Effect of season on individual stallion semen characteristics.
Abstract: Horses are long-day seasonal breeding animals, however, with modern stallion reproductive management it is important for collection of semen during periods that are not part of the traditional breeding season. This study was conducted to examine variation in the seminal characteristics of individual stallions in Avila, Spain during 1 year with a particular emphasis on sperm DNA fragmentation. Semen was collected twice per season from a total of 20 stallions. There was a marked seasonal effect on all seminal characteristics, with the greatest on progressive motility, % membrane integrity and least for SDF in the spring months; there was also an interaction effect with respect to individual stallion, indicating that some stallions did not fit this generalised pattern for semen quality. Sperm DNA fragmentation was assessed both immediately after semen collection (T0) and following incubation of extended semen for 24 h (T24) to broadly mimic changes in SDF that might occur in the female reproductive tract. While SDF evaluated at T0 was also generally less in spring, the proportion of stallions with the least SDF values in spring increased from 45% to 60% when assessed at T24, therefore, being consistent with the importance of dynamic SDF assessment in detecting DNA damage that was not detected at T0 or cryptic DNA damage. The results from this study indicate there is individual seasonal variation among stallions in all aspects of seminal characteristics; such variation needs to be considered when prioritising stallions that are to be used for breeding.
Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2020-11-01 PubMed ID: 33160762DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2020.106641Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The research article investigates how the change in seasons affects various seminal characteristics in stallions, specifically focusing on sperm DNA fragmentation. It provides insights that could be important for modern stallion reproductive management, suggesting that all aspects of seminal characteristics can vary seasonally among different individuals.
Objective of the Study
- The aim of the study was to examine the difference in seminal features of individual stallions throughout different seasons of the year, particularly emphasizing on the sperm DNA fragmentation.
Methodology
- The research was carried out in Avila, Spain, over a period of one year.
- During this time, semen was collected twice every season from a total of 20 stallions.
- The immediate effects on sperm DNA fragmentation were assessed right after semen collection (T0), and following the incubation of the extended semen for a 24-hour period (T24), to understand how sperm DNA fragmentation might change within the female reproductive tract.
Findings
- The results of the study showed that all seminal characteristics, especially progressive motility and membrane integrity, were distinctly influenced by the change in seasons. These characteristics were most prominent during the spring months.
- A surprising discovery was an interaction effect with respect to individual stallions, indicating that the semen quality of some stallions did not follow the general pattern observed.
- Assessment of Sperm DNA fragmentation showed that the percentage of stallions with the least SDF values increased from 45% to 60% when assessed at T24. This implies the presence of undetected or cryptic DNA damage and reinforces the significance of comprehensive SDF assessment.
Conclusion
- The study concludes that there is a significant variation in all seminal characteristics, including sperm DNA fragmentation, among stallions with the change in seasons.
- This discovery is important to consider when choosing stallions for breeding, as it suggests that the season in which semen is collected could have consequential impacts on the subsequent breeding success.
Cite This Article
APA
Crespo F, Wilson R, Díaz-Jimenez M, Consuegra C, Dorado J, Barrado BG, Gosálvez J, Smit RL, Hidalgo M, Johnston S.
(2020).
Effect of season on individual stallion semen characteristics.
Anim Reprod Sci, 223, 106641.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anireprosci.2020.106641 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Centro Militar de Cría Caballar de Ávila, Cría Caballar de las Fuerzas Armadas, Ávila, 05005, Spain.
- School of Mathematics and Physics, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, Australia.
- Veterinary Reproduction Group, Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, 14071, Spain.
- Veterinary Reproduction Group, Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, 14071, Spain.
- Veterinary Reproduction Group, Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, 14071, Spain.
- Veterinary Reproduction Group, Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, 14071, Spain.
- Department of Biology, Genetics Unit, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM) 20849. Madrid, Spain.
- School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, Gatton, 4343, Australia.
- Veterinary Reproduction Group, Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, 14071, Spain.
- School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, Gatton, 4343, Australia. Electronic address: s.johnston1@uq.edu.au.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Horses / physiology
- Male
- Seasons
- Semen / physiology
- Semen Analysis / veterinary
Citations
This article has been cited 9 times.- Gosálvez J, Fernández CL, Bartolomé-Nebreda J, de la Vega CG. Sperm DNA Fragmentation: The Concept and Its Use in Assisted Reproduction. Adv Exp Med Biol 2026;16:275-311.
- Ullah A, Chen W, Shi L, Wang M, Geng M, Na J, Akhtar MF, Khan MZ, Wang C. Challenges and Enhancing Strategies of Equine Semen Preservation: Nutritional and Genetic Perspectives. Vet Sci 2025 Aug 25;12(9).
- Shakeel M, Yoon M. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor and neurotrophic tyrosine receptor kinase-2 in stallion testes: insights into seasonal changes and potential roles in spermatogenesis. J Anim Sci Technol 2025 Jul;67(4):909-921.
- Dziekońska A, Szczepańska A, Wysokińska A. Effect of Season on the Characteristics of Warmblood Stallion Spermatozoa Stored in a Liquid State at 5 °C. Animals (Basel) 2025 Apr 3;15(7).
- Khan IU, Khairullah AR, Khan AY, Rehman AU, Mustofa I. Strategic approaches to improve equine breeding and stud farm outcomes. Vet World 2025 Feb;18(2):311-328.
- Singh M, Mollier RT, Kumar D, Katiyar R, Chamuah JK, Kumar S, Chaudhary JK, Deori S, Kalita H, Mishra VK. Temporal effect of flaxseed oil in boar's diet on semen quality, antioxidant status and in-vivo fertility under hot humid sub-tropical condition. Sci Rep 2024 Sep 17;14(1):21694.
- Al-Kass Z, Morrell JM. Freezing Stallion Semen-What Do We Need to Focus on for the Future?. Vet Sci 2024 Feb 2;11(2).
- Luño V, Martínez F, Muñoz A, Gil L. Effect of season on the dynamics of cat sperm DNA fragmentation. BMC Vet Res 2023 Aug 8;19(1):113.
- Ribas-Maynou J, Nguyen H, Valle R, Wu H, Yeste M, Ward WS. Sperm degradation after vasectomy follows a sperm chromatin fragmentation-dependent mechanism causing DNA breaks in the toroid linker regions. Mol Hum Reprod 2022 Aug 29;29(9).
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