1.Effects on the quality of frozen-thawed alpaca (Lama pacos) semen using two different cryoprotectants and extenders.
Alexei SANTIANI ; Wilfredo HUANCA ; Rómúlo SAPANA ; Teodosio HUANCA ; Néstor SEPÚLVEDA ; Raúl SÁNCHEZ
Asian Journal of Andrology 2005;7(3):303-309
AIMTo evaluate two extenders and two cryoprotectant agents (CPA) for alpaca semen cryopreservation.
METHODSSemen samples were obtained from four adult alpacas (Lama pacos) and frozen using extender I (TRIS, citrate, egg yolk and glucose) or extender II (skim milk, egg yolk and fructose), each containing either glycerol (G) or ethylene glycol (EG) as CPA. Consequently, four groups were formed: 1) extender I-G; 2) extender I-EG; 3) extender II-G; and 4) extender II-EG. Semen was diluted in a two-step process: for cooling to 5 degrees (extenders without CPA), and for freezing (extenders with CPA). Viability and acrosome integrity were assessed using trypan blue and Giemsa stains.
RESULTSWhen compared, the motility after thawing was higher (P >0.05) in groups II-EG (20.0% +/- 6.7%) and II-G (15.3 % +/- 4.1% ) than that in groups I-G (4.0 % +/- 1.1%) and I-EG (1.0 % +/- 1.4%). Viable spermatozoa with intact acrosomes in groups II-EG (18.7 % +/- 2.9%) and II-G (12.7 % +/- 5.9%) were higher than that in groups I-G (5.7% +/- 1.5%) and I-EG (4.0% +/- 1.0%).
CONCLUSIONThe skim milk- and egg yolk-based extenders containing ethylene glycol or glycerol to freeze alpaca semen seems to promote the survival of more sperm cells with intact acrosomes than the other extenders.
Animals ; Camelids, New World ; Cryoprotective Agents ; administration & dosage ; Freezing ; Male ; Semen ; Semen Preservation ; Sperm Motility
2.A decrease of docosahexaenoic acid in testes of mice fed a high-fat diet is associated with impaired sperm acrosome reaction and fertility.
Julio BUNAY ; Luz-Maria GALLARDO ; Jorge Luis TORRES-FUENTES ; M Verónica AGUIRRE-ARIAS ; Renan ORELLANA ; Néstor SEPÚLVEDA ; Ricardo D MORENO
Asian Journal of Andrology 2021;23(3):306-313
Obesity is a major worldwide health problem that is related to most chronic diseases, including male infertility. Owing to its wide impact on health, mechanisms underlying obesity-related infertility remain unknown. In this study, we report that mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for over 2 months showed reduced fertility rates and increased germ cell apoptosis, seminiferous tubule degeneration, and decreased intratesticular estradiol (E2) and E2-to-testosterone ratio. Interestingly, we also detected a decrease in testicular fatty acid levels, behenic acid (C22:0), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3), which may be related to the production of dysfunctional spermatozoa. Overall, we did not detect any changes in the frequency of seminiferous tubule stages, sperm count, or rate of in vitro capacitation. However, there was an increase in spontaneous and progesterone-induced acrosomal exocytosis (acrosome reaction) in spermatozoa from HFD-fed mice. These data suggest that a decrease in E2 and fatty acid levels influences spermatogenesis and some steps of acrosome biogenesis that will have consequences for fertilization. Thus, our results add new evidence about the adverse effect of obesity in male reproduction and suggest that the acrosomal reaction can also be affected under this condition.