Individual male dependent improvement in post-thaw dromedary camel sperm quality after addition of catalase

Cryopreservation is stressful to sperm cells inducing an increase in the production of reactive oxygen species and subsequently reducing post-thaw sperm quality. With the present study, there was evaluation of the protective effects of two antioxidants, epigallocatechin (1 mM) and catalase (500 IU/ml), added at thawing, as well as inter-individual variation on quality of cryopreserved dromedary camel spermatozoa. Semen was collected from six males and sperm, selected using single layer centrifugation, were cryopreserved. Post-thaw sperm quality was evaluated by assessing motility variables, viability and acrosome integrity then sperm were co-incubated with or without antioxidant (control) and further assessed at 1.5 and 3 h of the incubation period. Oxidative damage was measured colorimetrically for malondialdehyde production at 3 h of the incubation period. With the use of epigallocatechin there were not promising results, however, with use of catalase there were greater total and progressive motility, and values for some kinematic variables (P<0.05) at both incubation time points, although there were some differences among males. There was no overall effect of antioxidant based on production of malonaldehyde. The capacity of thawed sperm to fertilize, with and without addition of catalase at thawing, was studied using artificial insemination (n = 10 per treatment) with no differences between treatments (10% for both). It is concluded that catalase supplementations to semen extender prolong sperm survival, however, there is no improvement of in vivo fertilization as a result of this supplementation. There was an obvious male effect, necessitating further studies to understand the mechanisms of action of catalase.