Effect of pyruvate on the function of stallion spermatozoa stored for up to 48 hours.
Abstract: Stallion spermatozoa maintain high fertilizing capacity if cooled to 5 degrees C and inseminated within 24 h. However, if spermatozoa are stored for 48 h, fertilizing capacity declines. Therefore, multiple shipments of semen are often required to inseminate mares that remain in estrus for days. Therefore, experiments were designed to determine if adding antioxidants to stallion spermatozoa stored at 5 degrees C for 48 h could maintain motility and fertilizing ability. In the first experiment stallion spermatozoa were incubated in a skim milk (SM) or a skim milk-egg yolk medium in combination with 10 mM pyruvate, 5 mM xanthurenic acid separately or in combination for up to 48 h at 5 degrees C. Spermatozoa incubated in SM for 48 h exhibited higher percentages of motile sperm (57%) than did sperm incubated in skim milk-egg yolk (34%); antioxidant treatment had little effect. In the second experiment, spermatozoa were incubated in SM containing 0, 1, 2, or 5 mM pyruvate. After 24 h of incubation at 5 degrees C, sperm incubated with 1, 2, or 5 mM pyruvate exhibited higher percentages of progressively motile spermatozoa (45%) than control exhibited (26%; P 0.05). However, when incubated at 5 degrees C for 48 h and then incubated an additional 4 h at 25 degrees C, samples containing pyruvate exhibited higher percentages of motile (63 to 80%) and progressively motile (36 to 42%) sperm than did sperm in SM alone (28 and 5%, respectively; P < 0.05). The third experiment attempted to determine the optimal pyruvate concentration to maintain spermatozoal motility. Spermatozoa incubated with 0, 2, 3.5, or 5 mM pyruvate for 48 h at 5 degrees C and then an additional 4 h at 25 degrees C, exhibited similar percentages of progressively motile cells (31, 35, and 28%, respectively) that were higher than control (11%, P 0.05). These studies indicate that 2 mM pyruvate in SM was beneficial in maintaining spermatozoal motility in 48 h-stored sperm and, although not significant, seemed to help maintain the fertility of 48 h-cooled spermatozoa.
Publication Date: 2002-02-08 PubMed ID: 11831508DOI: 10.2527/2002.80112xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.
The research investigates the effect of incorporating pyruvate, an antioxidant, into the storage medium for stallion sperm cells. The aim is to prolong the period of efficacy of the sperm cells for fertilization beyond traditional storage times of 24 hours.
Objective of the Study
- The primary goal of this research study was to determine if including antioxidants, specifically pyruvate, with stallion spermatozoa held at a temperature of 5 degrees Celsius for 48 hours could maintain sperm motility and fertilizing capacity.
- This is in consideration that traditionally, these sperm cells can be effectively used for insemination for up to 24 hours when stored in the right conditions, and the effectiveness, particularly the motility and fertility, declines significantly if stored for up to 48 hours.
Methodology and Findings
- The experiment involved various trials with different conditions for sperm bathed in skim milk (SM), skim milk-egg yolk, with the addition of antioxidants like pyruvate and xanthurenic acid and varying the amount of pyruvate.
- Observations showed that the sperm cells stored in SM for 48 hours exhibited higher motility (57%) compared to those stored in a solution of skim milk-egg yolk (34%). The presence of antioxidants did not significantly alter these results.
- In another trial, it was noted that sperm cells bathed in SM along with varying concentrations of pyruvate (1, 2, or 5 mM) exhibited a higher percentage of sperm motility compared to controls (cells stored without pyruvate).
- Experiments also aimed to determine the optimal concentration of pyruvate that could maintain sperm motility for prolonged periods. Results indicated similar motility (around 30%) for cells stored with 2, 3.5, or 5 mM pyruvate, and all were significantly improved compared to the control.
Conclusion
- The observations made from these experiments reveal that the inclusion of 2 mM pyruvate in the storage medium (skim milk) proved beneficial for retaining sperm cell motility in samples stored for 48 hours.
- The study also hints at the maintaining of fertility in sperm cells stored for 48 hours, although this difference did not prove to be statistically significant.
- Therefore, it is suggested that adding pyruvate to the preservation medium of stallion sperm cells may extend the viability and fertility window beyond the traditional 24 hours limit.
Cite This Article
APA
Bruemmert JE, Coy RC, Squires EL, Graham JK.
(2002).
Effect of pyruvate on the function of stallion spermatozoa stored for up to 48 hours.
J Anim Sci, 80(1), 12-18.
https://doi.org/10.2527/2002.80112x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Animal Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins 805223, USA. bruemmer@lamar.colostate.edu
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Fertility / drug effects
- Horses / physiology
- Male
- Pyruvic Acid / pharmacology
- Semen Preservation / methods
- Semen Preservation / veterinary
- Sperm Motility / drug effects
- Spermatozoa / drug effects
- Spermatozoa / physiology
- Temperature
- Time Factors
- Xanthurenates / pharmacology
Citations
This article has been cited 4 times.- Gacem S, Mocé E, Gozalbo C, Albuixech-Benetó M, Esteve IC, Martínez-Talaván A, Silvestre MA. The Effects of Extender Energetic Substrate Type on Goat Sperm Stored at 17 °C. Biology (Basel) 2025 Jun 27;14(7).
- Becerro-Rey L, Martín-Cano FE, Silva-Rodríguez A, Ortega-Ferrusola C, da Silva-Álvarez E, Ortiz-Placín C, Tapia JA, Gil MC, Peña FJ. Stallion spermatozoa express LDH isoforms A, B, and C, with LDHC playing a crucial role in sustaining sperm viability. Reproduction 2025 Jul 1;170(1).
- Laoung-On J, Nuchniyom P, Intui K, Jaikang C, Saenphet K, Boonyapranai K, Konguthaithip G, Outaitaveep N, Phankhieo S, Sudwan P. The Potential Effect of Bualuang (White Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) Extract on Sperm Quality and Metabolomic Profiles in Mancozeb-Induced Oxidative Stress in Male Rats. Life (Basel) 2024 Dec 24;15(1).
- Rizkallah N, Chambers CG, de Graaf SP, Rickard JP. Factors Affecting the Survival of Ram Spermatozoa during Liquid Storage and Options for Improvement. Animals (Basel) 2022 Jan 20;12(3).
Use Nutrition Calculator
Check if your horse's diet meets their nutrition requirements with our easy-to-use tool Check your horse's diet with our easy-to-use tool
Talk to a Nutritionist
Discuss your horse's feeding plan with our experts over a free phone consultation Discuss your horse's diet over a phone consultation
Submit Diet Evaluation
Get a customized feeding plan for your horse formulated by our equine nutritionists Get a custom feeding plan formulated by our nutritionists
