title: Glycerol decreases the integrity of the perinuclear theca in boar sperm.
abstract: We evaluated the effect of glycerol on the perinuclear theca (PT) of boar sperm. Samples from six ejaculates obtained from three different boars were incubated in the detergent Brij 36-T. Spermatozoa were treated with a glycerol concentration of either 2 or 4%, and incubated for 10 or 30 min; two other samples were treated with protease inhibitors (PI; leupeptin or an inhibitor commercial cocktail), mixed with 4% glycerol, and incubated for 30 min. A third glycerol-free group was used as the control. The samples were processed for electron microscopy evaluation. The PT remained intact in 78% of the control samples while, after addition of glycerol for 30 min, the proportion of spermatozoa with disrupted or absent PT increased (P < 0.05). PT was preserved in PI samples, but PT changes increased (P < 0.05). Differences due to treatment with glycerol (2 or 4%) at 10 or 30 min were not observed. These results show, to our knowledge for the first time, the adverse effect of glycerol on the integrity of the PT.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Morfología, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México D.F. C.P. 04510, México.
authors.forename: Marco Antonio
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Arenas Núñez
authors.forename: María de Lourdes
authors.initials: Mde L
authors.lastname: Juárez-Mosqueda
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gutiérrez-Pérez
authors.forename: Santiago René
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Anzaldúa Arce
authors.forename: Alejandro Córdova
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Izquierdo
authors.forename: Roberto Martínez
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: María Elena
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Trujillo Ortega
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D015925:Cryopreservation; D003451:Cryoprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005990:Glycerol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D012662:Semen Preservation; D013077:Sperm Head / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D003451:Cryoprotective Agents; D005990:Glycerol