title: Dietary n-6:n-3 ratio and Vitamin E improve motility characteristics in association with membrane properties of boar spermatozoa.
abstract: This study was aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary n-6:n-3 ratio and Vitamin E on the membrane properties and motility characteristics of spermatozoa in boars. Forty Duroc boars were randomly distributed in a 2 × 2 factorial design with two n-6:n-3 ratios (14.4 and 6.6) and two Vitamin E levels (200 and 400 mg kg-1 ). During 16 weeks of treatment, fresh semen was collected at weeks 0, 8, 12, and 16 for measurements of motility characteristics, contents of fatty acids, membrane properties (membrane fluidity and membrane integrity), and lipid peroxidation of the spermatozoa. The semen was diluted in Beltsville Thawing Solution (BTS) extender and stored at 17°C, and the sperm motility was assessed at 12, 36, 72, and 120 h of storage. The 6.6 n-6:n-3 dietary ratio increased the contents of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and improved the membrane integrity and membrane fluidity of the spermatozoa, resulting in notably increased total motility, sperm progressive motility, and velocity parameters of fresh semen. Feeding diet with Vitamin E (400 mg kg-1 ) prevented sperm lipid peroxidation, and resulted in higher total motility and sperm progressive motility in fresh and liquid stored semen. In conclusion, the adjustment of n-6:n-3 ratio (6.6) and supply of Vitamin E (400 mg kg-1 ) successfully improved sperm motility characteristics and thus may be beneficial to the fertility of boars, which might be due to the modification of the physical and functional properties of spermatozoa membrane in response to dietary supplementation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Yuan-Fei
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Run-Jia
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Hong-Kui
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, P. R. China.|The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan 430070, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan 430070, P. R. China.|Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education and Key Laboratory of Swine Genetics and Breeding of Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Si-Wen
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Jiang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D004032:Diet; D004041:Dietary Fats; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019787:Linoleic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D008560:Membrane Fluidity / Q000187:drug effects; D011897:Random Allocation; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000187:drug effects*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D034421:Sus scrofa; D013552:Swine; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014815:Vitamins / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6; D014815:Vitamins; D014810:Vitamin E; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D019787:Linoleic Acid; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid