Rosiglitazone in the thawing medium improves mitochondrial function in stallion spermatozoa through regulating Akt phosphorylation and reduction of caspase 3

• Published in: PloS one 2019-07, Vol.14 (7), p.e0211994-e0211994
• Main Authors: Ortiz-Rodriguez, José M, Balao da Silva, Carolina, Masot, Javier, Redondo, Eloy, Gazquez, Antonio, Tapia, José A, Gil, Cruz, Ortega-Ferrusola, Cristina, Peña, Fernando J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Activation; AKT protein; AKT1 protein; Ambient temperature; Animal reproduction; Animals; Apoptosis; Biology and Life Sciences; Biotechnology; Brain-derived neurotrophic factor; Caspase; Caspase 3 - metabolism; Caspase-3; Caspases; Criminal investigation; Cryopreservation; Cryopreservation - methods; Cryopreservation - veterinary; Glycolysis; Horses; Hypoglycemic agents; Hypoglycemic Agents - administration & dosage; Inhibitors; Kinases; Laboratories; Male; Medicine and Health Sciences; Melting; Methods; Mitochondria; Mitochondria - drug effects; Mitochondria - metabolism; Motility; Oxidative phosphorylation; Oxidative stress; Oxygen; Phosphorylation; Phosphorylation - drug effects; Physical Sciences; Physiological aspects; Proteins; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt - metabolism; Reactive oxygen species; Regulation; Research and Analysis Methods; Rosiglitazone; Rosiglitazone - administration & dosage; Rosiglitazone maleate; Semen Preservation - methods; Semen Preservation - veterinary; Senescence; Sperm; Spermatozoa; Spermatozoa - drug effects; Spermatozoa - metabolism; Storage; Studies; Supplements; Teaching hospitals; Thawing; Thermal properties; Thiazolidinediones
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0211994

The population of stallion spermatozoa that survive thawing experience compromised mitochondrial functionality and accelerated senescence, among other changes. It is known that stallion spermatozoa show very active oxidative phosphorylation that may accelerate sperm senescence through increased production of reactive oxygen species. Rosiglitazone has been proven to enhance the glycolytic capability of stallion spermatozoa maintained at ambient temperature. Thus, we hypothesized that thawed sperm may also benefit from rosiglitazone supplementation. Thawed sperm were washed and resuspended in Tyrodes media, and the samples were divided and supplemented with 0 or 75 μM rosiglitazone. After one and two hours of incubation, mitochondrial functionality, Akt phosphorylation and caspase 3 activity were evaluated. Additional samples were incubated in the presence of an Akt1/2 inhibitor, compound C (an AMPK inhibitor) or GW9662 (an antagonist of the PPARγ receptor). Rosiglitazone maintained Akt phosphorylation and reduced caspase 3 activation (p