Subtle membrane changes in cryopreserved bull semen in relation with sperm viability, chromatin structure, and field fertility

• Published in: Theriogenology 2003-09, Vol.60 (4), p.743-758
• Main Authors: Januskauskas, A, Johannisson, A, Rodriguez-Martinez, H
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Annexin A5 - metabolism; Bulls; Cattle; Cell Survival; cell viability; chromatin; Chromatin - ultrastructure; Chromatin structure; correlation; cryopreservation; Cryopreservation - veterinary; Fertility; Fluorescent Dyes; fluorometry; incidence; Male; necrosis; Phospholipid scrambling; sampling; semen; Semen Preservation - veterinary; Semen viability; Sperm Count; Sperm Motility; spermatozoa; Spermatozoa - physiology; Spermatozoa - ultrastructure; thawing
• ISSN: 0093-691X; 1879-3231
• DOI: 10.1016/S0093-691X(03)00050-5

This study investigated the use of annexin-V/PI assay to assess sub lethal changes in bull spermatozoa post-thawing, and to further relate these changes to results obtained by fluorometric assessment of sperm viability and sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA), as well as field fertility (as 56-day non-return rates, 56-day NRR) after AI. Frozen–thawed semen samples were obtained from 18 Swedish Red and White bulls (one to three semen batches/bull) and fertility data was based on 6900 inseminations. The annexin-V/PI assay revealed that post-thaw semen samples contained on average 41.8±7.5% annexin-V-positive cells. Most of the annexin-V-positive cells were dying cells, i.e. also PI-positive. The incidence of annexin-V-positive cells was negatively related ( r=−0.59, P