title: Identification of suitable combinations of in vitro sperm-function test for the prediction of fertility in buffalo bull.
abstract: The present study assessed sperm functional characteristics in the frozen-thawed semen of buffalo bulls and estimated their relationship with field fertility. Frozen semen samples from three different freezing operations each from nine Murrah buffalo bulls were used for the assessment of different sperm functions related to fertilizing potential. Bulls were classified into high (n = 2), medium (n = 5), and low (n = 2) fertile based on adjusted field fertility. The sperm functions estimated included membrane integrity using carboxyfluorescein diacetate-propidium iodide, acrosome reaction status using fluorescein isothiocyanate peanut agglutinine, status of apoptosis using Annexin-V, protamine deficiency using Chromomycin A3, membrane stability using Merocyanine 540 and lipid peroxidation status using 4, 4-difluoro-4-bora-3a, 4a-diaza-s-indacene. The relationship between the proportion of live acrosome-intact spermatozoa and fertility was positive and significant (r = 0.59; P = 0.001). The proportion of moribund spermatozoa showed a significantly negative correlation with fertility (r = -0.50; P = 0.008). Similarly, the relationship of spermatozoa with unstable membrane (r = -0.51; P = 0.007), necrotic (r = - 0.42; P = 0.028), early necrotic (r = -0.42; P = 0.031), and apoptotic spermatozoa (r = -0.39; P = 0.046) with bull fertility was negative and significant. The correlation between the protamine-deficient spermatozoa and fertility was negative, but not significant. Among different combinations of tests, live acrosome-intact spermatozoa and lipid peroxidation status of spermatozoa revealed high positive correlation with buffalo bull fertility (adjusted R2= 0.73, C[p] = 0.80). These preliminary findings may help in developing tools for assessing fertility of buffalo bulls, once validated in more animals.
authors.affiliation: Theriogenology Lab, Animal Reproduction, Gynaecology & Obstetrics, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, India.
authors.forename: Raushan K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Theriogenology Lab, Animal Reproduction, Gynaecology & Obstetrics, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, India. Electronic address: ogkumaresan@gmail.com.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kumaresan
authors.affiliation: Theriogenology Lab, Animal Reproduction, Gynaecology & Obstetrics, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, India.
authors.forename: Shivani
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chhillar
authors.affiliation: Theriogenology Lab, Animal Reproduction, Gynaecology & Obstetrics, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, India.
authors.forename: Shailendra K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Rajak
authors.affiliation: Theriogenology Lab, Animal Reproduction, Gynaecology & Obstetrics, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, India.
authors.forename: Utkarsh K
authors.initials: UK
authors.lastname: Tripathi
authors.affiliation: Theriogenology Lab, Animal Reproduction, Gynaecology & Obstetrics, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, India.
authors.forename: Samiksha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nayak
authors.affiliation: Animal Biotechnology Centre, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, India.
authors.forename: T K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Datta
authors.affiliation: Artificial Breeding Research Centre, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, India.
authors.forename: T K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Mohanty
authors.affiliation: Dairy Economics, Statistics & Management Division, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, India.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Malhotra
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology; D002020:Buffaloes / Q000502:physiology*; D005298:Fertility / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D055101:Semen Analysis / Q000662:veterinary*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Buffalo bull; Fertility prediction; Fluorescent probes; Sperm-function test