title: Direct contact between boar spermatozoa and porcine oviductal epithelial cell (OEC) cultures is needed for optimal sperm survival in vitro.
abstract: Oviductal epithelial cell (OEC) co-culture prolongs sperm viability and motility in vitro in a number of species including humans and horses. This study has sought to determine the effects of homologous OEC co-culture on boar sperm function. To determine whether the effects on spermatozoa were specifically caused by co-culture with or by OEC secretions, or by both factors together, a number of co-culture and cell-conditioned medium (CM) experiments were conducted. Firstly, Percoll-washed spermatozoa were co-cultured with OECs and pig kidney epithelial (LLC-PK1) cells, and in medium without cells. Secondly, Percoll-washed spermatozoa were incubated with CM derived from both OECs and LLC-PK1 cells and in unconditioned medium. A number of sperm function parameters were assessed after 5, 30, 60, 90, 120, and 180 min, and 24h of co-culturing or incubation with CM. Of all the sperm function parameters investigated, the percentage (%) viability data yielded the most interesting results. OECs (mean+/-S.E.M.; 31.2+/-1.10) were better than LLC-PK1 cells (24.3+/-0.93) at prolonging the viability of unbound spermatozoa after 24h of co-culturing (P<0.05). Also after 24h, the viability of spermatozoa bound to the OECs (77.6+/-1.83) was significantly higher than in the case of the LLC-PK1 cells (53.5+/-1.43; P<0.001). Other sperm function parameters, e.g., capacitation and motility, were also influenced by OEC co-culturing and incubation with CM, although to a lesser degree. In conclusion, porcine homologous OEC co-culture and CM incubation specifically affect sperm function. However, we propose that it is OEC co-culturing, rather than OEC-CM, that has the greater influence.
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology of Animal and Human Reproduction, Department of Biology, Institute of Food and Agricultural Technology, University of Girona, Campus Montilivi, s/n, Girona 17071, Spain. marc.yeste@udg.edu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yeste
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Lloyd
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Badia
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Briz
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bonet
authors.forename: W V
authors.initials: WV
authors.lastname: Holt
mesh_terms: D000177:Acrosome / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology*; D002470:Cell Survival; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D005187:Fallopian Tubes / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000502:physiology; D013075:Sperm Capacitation / Q000502:physiology; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000502:physiology; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D034421:Sus scrofa