Antibacterial defense and sperm quality in boar ejaculates

Area of Science:

• Animal Science
• Veterinary Medicine
• Microbiology

Background:

• Boar seminal plasma contains antimicrobial components.
• Understanding these components is crucial for boar fertility and disease prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize lysozyme concentration and bacterial killing activity (BKA) in Pietrain boar seminal plasma.
• To investigate the relationship between BKA, boar age, and sperm quality.

Main Methods:

• Assessed lysozyme concentration in seminal plasma from 119 Pietrain boars.
• Evaluated BKA against E. coli and S. aureus.
• Correlated BKA with boar age and sperm parameters (thermo-resistance, morphology, mitochondrial activity).

Main Results:

• Lysozyme concentration averaged 2.4 μg/ml.
• Over 80% of boars showed BKA against E. coli, S. aureus, or both.
• BKA against E. coli was associated with older boars (P < 0.001).
• Spermatozoa thermo-resistance was lowest in boars without BKA (P = 0.002).
• Lysozyme concentration varied based on BKA profiles (P < 0.05).
• Group with BKA against E. coli only showed reduced sperm morphology and mitochondrial activity.

Conclusions:

• Boar seminal plasma possesses significant BKA against common bacterial pathogens.
• Age-related variance in BKA against E. coli is observed in boar semen.
• BKA is linked to distinct sperm quality characteristics, warranting further investigation into underlying molecular mechanisms.