Effect of Glutathione Supplementation to Semen Extender on Post-thawed Rooster Sperm Quality Indices Frozen After Different Equilibration Times
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Published on: January 28, 2018
M Zhandi1, E Seifi-Ghajalo2, M Shakeri2
1Department of Animal Science, Faculty College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran. mzhandi@ut.ac.ir.
Background:
Avian sperm is susceptible to lipid peroxidation, compromising their fertility. The semen antioxidant system protects sperm plasma membrane against reactive oxygen species.
Objective:
The study evaluates the effect of glutathione (GSH) addition to semen extender during different equilibration times (ET) on rooster sperm cryopreservation.
Materials And Methods:
Semen samples are weekly collected from 60-week-old broiler breeder roosters. Collected samples were pooled and divided to six equal parts and frozen according to a randomized design (2 × 3 factorial arrangement). Treatments included adding two levels of GSH [0 (GSH-0) or 1 (GSH-1) mM] to semen extender during three ET: 0 (ET-0), 4 (ET-4) or 8 (ET-8) hours. Post-thawed motility and velocity parameters, apoptotic like changes, plasma membrane functionality, and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) were evaluated.
Results:
Post-thawed total motility is improved in the GSH-1 compared to the GSH-0 group (P<0.10). Total motility responded quadratically to increasing levels of ET such that the highest value is recorded at ET-0. Although progressive motility (PM) is not affected by GSH or ET, the highest PM is obtained in the GSH-1×ET-0 group (P<0.05). The VAP and STR is improved in the GSH-1 compared to GSH-0 group; however, VAP decreases quadratically, and STR decreases linearly as ET is advanced (P<0.05). The interactive effect of GSH by ET tends (P<0.08) to affect the wobble coefficient (WOB), such that the highest value is recorded in the GSH-1×ET-0 group. Within both GSH supplemented and control groups, the amplitude of lateral head displacement (ALH) is highest (P<0.05) in the ET-0 group. The percentage of live spermatozoa quadratically decreases and the percentage of dead sperm quadratically increases in response to graded levels of ET (P<0.01). The highest plasma membrane functionality is also noted in the GSH-1×ET-0 group (P<0.05). Mitochondrial membrane potential quadratically decreases in response to increasing levels of ET (P<0.05).
Conclusion:
Generally, GSH supplementation to rooster sperm extender has some beneficial effects on post-thawed sperm motion characteristics, but does not positively interact with ET.
