Reproductive performance of immobilized cryopreserved bovine semen used for timed artificial insemination

• Published in: Reproduction in domestic animals 2017-12, Vol.52 (6), p.1019-1024
• Main Authors: Alm‐Kristiansen, AH, Dalen, G, Klinkenberg, G, Bekk, L, Thorkildsen, LT, Waterhouse, KE, Kommisrud, E
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acrosome - physiology; Alginates; Alginic acid; animal breeding; Animals; Artificial insemination; Cattle; Cell Survival; cryobiology; Cryopreservation; Cryopreservation - veterinary; Embedding; Female; Immobilization; Insemination, Artificial - methods; Insemination, Artificial - veterinary; Lymphocytes B; Male; Mimicry; Multivariate analysis; Pregnancy; Reproduction; Reproduction (biology); Semen; Semen Preservation - methods; Semen Preservation - veterinary; Sperm; Spermatozoa; Spermatozoa - physiology; Survival; Synchronism; Synchronization; Technology; Time Factors
• ISSN: 0936-6768; 1439-0531
• DOI: 10.1111/rda.13017

Contents The SpermVital® technology comprises embedding of spermatozoa within an alginate gel to facilitate release of sperm cells over a prolonged period in utero after AI. The aim of this study was to examine whether the survival time of spermatozoa is extended when applying this immobilization technology in combination with cryopreservation. Sperm cell survival (acrosome and plasma membrane integrity) was studied in vitro for 48 hr at physiological temperature. One dose of SpermVital® (SV) semen was compared with single doses of Biladyl® (B) processed semen as well as double doses of B (B double). B double was obtained by adding a second B dose the following day, thereby mimicking double AI. Furthermore, reproductive performance applying single early timed AI (TAI) with SV following oestrus synchronization was studied in a field trial. Double insemination (TAI on two consecutive days) with B semen served as control. Number of acrosome‐intact live sperm cells decreased over time in vitro for all treatments (p  .05). However, after 48 hr, SV sperm cell survival was higher than B double (p  .05). Likelihood of pregnancy and calving in the heifer group was higher than in the cow group (p