Cholesterol-to-phospholipid ratio in whole sperm and seminal plasma from fertile stallions and stallions with unexplained subfertility.
Abstract: Semen samples were collected from six fertile stallions and seven stallions with unexplained infertility. Percentages of motile sperm (77.5 +/- 11.3 versus 67.5 +/- 12.2, P = 0.2), and progressively motile sperm (70.8 +/- 13.6 versus 60.7 +/- 14.0, P = 0.2) were similar between fertile and subfertile stallions, respectively. Morphologic characteristics in ejaculates of control and affected stallions (% normal: 60.2 +/- 18.2 versus 52.9 +/- 11.3, P = 0.4; % abnormal heads 7.3 +/- 4.8 versus 12.1 +/- 5.0, P = 0.11; and % abnormal acrosomes 1.6 +/- 2.1 versus 3.0 +/- 3.4, P = 0.4) did not differ. After incubation with the calcium ionophore A23187, acrosome reaction rate of sperm from fertile stallions was 96 +/- 2.8% whereas only 2.9 +/- 2.5% of sperm from stallions with unexplained subfertility had acrosome reacted (P 0.1) between fertile and subfertile stallions. However, the molar ratio of cholesterol-to-phospholipid was 2.5 times greater in the seminal plasma (P = 0.09) and 1.9 times greater (P = 0.009) in whole sperm of subfertile stallions compared to fertile stallions.
(c)2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2006-05-19 PubMed ID: 16713689DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2006.03.018Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The research article discusses a study conducted to compare the cholesterol-to-phospholipid ratio in sperm and seminal plasma from fertile horses and those suffering from unexplained infertility. It was observed that the cholesterol-to-phospholipid ratio was higher in both sperm and seminal plasma of subfertile stallions compared to the fertile ones.
Research Participants and Methods
- The study involved thirteen stallions as subjects – six were fertile and seven suffering from unexplained infertility.
- Semen samples were collected from these stallions for analysis.
Findings on Sperm Traits
- The research observed similar percentages of motile and progressively motile sperm across both fertile and subfertile stallions, indicating that fertility status didn’t significantly affect the mobility of the sperm.
- Morphological attributes such as the percentage of normal and abnormal sperm heads, and abnormal acrosomes between fertile and subfertile stallions did not show a significant difference.
Acrosome Reaction
- An astonishing difference was noted in the acrosome reaction of the sperm after incubation with the calcium ionophore A23187. The acrosome reaction rate of sperm from fertile stallions was significantly higher compared to that of subfertile stallions.
- This suggests a potential hindrance to fertilization in subfertile stallions, as the acrosome reaction is vital for the sperm to penetrate the egg.
Molar amounts of Cholesterol and Phospholipid
- No significant difference was found in the molar amounts of cholesterol and phospholipid in both whole sperm and seminal plasma between fertile and subfertile stallions.
Cholesterol-to-Phospholipid Ratio
- A prominent finding of the study was that the molar ratio of cholesterol-to-phospholipid was significantly higher in both the seminal plasma and whole sperm of subfertile stallions as compared to that of fertile stallions.
- This offers a potential metric for distinguishing between fertile and subfertile stallions.
Cite This Article
APA
Brinsko SP, Love CC, Bauer JE, Macpherson ML, Varner DD.
(2006).
Cholesterol-to-phospholipid ratio in whole sperm and seminal plasma from fertile stallions and stallions with unexplained subfertility.
Anim Reprod Sci, 99(1-2), 65-71.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anireprosci.2006.03.018 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States. sbrinsko@cvm.tamu.edu
MeSH Terms
- Acrosome Reaction / physiology
- Animals
- Cholesterol / metabolism
- Fertility / physiology
- Horses / physiology
- Male
- Phospholipids / metabolism
- Semen / chemistry
- Spermatozoa / chemistry
Citations
This article has been cited 11 times.- Gobato MLM, Segabinazzi LGTM, Scheeren VFC, Bandeira RS, Freitas-Dell'Aqua CP, Dell'Aqua JA Jr, Papa FO. Ability of donkey sperm to tolerate cooling: Effect of extender base and removal of seminal plasma on sperm parameters and fertility rates in mares. Front Vet Sci 2022;9:1011899.
- Tirpák F, Halo M, Tomka M, Slanina T, Tokárová K, Błaszczyk-Altman M, Dianová L, Ivanič P, Kirchner R, Greń A, Lukáč N, Massányi P. Sperm Quality Affected by Naturally Occurring Chemical Elements in Bull Seminal Plasma. Antioxidants (Basel) 2022 Sep 12;11(9).
- Schäfer-Somi S, Colombo M, Luvoni GC. Canine Spermatozoa-Predictability of Cryotolerance. Animals (Basel) 2022 Mar 15;12(6).
- Longobardi V, Kosior MA, Pagano N, Fatone G, Staropoli A, Vassetti A, Vinale F, Campanile G, Gasparrini B. Changes in Bull Semen Metabolome in Relation to Cryopreservation and Fertility. Animals (Basel) 2020 Jun 19;10(6).
- Pausch H, Kölle S, Wurmser C, Schwarzenbacher H, Emmerling R, Jansen S, Trottmann M, Fuerst C, Götz KU, Fries R. A nonsense mutation in TMEM95 encoding a nondescript transmembrane protein causes idiopathic male subfertility in cattle. PLoS Genet 2014 Jan;10(1):e1004044.
- Raudsepp T, McCue ME, Das PJ, Dobson L, Vishnoi M, Fritz KL, Schaefer R, Rendahl AK, Derr JN, Love CC, Varner DD, Chowdhary BP. Genome-wide association study implicates testis-sperm specific FKBP6 as a susceptibility locus for impaired acrosome reaction in stallions. PLoS Genet 2012;8(12):e1003139.
- Fayrer-Hosken R, Stanley A, Hill N, Heusner G, Christian M, De La Fuente R, Baumann C, Jones L. Effect of feeding fescue seed containing ergot alkaloid toxins on stallion spermatogenesis and sperm cells. Reprod Domest Anim 2012 Dec;47(6):1017-26.
- Wang M, Chen J, Lin K, Chen Y, Hu W, Tanguay RL, Huang C, Dong Q. Chronic zebrafish PFOS exposure alters sex ratio and maternal related effects in F1 offspring. Environ Toxicol Chem 2011 Sep;30(9):2073-80.
- Hernández-Avilés C, Ramírez-Agámez L, Weintraub ST, Scoggin CF, Davis BW, Raudsepp T, Varner DD, Love CC. Proteomic analysis of sperm from fertile stallions and subfertile stallions due to impaired acrosomal exocytosis. Sci Rep 2024 May 30;14(1):12446.
- Ligocka Z, Partyka A, Bonarska-Kujawa D, Mucha A, Niżański W. Addition of low concentration of cholesterol-loaded cyclodextrin (CLC) has a positive effect on cryopreserved canine spermatozoa evaluated by andrological and biophysical methods. BMC Vet Res 2024 Jan 3;20(1):7.
- García MF, Nuñez Favre R, Stornelli MC, Rearte R, García Mitacek MC, de la Sota RL, Stornelli MA. Relationship between semen quality and seminal plasma cholesterol, triacylglycerols and proteins in the domestic cat. J Feline Med Surg 2020 Oct;22(10):882-889.
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