Validation of the sperm mobility assay in boars and stallions.
Abstract: The sperm mobility assay used in the present study measures the rate of sperm penetration in a biologically inert cell-separation solution (Accudenz). When a sample of sperm is overlaid in a cuvette containing Accudenz, sperm penetrate the solution and absorbance of the sample can be measured with a spectrophotometer. This assay has been successfully used to select chicken and turkey semen donors. We validated this assay for semen from boars and stallions. Absorbance was measured after overlaying fresh semen from each species in prefilled cuvettes for 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 40 min. There were no significant differences when sperm were incubated in prewarmed cuvettes at 37, 39, or 41 degrees C. However, a minimum concentration of 5x10(7) viable sperm/mL was needed to evaluate the rate of sperm penetration in boars. Absorbance was half-maximal at 5.4 and 14.1 min for boar and stallion sperm, respectively. Frequency analysis suggested a normal distribution of mobility values for boar sperm. There were positive correlations between mobility values and several computer-aided sperm analysis (CASA) parameters. In addition, there was medium repeatability for multiple ejaculates from single males. We concluded that the mobility assay can be used for mammalian sperm and there seemed to be phenotypic variation among boars in mobility estimates.
Publication Date: 2006-04-27 PubMed ID: 16644000DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2006.02.048Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
- Validation Study
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 the validation of a sperm mobility assay, a test that measures the penetration rate of sperm into a lab-based cell-separation solution, for use with boar and stallion semen.
Validation of the Sperm Mobility Assay
The sperm mobility assay measures the speed at which sperm penetrate a biologically inert cell-separation solution, named Accudenz. In this experiment, the researchers applied this assay to boar and stallion semen.
- They began by overlaying semen from boars and stallions on prefilled cuvettes of Accudenz at different time intervals: 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 40 minutes.
- The absorbance level was then measured using a spectrophotometer, a device that quantitatively measures the reflection or transmission properties of a material as a function of wavelength.
- There were no significant changes when sperm were placed in preheated cuvettes at temperatures of 37, 39, or 41 degrees Celsius.
Sperm Concentration and Absorbance
The researchers discovered that a minimum concentration of 5×10(7) viable sperm/mL was necessary to accurately gauge the penetration rate of boar sperm, indicating the importance of sperm count on the process.
- The absorbance levels reached half-maximum at different times for boar and stallion sperm, calculated to be 5.4 minutes and 14.1 minutes respectively.
- The results suggest that the mobility values for boar sperm are normally distributed, based on a frequency analysis they performed.
Correlation and Repeatability
The findings also suggest a correlation between mobility values and several parameters defined by computer-aided sperm analysis (CASA).
- CASA is a means of measuring the functional attributes of semen to assess fertility, so this correlation may indicate that sperm mobility is a useful measure in fertility studies.
- Additionally, there was a moderate amount of repeatability for multiple samples taken from the same male, which means the assay can yield consistent results from the same individual over time.
Conclusion
The researchers concluded that the sperm mobility assay might be a useful tool for evaluating mammalian sperm. They also noted that there seems to be phenotypic variation among boars in their mobility estimates, which could have important implications for selective breeding.
Cite This Article
APA
Vizcarra JA, Ford JJ.
(2006).
Validation of the sperm mobility assay in boars and stallions.
Theriogenology, 66(5), 1091-1097.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.theriogenology.2006.02.048 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Texas Tech University, Animal and Food Sciences, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA. jorge.vizcarra@ttu.edu
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Horses / physiology
- Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
- Male
- Reproducibility of Results
- Sensitivity and Specificity
- Species Specificity
- Spectrophotometry / methods
- Spectrophotometry / veterinary
- Sperm Count / veterinary
- Sperm Motility / physiology
- Swine / physiology
- Temperature
- Time Factors
Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Krohn J, Fischer D, Schneider H, Failing K, Lierz M, Ehling C, Wehrend A. Modification and Clinical Application of the Inner Perivitelline Membrane Test in Different Avian Species. Vet Sci 2019 Apr 12;6(2).
- Almubarak A, Kim E, Yu IJ, Park H, Jeon Y. The Effect of κ-Carrageenan on Porcine Sperm Cryo-Survival. Animals (Basel) 2024 May 6;14(9).
Use Nutrition Calculator
Check if your horse's diet meets their nutrition requirements with our easy-to-use tool Check your horse's diet with our easy-to-use tool
Talk to a Nutritionist
Discuss your horse's feeding plan with our experts over a free phone consultation Discuss your horse's diet over a phone consultation
Submit Diet Evaluation
Get a customized feeding plan for your horse formulated by our equine nutritionists Get a custom feeding plan formulated by our nutritionists
