is necessary to initiate nutritional intervention.

Ram seminal plasma proteome and its impact on liquid preservation of spermatozoa.

Seminal plasma is composed of secretions from the epididymis and the accessory sex glands and plays a critical role in the fertilising ability of spermatozoa. In rams, analysis of seminal plasma by GeLC-MS/MS has allowed the identification of more than 700 proteins, including a high abundance of Binder of Sperm family proteins (BSP1, BSP5, SPADH1, SPADH2), the spermadhesin family (bodhesin2), lactoferrin and newly identified proteins like UPF0762 (C6orf58 gene). When spermatogenesis was stopped by scrotal insulation, changes in the proteome profile revealed the sperm origin of 40 seminal proteins, such as glycolysis pathway enzymes, the chaperonin containing TCP1 (CCT) complex and the 26S proteasome complex. Sperm mobility after liquid preservation (24h in milk at 15°C) is male dependent and can be correlated to differences in the seminal plasma proteome, detected by spectral counting. The negative association of zinc alpha-2 glycoprotein (ZAG) with semen preservation was confirmed by the use of recombinant human ZAG, which induced an increase in mobility of fresh sperm, but then decreased sperm mobility after 24h of incubation. Several sperm membrane proteins interacting with the cytoskeleton, glycolysis enzymes and sperm-associated proteins involved in capacitation correlated with better liquid storage and can be considered as seminal biomarkers of sperm preservation. BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Extensive analysis of the ram seminal plasma proteome reveals a complex and diverse protein composition. This composition varies between males with different sperm preservation abilities. Several proteins were shown to originate from the spermatozoa and positively correlate with sperm liquid preservation, indicating that these proteins can be traced as sperm biomarkers within the seminal plasma. The zinc alpha-2 glycoprotein (ZAG) was found to have a biphasic effect on sperm mobility, with a short-term stimulation followed by a long-term exhaustion of sperm mobility after a 24h preservation period.