Nickel seminal concentrations in various animals and correlation to spermatozoa quality.

This research explores the concentrations of nickel present in the semen of various animal species (stallion, bull, ram, boar, and fox) and investigates how this mineral correlates with the quality of their sperm. The findings suggest that higher nickel levels may be linked to abnormalities in sperm structure in these animals.

Overview of the Research

• The study began by analyzing the concentrations of nickel in the semen of various animals such as stallions, bulls, rams, boars, and foxes. The average measure of nickel varied widely among these animals, which ranged from 0.06 mg kg(-1) in boars to 0.36 mg kg(-1) in foxes.
• The researchers also conducted an assessment of total pathological spermatozoa — sperm that are abnormal in structure — across these species. They found the highest number of these abnormal sperms in stallions, followed by rams, bulls, boars, and foxes.

Findings on Sperm Abnormalities and Nickel Concentration

• Some specific types of sperm abnormalities were primarily associated with certain animals. For instance, the semen from bulls, rams, and boars predominantly featured sperm abnormalities like a separated flagellum (the ‘tail’ of the sperm), a distorted flagellum, and knob-twisted flagellum. Stallions also exhibited these abnormalities in higher numbers.
• Fox semen, on the other hand, had a higher proportion of broken flagellum.

Correlations between Nickel and Sperm Abnormalities

• The researchers then investigated whether there was a correlation between the levels of nickel found in semen and the prevalence of abnormal spermatozoa. They found varying levels of positive correlation across different animals and different types of abnormalities.
• High positive correlation was found between seminal nickel and a separated flagellum in both bulls (r=0.76) and rams (r=0.77), indicating the higher levels of nickel may be associated with this particular abnormality.
• In bulls, there was also a moderate positive correlation between nickel concentrations and a distorted flagellum (r=0.62).
• In rams, the link with nickel was less clear, with a medium positive correlation between nickel and separated flagellum (r=0.43) and between nickel and other pathological spermatozoa (r=0.45).

Conclusions

• Overall, this research suggests that nickel, a mineral present to varying degrees in the semen of different animals, may play a role in the structuring of spermatozoa. Higher levels of nickel appear to be linked with an increased prevalence of certain types of sperm abnormalities, which may have implications for the reproductive health and fertility of these animals.