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Home / Equine Research Bank / PLoS One / Seminal lipid profiling and antioxidant capacity: A species ...
PloS one2022; 17(3); e0264675; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0264675

Seminal lipid profiling and antioxidant capacity: A species comparison.

Abstract: On their way to the oocyte, sperm cells are subjected to oxidative stress, which may trigger the oxidation of phospholipids (PL). Applying MALDI-TOF MS, HPTLC and ESI-IT MS, we comparatively analyzed the PL compositions of semen and blood of species differing in their reproductive systems and types of nutrition (bull, boar, stallion, lion and man) with regard to the sensitivity to oxidation as well as the accumulation of harmful lyso-PL (LPL), transient products of lipid oxidation. In addition, the protective capacity of seminal fluid (SF) was also examined. The PL composition of erythrocytes and blood plasma is similar across the species, while pronounced differences exist for sperm and SF. Since the blood function is largely conserved across mammalian species, but the reproductive systems may vary in many aspects, the obtained results suggest that the PL composition is not determined by the type of nutrition, but by the relatedness of species and by functional requirements of cell membranes such as fluidity. Sperm motion and fertilization of oocytes require a rather flexible membrane, which is accomplished by significant moieties of unsaturated fatty acyl residues in sperm lipids of most species, but implies a higher risk of oxidation. Due to a high content of plasmalogens (alkenyl ether lipids), bull sperm are most susceptible to oxidation. Our data indicate that bull sperm possess the most effective protective power in SF. Obviously, a co-evolution of PL composition and protective mechanisms has occurred in semen and is related to the reproductive characteristics. Although the protective capacity in human SF seems well developed, we recorded the most pronounced individual contaminations with LPL in human semen. Probably, massive oxidative challenges related to lifestyle factors interfere with natural conditions.
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Publication Date: 2022-03-08 PubMed ID: 35259184PubMed Central: PMC8903242DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0264675Google 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.

This research investigates how sperm cells, on their journey to the egg, are impacted by oxidative stress potentially leading to the oxidation of phospholipids. The study compares the sperm and blood of different species (bull, boar, stallion, lion and man) in relation to their sensitivity to oxidation, the accumulation of harmful lyso-PL, and the protective capacity of the seminal fluid. The results suggest that the phospholipid composition is determined by the relatedness of species and the functional requirements of cell membranes, not diet, and has evolved to protect against oxidation in tandem with reproductive characteristics.

Research Methodology

  • Applying Matrix-assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization-Time Of Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) and ElectroSpray Ionization – Ion Trap Mass Spectrometry (ESI-IT MS), the research team analyzed the phospholipid (PL) components of semen and blood samples taken from various species (bull, boar, stallion, lion and man).
  • These species were chosen due to differences in their reproductive systems and diets.
  • The team was particularly interested in studying the sensitivity of these samples to oxidation and the accumulation of harmful lyso-PL, which are transient products of lipid oxidation.

Investigating Seminal Fluid’s Protective Capacity

  • In addition to examining the phospholipid composition of semen and blood, the protective capacity of seminal fluid (SF) against oxidation was also analysed.

Findings on Phospholipid (PL) Composition

  • The research found that while the PL composition of red blood cells and blood plasma was similar across the studied species, there were pronounced differences in the PL compositions of sperm and seminal fluid.

Significance of Phospholipid Composition

  • Given that blood function is largely the same across mammalian species, while reproductive systems can vary greatly, this suggests that PL composition is more likely determined by species relatedness and particular functional needs of cell membranes (such as fluidity) rather than diet.
  • For instance, more fluid membranes, which are vital for sperm motility and egg fertilization, are achieved through increased amounts of unsaturated fatty acyl residues in sperm lipids; however, this also implies higher susceptibility to oxidation.

Specific Findings in Different Species

  • It was found that bull sperm, which contain a high content of plasmalogens (a type of alkenyl ether lipid), are most susceptible to oxidation. However, the study also found that bull sperm seem to possess the most effective antioxidative mechanisms in their seminal fluid.
  • This suggests that there is a co-evolution of PL compositions and antioxidative mechanisms in semen related to specific reproductive characteristics of each species.
  • Despite the apparent efficacy of antioxidative mechanisms in human seminal fluid, the most pronounced individual contaminations with harmful lyso-PL were found in human semen samples. This could be due to high oxidative stress from lifestyle-related factors.

Cite This Article

APA
Jakop U, Müller K, Müller P, Neuhauser S, Callealta Rodríguez I, Grunewald S, Schiller J, Engel KM. (2022). Seminal lipid profiling and antioxidant capacity: A species comparison. PLoS One, 17(3), e0264675. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0264675

Publication

PloS one
ISSN: 1932-6203
NlmUniqueID: 101285081
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 17
Issue: 3
Pages: e0264675
PII: e0264675

Researcher Affiliations

Jakop, Ulrike
  • Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany.
  • Institute for Reproduction of Farm Animals Schönow e. V., Bernau, Germany.
Müller, Karin
  • Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany.
Müller, Peter
  • Department of Biology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Neuhauser, Stefanie
  • Free University Berlin, Equine Clinic, Bad Saarow, Germany.
Callealta Rodríguez, Isabel
  • Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
Grunewald, Sonja
  • Department of Dermatology, Training Center of the European Academy of Andrology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
Schiller, Jurgen
  • Department of Dermatology, Training Center of the European Academy of Andrology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
Engel, Kathrin M
  • Department of Dermatology, Training Center of the European Academy of Andrology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
  • Faculty of Medicine, Institute for Medical Physics and Biophysics, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Antioxidants / metabolism
  • Cattle
  • Cell Membrane / metabolism
  • Horses
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mammals / metabolism
  • Oxidative Stress
  • Phospholipids / metabolism
  • Semen / metabolism
  • Spermatozoa / metabolism
  • Swine

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

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Citations

This article has been cited 2 times.
  1. Horta Remedios M, Liang W, González LN, Li V, Da Ros VG, Cohen DJ, Zaremberg V. Ether lipids and a peroxisomal riddle in sperm.. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023;11:1166232.
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  2. Li W, Mi S, Zhang J, Liu X, Chen S, Liu S, Feng X, Tang Y, Li Y, Liu L, Fang L, Zhang S, Yu Y. Integrating sperm cell transcriptome and seminal plasma metabolome to analyze the molecular regulatory mechanism of sperm motility in Holstein stud bulls.. J Anim Sci 2023 Jan 3;101.
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