title: Effects of reduced glutathione on acrosin activity in frozen-thawed boar spermatozoa.
abstract: In pigs, acrosin activity in extended semen is correlated with reproductive performance and has recently been identified as a freezability marker. Reduced glutathione (GSH) is known to decrease sperm cryodamage and increase the reproductive performance of frozen-thawed boar spermatozoa. However, the effects of GSH on the acrosin activity of good and poor freezability ejaculates (GFE and PFE, respectively) is yet to be examined. The present study investigated how supplementing cryopreservation media with GSH affected acrosin activity in GFE and PFE, as well as the relationship between acrosin activity and reproductive performance in frozen-thawed boar spermatozoa. In addition, we examined whether the increase in fertility rates and litter sizes observed after the addition of 2mM GSH to cryopreservation extenders was related to acrosin activity. Supplementing freezing media with 2mM GSH partially counteracted the cryopreservation-related decrease in acrosin activity in GFE but not PFE. Acrosin activity was found to be significantly correlated with in vivo reproductive performance of frozen-thawed boar semen. In conclusion, the effects of adding GSH to freezing extenders on the acrosin activity of frozen-thawed boar spermatozoa rely on the intrinsic freezability of the ejaculate. Furthermore, the maintenance of proper acrosin activity could contribute to the increase in reproductive performance mediated by GSH.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Animal Reproduction, Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona, E-08193 Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Efrén
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Estrada
authors.affiliation: Unit of Animal Reproduction, Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona, E-08193 Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Joan E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Gil
authors.affiliation: Unit of Animal Reproduction, Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona, E-08193 Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Maria M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Rivera Del Álamo
authors.affiliation: Unit of Animal Reproduction, Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona, E-08193 Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Peña
authors.affiliation: Unit of Animal Reproduction, Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona, E-08193 Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yeste
mesh_terms: D000176:Acrosin / Q000378:metabolism*; D000177:Acrosome / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D015925:Cryopreservation; D005260:Female; D005978:Glutathione / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008098:Litter Size / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D012662:Semen Preservation / Q000379:methods*; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000187:drug effects; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D000176:Acrosin; D005978:Glutathione