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SummaryThe aim of this study was to compare different concentrations of soy lecithin (LEC0.01%, LEC0.05% and LEC0.1%) with egg yolk (Control) in cooling extenders during the storage of semen at 5ºC for 5 days. Twelve dogs (n = 12) were selected, and semen was cooled and assessed after 2, 24, 48, 72, 96 or 120 h. At each time point, sperm were analyzed for kinetic patterns (using computer-assisted sperm analysis), mitochondrial activity (3′3- diaminobenzidine assay), lipid peroxidation (TBARS assay), DNA fragmentation (SCSA®) and plasma and acrosome membrane integrity (eosin/nigrosin and fast green/rose Bengal stains, respectively). The Control group (1814.4 ± 197.2) presented the highest rates of lipid peroxidation at 120 h. Conversely, progressive motility (42.8 ± 4%), linearity (45.4 ± 1%), and VAP (88 ± 3%) were higher in the Control group. In addition, there was lower mitochondrial activity in the Control group at 72 h. Therefore, our data show that lecithin used at these concentrations was not able to maintain sperm viability at as high qualities as would egg yolk. Moreover, the decrease in high mitochondrial activity and the persistence of sperm motility may indicate a compensatory mechanism in canine spermatozoa (i.e., glycolytic pathway). Furthermore, these higher lipid peroxidation indexes could indicate the necessity for future therapy using extenders and antioxidants over a long cooling time for dog sperm.

Sperm recovery from the caudae epididymides can be advantageous for preserving semen of endangered animal species. In this context, the domestic cat is a suitable model for the study of sperm physiology in endangered feline species and the research on epididymal sperm preservation combined with the use of reproductive biotechnologies including intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). The aim of the present study was to examine the sperm collected from the cauda and caput of the cat epididymis using functional tests. Testicles and epididymides from 5 adult tomcats were collected by orchiectomy and maintained at 4°C for 4 h, until semen collection. Semen samples were collected from the epididymal tail and head by careful dissection. Samples were then analysed for motility by computer assisted sperm analysis (CASA; only for the caudal sperm). The 3-3′ diaminobenzidine stain was used as an index of mitochondrial activity, the eosin nigrosin stain as an index of membrane integrity, the simple stain (fast green/Bengal rose) as an index of acrosome integrity, and the measurement of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) as an index of lipid peroxidation. Statistical analysis was performed using the SAS System for Windows (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA; least significant differences test and Spearman correlation; P < 0.05). No motility was observed in samples collected from the epididymal head, whereas samples from the tail showed 50.0 ± 4.2% motile spermatozoa. Surprisingly, more spermatozoa with high mitochondrial activity were found in the epididymal head than in samples from the tail (74.0 ± 3.5 v. 50.0 ± 4.3%, respectively). Similarly, samples collected from the head showed a higher susceptibility against the attack of ROS (31.9 ± 5.5 v. 16.3 ± 7.1 ng of TBARS/106 sperm, respectively). Furthermore, epididymal head sperm showed a lower percentage of sperm with intact membrane and a higher percentage of sperm with intact acrosome (44.9 ± 3.3 and 78.4 ± 1.8 v. 66.4 ± 4.2 and 56.7 ± 4.4%, respectively). Our results demonstrate that, during maturation, feline sperm are subjected to high oxidative stress, as shown by the lipid peroxidation assay, which would lead to structural damage to biomolecules, DNA, lipids, carbohydrates and proteins, as well as other cellular components, such as mitochondria, and acrosomal impairment. Similar results were found in humans, in which higher levels of oxidative stress occurred in the post-testicular environment. The plasma membrane seems to be more resistant to damages. This may be due to the described rearrangement in the lipid profile occurring during maturation, but studies to test this hypothesis are still underway.

One of the main causes of poor quality of frozen–thawed dog sperm is oxidative stress (i.e. higher production of reactive oxygen species not compensated by improved antioxidant protection). This event is known to impair sperm functionality by attacking plasma membrane, acrosome, mitochondria, and DNA. Spermatozoa are particularly susceptible the oxidative stress, mainly due to the reduced cytoplasm and the high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in the membrane, which allows the spermatozoa to be motile and confers a higher resistance against the damages caused by cryopreservation, but makes the sperm more susceptible to the attack of the reactive oxygen species (ROS). The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of antioxidant supplementation on semen extender (Tris-egg yolk-citrate-glicerol) with glutathione (GSH) and vitamin E on the quality of cryopreserved dog sperm. Ejaculates of 12 dogs were divided in pools of 3 ejaculates with at least 70% of motility. Each pool was diluted with 7 different extenders for treatment groups as follows: control, vitamin E (1, 5, and 10 mM), and reduced glutathione (GSH; 1, 5, and 10 mM) and submitted to cryopreservation. Samples were thawed (37°C/30′) and evaluated for motility, vigor, percentage of sperm showing intact membrane (eosin/nigrosin), and acrosome (simple stain fast-green and bengal rose), mitochondrial activity (3–3′-diaminobenzidine-DAB), and sperm susceptibility to oxidative stress (TBARS). Statistical analyses were performed using the SAS system for Windows (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA; least significant differences test and Spearman correlation; P < 0.05). Samples treated with 1 mM of GSH showed a higher percentage of sperm with intact membrane when compared with the control (11.21 ± 2.84 and 6.21 ± 1.16%, respectively; P < 0.05). On the other hand, treatment with 5 mM of GSH showed better results regarding mitochondrial activity. Vitamin E supplementation also played a protective role on mitochondrial activity; samples treated with 1 mM showed a lower percentage of DAB III sperm (cells with severely compromised mitochondrial activity) when compared with the control group (5.61 ± 0.7 and 8.62 ± 1.05%, respectively; P < 0.05). Both vitamin E and GSH are important non-enzymatic antioxidants responsible for the destruction of the hydroxyl radical. Despite the positive influence of these antioxidants on mitochondrial status, no effect was found on the other variables studied. These results indicate that the action of both antioxidants in dog sperm would be mainly intracellular. Furthermore, other ROS could be responsible for the other damages caused by cryopreservation on the other sperm functionalities (i.e. membrane, acrosome, DNA, oxidative status). Therefore, the use of a combination of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants could be an alternative to overcome the deleterious influence of oxidative stress in cryopreserved semen of dogs. The authors thank the Brazilian army for the dogs used in this study.