Antioxidant supplementation, effect on post‐thaw spermatozoan function in three sturgeon species

• Published in: Reproduction in Domestic Animals
• Main Authors: Li, P, Xi, MD, Du, H, Qiao, XM, Liu, ZG, Wei, QW
• Other Authors: Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Ministry of Agriculture of the People's Republic of China, Grantová Agentura České Republiky
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2017
• Subjects: Acipenser baerii
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/rda.13103; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Frda.13103; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/rda.13103

Contents High levels of reactive oxygen species ( ROS ), which may be associated with reduced sperm quality, can be detected during cryopreservation of sperm of some species. Our objective was to investigate whether the addition of antioxidants to cryopreservation extenders influenced post‐thaw sperm characteristics and fertility in Acipenser dabryanus , Acipenser sinensis and Acipenser baerii . Prior to freezing, sperm samples were diluted with a base extender as control or in extender supplemented with catalase ( CAT ), glutathione ( GSH ), cysteine ( NAC ), ascorbic acid ( VC ) or their paired combinations. Protective concentrations of CAT , GSH and VC in the three species were 25 U/ ml , 0.25‐0.5 mg/ ml and 0.5 mg/ ml , respectively. Cysteine showed no protective effect against ROS . The addition of CAT , GSH and VC positively affected either acrosome or membrane integrity of post‐thawed sperm in the three species, as well as spermatozoan motility in A. sinensis . The combination of antioxidants did not show a positive synergistic effect. This study suggested that the use of antioxidants in the cryopreservation of sturgeon sperm has potential to decrease intracellular ROS , and consequently preserve acrosome and membrane integrity, as well as spermatozoan motility.