Submicroscopic mathematical evaluation of spermatozoa in assisted reproduction. 4. The bovine fertilization (Notulae...

In this paper we apply a modification of the formula of Baccetti et al. (1995) in the evaluation of submicroscopical characteristics of bull spermatozoa used in assisted reproduction. In the present experiment sperm quality is proposed as a useful parameter in predicting the success of fertilization. Our results demonstrate that the percentage of spermatozoa devoid of submicroscopic defects, according to the particular Bayesan formula proposed by us, is clearly correlated with the result of artificial insemination. In fact, the parameter concerning sperm quality obtained in variously successful donors shows a large correlation with fertility power. The synthetic parameters observed are therefore a good tool in the prediction of sperm power in artificial fertilization. The evaluation is mainly concerned with the quality of the acrosomal characters, the status of the chromatin, the shape of mitochondria, the position of the postacrosomal sheath, the perinuclear space and the axonemal pattern. All these characters are expressed with different means in ejaculates. All these data confirm that submicroscopic-mathematical evaluation offers a convincing and reliable diagnosis based upon sperm structure and functions such as acrosomal reaction and cell motility. It has been also demonstrated that sperm quality is a major factor in the success of artificial insemination and it is clearly revealed in the integrity of most of sperm organelles.