Nickel seminal concentrations in various animals and correlation to spermatozoa quality

In this study, the concentration of nickel in stallion, bull, ram, boar and fox semen, and its relation with spermatozoa quality was analyzed. The concentration of nickel in semen was 0.20 mg kg(-1) in stallion, 0.12 mg kg(-1) in bull, 0.31 mg kg(-1) in ram, 0.06 mg kg(-1) in boar and 0.36 mg kg(-1) in fox. Seminal nickel concentration was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in foxes than that in bulls and significantly higher (P < 0.01) in rams and foxes in comparison with boars. Evaluation of total pathological spermatozoa revealed the highest number in stallions followed by rams, bulls, boars and foxes. In bull, ram and boar semen, separated flagellum, flagellum torso and knob-twisted flagellum were predominant. Knob-twisted flagellum, separated flagellum and flagellum torso were found in increased number in stallion semen and broken flagellum in fox semen. Correlation analysis in bulls indicated a high positive correlation between seminal nickel and separated flagellum (r = 0.76) and medium positive correlation between nickel and flagellum torso (r = 0.62), and in rams a high positive correlation between nickel and separated flagellum (r = 0.77). Medium positive correlation was found between nickel and separated flagellum (r = 0.43) and between nickel and other pathological spermatozoa (r = 0.45) in boars.