title: Characterisation of movement pattern and velocities of stallion spermatozoa depending on donor, season and cryopreservation.
abstract: The aim of the study was to compare different types of movement pattern and velocities of stallion spermatozoa depending on cryopreservation during breeding and non-breeding season. Ejaculates were collected from four stallions during May (n = 24) and December (n = 24). Parameters of sperm movement were evaluated by computer-aided sperm analysis (CASA) system, and included percentages of motile spermatozoa, different patterns of motility, the velocity, linearity (LIN), amplitude of lateral head displacement (ALH) and beat-cross frequency (BCF). In winter the average percentages of motility were slightly higher compared to the breeding season in May (70.8 +/- 12.7% vs. 66.8 +/- 12.2%, respectively). Cryopreservation and thawing led to a significant decrease in the number of motile sperm to 11.3 +/- 5.8% in May and 15.6 +/- 7.0% in December. The pattern of motility was also changed. Detailed analysis by CASA demonstrated that cryopreservation resulted in a shift from the proportions of linear to more non-linear motile spermatozoa and to a significant increase of local motile and hyperactivated spermatozoa. Mean velocity of fresh motile spermatozoa differed between May and December (119.1 +/- 43.9 vs. 164.4 +/- 66.4 microm/sec, respectively; P < 0.05). Cryopreservation and thawing led to a slight increase of curvilinear velocity (VCL) and straight line velocity (VSL). The motility analysis has shown that the parameters BCF and ALH were highly correlated in stallion spermatozoa (r = -0.67; P < 0.001). The BCF of stallion spermatozoa was slightly reduced in the non-breeding season. Altogether, the influence of factors on the motility of stallion spermatozoa has the following rank order: cryopreservation (P < 0.0001) > stallion (P < 0.001) > season (P < 0.05).
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015925:Cryopreservation; D006736:Horses / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D012621:Seasons; D012662:Semen Preservation / Q000379:methods; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000502:physiology*