Assessment of the morphometry of heads of normal sperm and sperm with the Dag defect in the semen of Duroc boars

Abstract

Introduction The Dag defect is one of the primary morphological defects in sperm correlating with reduced fertility. This defect is found in the spermatozoa of many livestock species. The aim of the study was to assess the morphometry of the heads of normal sperm and sperm with the Dag defect in the semen of Duroc breeding boars. Material and Methods Sperm morphology was examined in ten ejaculates each from 12 Duroc boars. In total, 3,600 morphologically normal sperm and 838 sperm with the Dag defect were evaluated. The area, perimeter, length and width of the sperm head were measured and these basic morphometric parameters were used to calculate four additional shape indices characterising the sperm head, i.e. ellipticity, elongation, roughness and regularity. Results Sperm with this defect had markedly smaller heads, 0.32 μm shorter and 0.19 μm narrower than the heads of sperm with normal morphological structure. The heads of sperm with the Dag defect also had a 1.1μm smaller perimeter and a 2.5 μm2 smaller surface area than the heads of morphologically normal sperm. Conclusions The Dag defect is found in boar sperm irrespective of the age of the individual. It affects the morphology of the sperm head.

Sperm Morphometry in Lusitu Pigs and the Motility Characteristics Post-incubation in Non-hyperactivating and Hyperactivating Media: A Comparison with the Large White Genotype

“…The same study did not find differences in mean regularity and elongation scores between different breeds which is supported by the findings of the current study where no differences in mean values were found between the study breeds. Ellipticity indicates the degree to which sperm heads are oval or conical (Banaszewska and Andraszek 2021). Its mean score in this study was generally similar to an earlier reported value (2.0) for Duroc and Risco boars (Saravia et al 2007).…”

“…The current mean perimeter values were ca. 2µm lower than the earlier reported figures (Banaszewska and Andraszek 2021). The above subtle but important variations between our study and the previous ones may be attributed to differences in breeds studied, age, sperm concentration, incubation temperature, storage time, and staining technique (Saravia et al 2007;Czubaszek et al 2019;Szablicka et al 2022).…”

“…Its mean score in this study was generally similar to an earlier reported value (2.0) for Duroc and Risco boars (Saravia et al 2007). However, sperm rugosity, which specifies the regularity or amorphous shape of the sperm head, was found with a mean value higher than the previous findings for Duroc, Large white, and Landrace (6.0-7.0) (Saravia et al 2007;Banaszewska and Andraszek 2021). Similarly, elongation, which represents roundedness of the sperm head, was on the higher side than the mean score (0.32) reported previously by Szablicka et al (2022).…”

Effects of copper citrate on physiological-biochemical parameters of ejaculate of sire boars

“…We determined that the beginning of bending of the flagellum was observed in the period of passage of spermatozoids through the epididymis, which is characteristic of detachment of the cytoplasmic drop. Such type of abnormalities as residual cytoplasmatic drop in the distal section of spermatozoids is considered to cause no decrease in fertility, though it may be a reason for the so-called "Dag defect" (Saravia et al, 2007;Banaszewska & Andraszek, 2021).…”

The Distribution of Boars Spermatozoa in Morphometrically Distinct Subpopulations after In Vitro Exposure to Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Radiation at 2500 MHz and Their Motility

“…By applying ASTMA technology and multivariate procedures such as cluster analysis, it was observed that boar semen samples contained spermatozoa subpopulations of different morphometric characteristics that are not detectable by conventional subjective methods [ 22 , 23 ]. Morphometric results can vary depending on internal factors such as individual variability, species, breed, sexual maturity and age [ 23 , 24 , 25 ], and external factors including environmental factors, sample preparation and the morphometric analysis of semen [ 20 , 26 ].…”