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Archives animal breeding2020; 63(1); 145-154; doi: 10.5194/aab-63-145-2020

Seasonal variations in quantitative and qualitative sperm characteristics in fertile and subfertile stallions.

Abstract: Horses are seasonal breeders with a natural breeding season beginning in spring and extending through midsummer. In this study, quantitative and qualitative parameters of chilled stallion semen were compared between fertile and subfertile stallions and between the breeding and the non-breeding season. Semen quality parameters compared included ejaculate volume, sperm concentration, total sperm number, sperm morphology, and computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA)-derived sperm movement characteristics obtained from two groups of warmblood stallions ( ; four fertile stallions and four subfertile stallions), which differ in the seasonal pregnancy rate 80 %-90 % (fertile) vs. 40 %-60 % (subfertile). A total of 64 ejaculates were collected from the stallions ( ; four in the breeding season and four in the non-breeding season of each stallion). No significant differences in the semen quality parameters between the fertile and the subfertile stallions in the non-breeding season were observed. However, in the breeding season the proportion of morphologically normal sperm, total motility, progressive motility, average path velocity (VAP), and curvilinear velocity (VCL) were significantly higher in the fertile group ( ) when compared with the subfertile group. In addition, a significant seasonal variation in the proportion of morphological normal sperm was found in the fertile group between the breeding and the non-breeding season ( ). Moreover, significant seasonal variations ( ) in CASA parameters of mean VAP, straight line velocity (VSL), and beat-cross frequency (BCF) were observed in the fertile and the subfertile stallions, which tended to be lower in the non-breeding season. In conclusion, differences between the fertile and the subfertile stallions were observed only in the breeding season, and a few of CASA-derived parameters seemed to be significantly lower during the non-breeding season in both the fertile and the subfertile stallions.
Copyright: © 2020 Yara Suliman et al.
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Publication Date: 2020-05-14 PubMed ID: 32490150PubMed Central: PMC7256850DOI: 10.5194/aab-63-145-2020Google Scholar: Lookup
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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 article discusses a study that compared qualitative and quantitative sperm parameters between fertile and subfertile stallions during breeding and non-breeding seasons. It found that certain sperm quality parameters, like motility, morphology, and other movement characteristics, were significantly higher in fertile stallions during the breeding season. Seasonal variations were observed in both groups of stallions, with certain parameters being lower in the non-breeding season.

Methodology and Results

  • The researchers compared various semen quality parameters from two different sets of Warmblood stallions – one group consisting of four fertile stallions and another of four subfertile stallions. These groups had notably different pregnancy rates, with 80-90% for the fertile group and 40-60% for the subfertile one.
  • A total of 64 ejaculates were collected from these stallions across the breeding and non-breeding seasons – four per stallion in each season.
  • The parameters studied included ejaculate volume, sperm concentration, total sperm number, sperm morphology, and various features related to sperm movement as analyzed via computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA).
  • No significant differences were noted between the fertile and subfertile stallions in terms of semen quality during the non-breeding season.
  • However, during the breeding season, the fertile stallions showed a significantly higher proportion of morphologically normal sperm, increased total and progressive motility, and higher average path velocity (VAP) and curvilinear velocity (VCL) compared to the subfertile group.

Seasonal Variations and Conclusion

  • Interestingly, a significant seasonal variation was observed in the proportion of morphologically normal sperm within the fertile group – this parameter was higher during the breeding season.
  • Certain CASA-derived parameters like mean VAP, straight-line velocity (VSL), and beat-cross frequency (BCF) also showed significant seasonal variations in both fertile and subfertile stallions – these tended to be lower during the non-breeding season.
  • Overall, the study concluded that the key differences between fertile and subfertile stallions were predominately noticeable during the breeding season, with a few parameters exhibiting significant decreases during the non-breeding season for both groups.

Cite This Article

APA
Suliman Y, Becker F, Tuchscherer A, Wimmers K. (2020). Seasonal variations in quantitative and qualitative sperm characteristics in fertile and subfertile stallions. Arch Anim Breed, 63(1), 145-154. https://doi.org/10.5194/aab-63-145-2020

Publication

Archives animal breeding
ISSN: 2363-9822
NlmUniqueID: 101701238
Country: Germany
Language: English
Volume: 63
Issue: 1
Pages: 145-154

Researcher Affiliations

Suliman, Yara
  • Institute for Reproductive Biology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Wilhelm-Stahl-Allee 2, 18196 Dummerstorf, Germany.
Becker, Frank
  • Institute for Reproductive Biology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Wilhelm-Stahl-Allee 2, 18196 Dummerstorf, Germany.
Tuchscherer, Armin
  • Institute of Genetics and Biometry, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Wilhelm-Stahl-Allee 2, 18196 Dummerstorf, Germany.
Wimmers, Klaus
  • Institute for Genome Biology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Wilhelm-Stahl-Allee 2, 18196 Dummerstorf, Germany.
  • Professorship of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany.

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Citations

This article has been cited 7 times.
  1. Medica AJ, Lambourne S, Aitken RJ. Predicting the Outcome of Equine Artificial Inseminations Using Chilled Semen. Animals (Basel) 2023 Mar 30;13(7).
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  2. Boni R, Ruggiero R, De Luca F, Serritella ML, Di Palma T, Cecchini Gualandi S. Repeatability of Selected Parameters Related to Stallion Sperm Quality and Cryotolerance. Animals (Basel) 2025 Sep 26;15(19).
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  4. 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).
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