Effect of cooling and seminal plasma on the capacitation status of fresh boar sperm as determined using chlortetracycline assay.
Insemination of sows with frozen-thawed spermatozoa results in lower fertility, in part due to spermatozoa having undergone a capacitation-like reaction. The present study employed chlortetracycline (CTC) staining analysis to investigate the effect of adding 20% (v/v) boar seminal plasma (SP) to boar spermatozoa on the temporal progress of capacitation and the acrosome reaction in spermatozoa cooled to 5 degrees C or incubated at 39 degrees C. Based on CTC staining patterns, seminal plasma appeared to reverse capacitation in spermatozoa that had undergone capacitation while incubated at 39 degrees C in a capacitation-supporting medium from 59.7 to 36.6% capacitated (P<0.001). Similarly, the addition of SP to boar spermatozoa cooled to 5 degrees C resulted in both the prevention of the capacitation-like reaction, and the reversal of an established capacitation-like reaction from 63.3 to 34.2% capacitated (P<0.001). These observations indicated that some constituent(s) of boar SP both prevent spermatozoa from undergoing capacitation as well as reverse capacitation in spermatozoa that have already undergone the process.
Vadnais
Melissa L
ML
Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824-1314, USA.
Kirkwood
R N
RN
Tempelman
R J
RJ
Sprecher
D J
DJ
Chou
Karen
K
D020101:Acrosome Reaction; D000818:Animals; D002470:Cell Survival; D002751:Chlortetracycline; D003080:Cold Temperature; D008297:Male; D012661:Semen / Q000502:physiology*; D012662:Semen Preservation / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D013075:Sperm Capacitation; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000502:physiology; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D013552:Swine
D002751:Chlortetracycline