title: Exposure of rainbow trout milt to mercury and cadmium alters sperm motility parameters and reproductive success.
abstract: In the current work, seminal plasma was used for the first time as an incubation medium for monitoring short-time exposure effects of sublethal concentrations of mercury and cadmium ions on rainbow trout sperm. Sperm motility parameters (CASA) and hatching rates were used as gamete quality markers. Additionally live/dead sperm viability test and comet assay of DNA fragmentation were performed. We demonstrated that computer-assisted sperm motility analysis (CASA) may serve as a predictor of reproductive success, when milt contaminated with heavy metals is used. Results presented in this study demonstrate that mercury ions altered sperm motility characteristics at 1-10 mg Hg2+/l and 10 mg Cd2+/l and hatching rates at 10 mg Hg2+/l and 10 mg Cd2+/l after 4h of exposure. Although mercury ions affected sperm motility parameters immediately after dilution with milt as well as at 4h of exposure, no differences in sperm motility parameters were found between intact and mercury-treated milt after 24h of exposure. Our results suggest that rainbow trout seminal plasma has a protective role against the toxic effects of mercury ions of rainbow trout sperm motility.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gamete and Embryo Biology, Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Tuwima 10, 10-747 Olsztyn, Poland. dietrich@pan.olsztyn.pl
authors.forename: Grzegorz J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Dietrich
authors.forename: Mariola
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dietrich
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Kowalski
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dobosz
authors.forename: Halina
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Karol
authors.forename: Wiesław
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Demianowicz
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Glogowski
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002104:Cadmium / Q000633:toxicity*; D020552:Comet Assay; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008628:Mercury / Q000633:toxicity*; D017686:Oncorhynchus mykiss / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002104:Cadmium; D008628:Mercury