title: Variation of rabbit sperm physiologic parameters after the X-ray exposure.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the impact of X-irradiation on the morpho-functional characteristics of rabbit spermatozoa and the contents of fructose, L-carnitine, α-tocopherol, ascorbate and citrate in the animal sperm.
  
  
  METHODS
  The total body irradiation of rabbits (Soviet Shinchilla) was performed at the RUM-17 device in the dose range of 1.0-7.0 Gy with 2.8·10-3 Gy/sec intensity. The animal sperm was collected by the artificial vagina and then separated on seminal plasma and spermatozoa through centrifugation. Sperm concentration, motility, morphology and linear velocity were identified using the "MBI-6" light microscope. The quantitative determination of ascorbate, α-tocopherol and L-carnitine in seminal plasma was made on the "Agilent 1200" liquid chromatograph, while the concentration of fructose and citrate was measured on a spectrophotometer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The X-ray irradiation was shown to cause a dose-dependent suppressing effect on the prostate, seminal vesicles and epididymices expresed through the decreased content of fructose, citrate, L-carnitine, α-tocopherol and ascorbate in a rabbit sperm. Simultaneously the exacerbation of morphologic anomalies (damage of acrosomes, heads and tails) in spermatozoa along with spermatozoid motility and linear velocity decrease were elucidated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The run-time pattern of morpho-functional changes in spermatozoa together with component content of rabbit sperm in response to the total body irradiation was studied. Consequently the dose dependent raise of morphologic anomalies (damage of acrosomes, heads and tails) in spermatozoa and the slowing of spermatozoid linear velocity was found out. The sperm capacity to fulfill the post-radiation recovery was proven up. The effectiveness of the latter was shown to be dependent upon the radiation dose absorbed and the duration of post-irradiation period.
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Klepko
authors.forename: L V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Gorban
authors.forename: O A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Motryna
authors.forename: Y A
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Kondratova
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Chernyshov
authors.forename: S V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Andreychenko
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D008297:Male; D011817:Rabbits; D013076:Sperm Count; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000528:radiation effects; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D014916:Whole-Body Irradiation; D014965:X-Rays / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants
keywords: L-carnitine; ascorbate; citrate; fructose; rabbits; seminal plasma; spermatozoa; total irradiation