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Reproduction in domestic animals = Zuchthygiene2022; 58(1); 109-116; doi: 10.1111/rda.14270

Exploring the metabolome of seminal plasma in two different horse types: Light versus draft stallions.

Abstract: The application of the 'omics' studies in the field of animal reproduction has been aimed at identifying novel biomarkers of fertility since the last few years. When assessing reproductive efficiency in horses, breed should also be taken into account as it can influence semen quality and fertility. Considering the growing interest in metabolomic analysis to evaluate male fertility, we aimed to investigate the metabolomic profile of seminal plasma in two different horse breeds. Twelve healthy stallions, n.6 American Quarter Horse (AQH) and n.6 Italian Draft Horse (IDH) stallions, regularly used for artificial insemination, were included in the study. Two semen collections, performed 30-day apart, were considered for the assessment of semen parameters including gel-free volume, spermatozoa (spz) concentration, spz progressive motility and seminal plasma analysis by 1 H-NMR.Semen characteristics differed between IDH and AQH (p < .05) as well as the first cycle conception rate that was higher in AQH than IDH (p = .001). Metabolomic analysis quantified 56 molecules in equine seminal plasma, with 11 metabolites showing different concentrations in IDH compared to AQH (p < .05).This study provided evidence of differences in seminal plasma metabolites' concentrations between studied horse types, highlighting specific metabolomic fingerprints characterizing AQH and IDH sperm.
© 2022 The Authors. Reproduction in Domestic Animals published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.
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Publication Date: 2022-10-03 PubMed ID: 36151924PubMed Central: PMC10092496DOI: 10.1111/rda.14270Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

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The research aims to explore the metabolomic profile of seminal plasma in two different horse breeds to establish potential biomarkers of fertility. The study found noticeable differences in the concentrations of specific seminal plasma metabolites between American Quarter Horse and Italian Draft Horse stallions.

Research Details

  • The study was driven by the growing interest in utilizing metabolomic analysis in the assessment of male fertility, specifically among different breeds of horses. It follows previous research that suggests the breed of a horse could have an influence on its semen quality and fertility.
  • Twelve healthy stallions were used for the examination – 6 American Quarter Horse (AQH) and 6 Italian Draft Horse (IDH) stallions, which are used regularly for artificial insemination.
  • The examination involved two semen collection sessions, with a 30-day interval in between. The researchers considered several semen parameters, including gel-free volume, sperm concentration, sperm progressive motility, and seminal plasma analysis performed using Hydrogen Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (H-NMR).

Observations and Conclusions

  • The semen characteristics exhibited differences between the IDH and the AQH, such as varied levels of sperm concentration and motility. Also, the first cycle conception rate was noted to be higher in the AQH than the IDH.
  • The metabolomic analysis identified 56 molecules in the equine seminal plasma. Among these, 11 metabolites displayed different concentration levels in the IDH stallions when compared to the AQH stallions.
  • The researchers concluded that there are differences in the concentrations of seminal plasma metabolites between the two types of horses. These differences signify specific metabolomic fingerprints that characterize the semen of AQH and IDH.
  • This study shares useful insights for future research aimed at determining potential biomarkers of fertility in animals. It also provides a basis for further metabolomic analysis studies in different horse breeds for fertility evaluation.

Cite This Article

APA
Bazzano M, Zhu C, Laus F, Giambattista AD, Laghi L. (2022). Exploring the metabolome of seminal plasma in two different horse types: Light versus draft stallions. Reprod Domest Anim, 58(1), 109-116. https://doi.org/10.1111/rda.14270

Publication

Reproduction in domestic animals = Zuchthygiene
ISSN: 1439-0531
NlmUniqueID: 9015668
Country: Germany
Language: English
Volume: 58
Issue: 1
Pages: 109-116

Researcher Affiliations

Bazzano, Marilena
  • School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy.
Zhu, Chenglin
  • Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, Cesena, Italy.
Laus, Fulvio
  • School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy.
Giambattista, Andrea Di
  • School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy.
Laghi, Luca
  • Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, Cesena, Italy.

MeSH Terms

  • Male
  • Horses
  • Animals
  • Semen / metabolism
  • Semen Analysis / veterinary
  • Spermatozoa / metabolism
  • Sperm Count / veterinary
  • Sperm Motility
  • Semen Preservation / veterinary
  • Metabolome

Conflict of Interest Statement

None of the authors have any conflict of interest to declare.

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Citations

This article has been cited 2 times.
  1. Wen X, Bou G, He Q, Liu Q, Yi M, Ren H. Comprehensive Integrated Analyses of Proteins and Metabolites in Equine Seminal Plasma (Horses and Donkeys). Proteomes 2025 Jul 4;13(3).
    doi: 10.3390/proteomes13030033pubmed: 40700277google scholar: lookup
  2. Laus F, Bazzano M, Spaterna A, Laghi L, Marchegiani A. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Metabolomics: Current Applications in Equine Health Assessment. Metabolites 2024 May 7;14(5).
    doi: 10.3390/metabo14050269pubmed: 38786746google scholar: lookup
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