Seminal quality comparison of first and second cryopreserved ejaculates of Alpine kid goats by flow cytometry

Abstract

Summary Discarding the first ejaculate is recommended as an alternative for improving seminal quality after long sexual resting, especially when semen should be used for cryopreservation. However, when the males are not in sexual resting the necessity to discarding the first ejaculate is still unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to compare by flow cytometry the quality of the first and second ejaculates. Ten kids and uniform goats between 5 and 6 months of age were used in a completely randomized design. Semen collection was carried out every 4 days, until a total of five ejaculates per animal in each treatment was completed. The fresh and frozen semen collected were processed and analyzed using macroscopic and microscopic parameters, resistance test, hypo-osmotic medium test, and flow cytometry (FC). The FC parameters were production of reactive oxygen species, plasma and acrosomal membrane integrity, and lipid peroxidation of the plasma membrane. The ejaculates did not differ for the resistance test, the reactivity in the hypo-osmotic medium and for the macroscopic and microscopic seminal parameters, except for sperm volume and concentration. The first ejaculate had a higher percentage of minor and total defects. None of the FC parameters analyzed differed between the first and second ejaculates. The first and second ejaculates demonstrated similar seminal qualities, so for Alpine kid goats without a sexual resting period, discarding the first ejaculate it is not recommended.