Fertility of frozen-thawed stallion semen cannot be predicted by the currently used laboratory methods |
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Authors: | P Kuisma M Andersson E Koskinen T Katila |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Clinical Veterinary Sciences, University of Helsinki, 04920 Saarentaus, Finland;(2) Department of Animal Sciences, University of Helsinki, PL 28, 00014 Helsingin yliopisto, Finland |
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Abstract: | The aim of the project was to use current simple and practical laboratory tests and compare results with the foaling rates
of mares inseminated with commercially produced frozen semen. In Exp. 1, semen was tested from 27 and in Exp. 2 from 23 stallions;
19 stallions participated in both experiments. The mean number of mares per stallion in both experiments was 37 (min. 7, max.
121). Sperm morphology was assessed and bacterial culture performed once per stallion. In Exp. 1, progressive motility after
0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 h of incubation using light microscopy, motility characteristics measured with an automatic sperm analyzer,
plasma membrane integrity using carboxyfluorescein diacetate/propidium iodide (CFDA/PI) staining and light microscopy, plasma
membrane integrity using PI staining and a fluorometer, plasma membrane integrity using a resazurin reduction test, and sperm
concentration were evaluated. In Exp. 2, the same tests as in Exp. 1 and a hypo-osmotic swelling test (HOST) using both light
microscopy and a fluorometer were performed immediately after thawing and after a 3-h incubation. Statistical analysis was
done separately to all stallions and to those having ≥ 20 mares; in addition, stallions with foaling rates < 60 or ≥ 60% were
compared. In Exp. 1, progressive motility for all stallions after a 2 – 4-h incubation correlated with the foaling rate (correlation
coefficients 0.39 – 0.51), (p < 0.05). In stallions with > 20 mares, the artificial insemination dose showed a correlation
coefficient of -0.58 (p < 0.05). In Exp. 2, the HOST immediately after thawing showed a negative correlation with foaling
rate (p < 0.05). No single test was consistently reliable for predicting the fertilizing capacity of semen, since the 2 experiments
yielded conflicting results, although the same stallions sometimes participated in both. This shows the difficulty of frozen
semen quality control in commercially produced stallion semen, and on the other hand, the difficulty of conducting fertility
trials in horses. |
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