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The impact of percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration on sperm quality in mice
Lisa Windhofer1, Auke Boersma1, Maik Dahlhoff1
1Institute of in vivo and in vitro Models, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Abstract:
In laboratory mice, sperm quality is usually assessed in spermatozoa collected from the cauda epididymidis of freshly sacrificed males. Percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration (PESA) is a non-terminal alternative that would allow repeated sperm collection for sperm quality assessment in living males. To test whether PESA is a suitable method to assess sperm quality, we compared sperm traits between samples collected by PESA vs the commonly applied terminal cauda epididymidis dissection. The collected sperm samples were analyzed using computer-assisted sperm analysis and various parameters, including sperm motility, swimming velocity and morphology, were determined. We were able to retrieve motile sperm from all mice using PESA and the terminal cauda epididymidis dissection. Based on computer-assisted sperm analysis, however, sperm motility and swimming velocity were significantly lower after PESA compared to samples obtained by cauda epididymidis dissection. In addition, we found significantly more morphological abnormalities in PESA samples, probably induced as a side effect of the sampling technique. Although sperm samples collected by PESA are successfully used for in vitro fertilization, we cannot recommend PESA as a suitable method to assess sperm quality in mice, since the procedure seems to impair various sperm traits.
Lay Summary:
In mice, sperm quality is usually assessed in sperm collected from the epididymis (organ where ripe sperm is stored) of euthanized males. However, there is one non-terminal and minimal invasive alternative to collect sperm, called percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration (PESA), which allows repeated sample collections from the same individual. Given that individual sperm quality is variable and can change according to various factors, PESA could allow to track sperm quality over time and would be highly appreciated in different research fields. Here, we tested the suitability of PESA to determine sperm quality by comparing sperm samples collected by PESA vs the commonly applied terminal epididymis dissection. We used computer-assisted sperm analysis to determine various sperm quality traits. Surprisingly, we found that sperm collected by PESA showed significantly reduced motility, swimming velocity and more morphological abnormalities compared to sperm samples collected by epididymis dissection. Thus, we cannot recommend PESA as a suitable method to determine sperm quality traits as the procedure itself seems to affect collected sperm cells.
Insights
Percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration (PESA) in mice yields viable sperm but impairs motility and morphology. This method is not recommended for assessing sperm quality due to procedural effects on sperm traits.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive biology
- Laboratory animal science
- Sperm analysis
Background:
- Sperm quality assessment in mice typically involves terminal dissection of the cauda epididymis.
- Percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration (PESA) offers a non-terminal alternative for repeated sperm collection from living mice.
- Assessing the suitability of PESA for sperm quality evaluation is crucial for advancing research involving longitudinal studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the quality of sperm collected via PESA with that obtained through traditional terminal epididymis dissection in laboratory mice.
- To determine if PESA is a reliable method for assessing key sperm parameters such as motility, velocity, and morphology.
Main Methods:
- Sperm samples were collected from laboratory mice using both PESA and terminal cauda epididymis dissection.
- Computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) was employed to evaluate sperm motility, swimming velocity, and morphology.
- Statistical analysis was performed to compare sperm traits between the two collection methods.
Main Results:
- Motile sperm were successfully retrieved from all mice using both PESA and terminal dissection.
- Sperm samples obtained via PESA exhibited significantly lower motility and swimming velocity compared to those from terminal dissection.
- PESA samples showed a higher incidence of sperm morphological abnormalities, likely due to the aspiration technique.
Conclusions:
- While PESA allows for repeated sperm collection from living mice, it negatively impacts sperm motility, velocity, and morphology.
- The procedural effects of PESA on sperm traits preclude its recommendation as a method for accurate sperm quality assessment in mice.
- Further research may be needed to refine PESA techniques or explore alternative non-terminal methods for reliable sperm evaluation in vivo.
