• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.133-137
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• 2007

The objective of the study was to determine the relationship between the mRNA expression levels of sperm phospholipids hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase (PHGPx) and heparin-binding protein (HBP), and in-vivo fertility in boars. The farrowing rate was not correlated with litter size. Sperm PHGPx mRNA expression level of the larger litter size (over 10) group $(2,414.7{\pm}400.7)$ was high that of smaller litter size (below 8) group $(1,875.8{\pm}311.2)$. Sperm HBP mRNA expression level was also higher in the larger litter size $(2,255.9{\pm}360.8)$ group than the smaller litter size $(2,155.4{\pm}378.0)$. However, significant differences were not observed. Sperm PHGPx mRNA level was correlated positively with litter size (r=0.206). Because the expression levels of PHGPx and HBP are not strongly correlated with in-vivo fertility, PHGPx and HBP can not be considered a predictive measure for fertility in boars.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.7-11
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• 2015

Preservation of liquid semen is an important factor for breeding management in swine industry. Oxidative stress of spermatozoa during liquid preservation has a detrimental effect on sperm quality and decreases fertility. Objective of this study was to determine the effect of antioxidant, Quercetin, on capability of porcine liquid semen preservation. Freshly collected porcine semen from boars (n=3), having proven fertility was counted, diluted to $3{\times}10^7/mL$ and divided into 5 different semen extenders. Aliquots of diluted semen with different extenders were subjected to measure the pH, motility, viability and sperm DNA structure status on elapse time after preservation for 10 days. For the first 3 days, semen preserved in all 5 different extenders maintained their initial pH and either gradually decreased or increased thereafter, indicating lipid peroxidation has started. Sperm motility (r=0.52, p=0.01) and viability (r=0.55, p=0.03) had positive correlation with semen pH. Sperm motility was maintained well (p<0.05) in especially 2 extenders containing Tris and antioxidant compared to other extenders, suggesting both Tris and antioxidant worked as pH regulator and had beneficial effects on sperm characteristic during preservation. Sperm DNA structure status accessed by sperm chromatin structure assay on elapsed time after preservation, tended to be higher in semen preserved without antioxidant. Taken together, addition of antioxidant to extender prevents the sperm from oxidative stress during storage in mechanism by which antioxidant slows the lipid peroxidation, and thus reduced the reactive oxygen species in preserved porcine semen resulted in maintaining semen pH, sperm motility and viability for 7~10 days.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.97-102
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• 2013

The objective of this study was to develop of semen transport system for cryopreservation and fertility in bull sperm. The ejaculated semen were diluted with Triladyl containing 20% egg-yolk for transportation. Diluted semen was transported by three methods that there were wrapping tissue (Tissue), sinking under $30^{\circ}C$ water (Water) and sinking between warm water and air (Air) methods. Semen was transported within 2 hours in $0.3^{\circ}C$. For this study, the freezing of diluted semen were added with Triladyl containing 20% egg-yolk. And frozen-thawed sperm were estimated with SYBR14/PI double stain for viability, FITC-PNA/PI double stain for acrosome reaction analysis and Rhodamine123 double stain for mitochondrial intact assessment. In results, live sperm (SYBR+/PI-) in Air treatment group ($43.3{\pm}4.7%$) was significantly (p<0.05) higher than other treatment groups (Tissue: $16.3{\pm}2.7%$ and Water: $27.5{\pm}3.1%$), dying sperm (SYBR+/PI+) in Air treatment group ($55.6{\pm}4.7%$) was significantly lower than other treatment groups (Tissue: $77.6{\pm}3.2%$ and Water: $67.6{\pm}3.3%$) (p<0.05). Acrosome reaction in Air treatment group ($0.2{\pm}0.1%$) within live sperm (PI negative region) was significantly (p<0.05) lower than other treatment groups (Tissue: $0.7{\pm}0.2%$ and Water: $0.5{\pm}0.1%$), the acrosome reaction in Air treatment group ($28.6{\pm}2.8%$) within all sperm also was significantly lower than other treatment groups (Tissue: $44.2{\pm}1.8%$ and Water: $36.2{\pm}2.0%$) (p<0.05). And mitochondrial intact in Air treatment group within live ($97.1{\pm}0.4%$) and all ($61.9{\pm}3.3%$) sperm were significantly higher than other treatment groups (Tissue: $85.2{\pm}3.3%$, Water: $87.8{\pm}2.9%$ within live sperm and Tissue: $49.28{\pm}3.7%$, Water: $42.0{\pm}3.1%$ within all sperm) (p<0.05). Therefore, we suggest that transportation by sinking method between warm water and air was beneficial to improvement of fertility in frozen-thawed in bull semen.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2003.10b
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• pp.114.2-115
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• 2003

3-Monochloro-1, 2-propanediol(3-MCPD) is a toxic compound, often present in different foods containing acid hydrolyzed(AH) protein, like seasonings and savory food products. In Korea, 3-MCPD is currently being a problem because of its toxicity in AH soybean sauce. The purpose of the present studies was to investigate the effects of 3-MCPD on male fertility, sperm and testosterone secretion. In vivo male fertility test was performed for observing the adverse effects of 3-MCPD on the function of male reproductive system and pregnancy outcome. (omitted)

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.27-34
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• 2006

This study was conducted to compare the reproduction ability of the wild type boar and recombinant human erythropoietin (hEPO) transgenic boar semen. Ejaculated boar semen was analyzed by flow cytometry, Elisa and IVF methods. In experiment 1, flow cytometric analysis showed that the live sperm ratio of transgenic boar sperm significantly lower (P<0.05) than that of wild type boar after incubation at 20, 22, 24 and 26 hr. In experiment 2, the presence and levels of various cytokines (IL-6, IL-10 and $TNF-{\alpha}$) to related animal reproduction in the seminal and blood plasma were examined using specific enzyme immunoassay. There was no significant difference between both groups. In experiment 3, the fertilizing capacity and developmental ability of both boar sperm were compared. The transgenic boar sperm had a significantly low capacity of penetration, sperm-zona binding, embryo development, and blastocyst formation compared to wild type sperm (P<0.05). These results suggest that transgenic boar sperm harboring hEPO gene has low sperm viability than wild type boar, and it is a reason to decrease of fertility and litter size.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.21-28
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• 2012

A study was conducted on four crossbred bulls, used as artificial insemination (AI) sires, to correlate their semen quality with their non return rate (NRR). Semen was collected once a week via an artificial vagina, diluted in egg yolk-citrate and maintained at $+7^{\circ}C$ for three days. It was evaluated for sperm motility, viability, morphology immediately after collection and was examined daily for sperm motility, viability and morphology of acrosome, mid piece and tail for a total of three days. A total of 2016 cows were inseminated by two AI technicians. The proportions of sperm with normal heads were 83.4% (63.7~91.7%), the proportion of spermatozoa exhibiting normal morphology (acrosome, mid piece and tail), motility and viability were 89.2% (82.3~92.0%), 71.3% (61.7~75.0%) and 76.7% (65.7~85.0%), respectively in fresh ejaculates. Sperm motility and sperm viability was significantly ($p$ <0.05) lower in Holstein-Friesian ${\times}$ Local bull than in other bulls during all three days of storage. The overall NRR for four bulls was 82.7% (72.9-87.5%). Bulls with higher sperm motility, viability and normal morphology of spermatozoa of individual bull had significantly (each $p$ <0.05) higher NRR. The highest ($p$ <0.01) NRR (87.5%) was observed in a Red Chittagong bull whose semen qualities were significantly ($p$ <0.05) higher than Holstein-Friesian ${\times}$ Local bull (NNR 72.9%). The results of the present study concluded that NRR at 56 days post AI is related to parameters of semen quality. Therefore, semen evaluation may allow the discarding of bulls with poor fertility in an AI program.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.44-47
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• 2018

Onco-testicular sperm extraction is used to preserve fertility in patients with bilateral testicular tumors and azoospermia. We report the case of a testicular tumor in the solitary testis of a patient who had previously undergone successful contralateral orchiectomy and whose sperm was preserved by onco-testicular sperm extraction. A 35-year-old patient presented with swelling of his right scrotum that had lasted for 1 month. His medical history included a contralateral orchiectomy during childhood. Ultrasonography revealed a mosaic echoic area in his scrotum, suggesting a testicular tumor. The lesion was palpated within the normal testicular tissue along its edge and semen analysis showed azoospermia. Radical inguinal orchiectomy and onco-testicular sperm extraction were performed simultaneously. Motile spermatozoa were extracted from normal seminiferous tubules under microscopy and were frozen. Eventual intracytoplasmic sperm injection using the frozen spermatozoa is planned. Onco-testicular sperm extraction is an important fertility preservation method in patients with bilateral testicular tumors or a history of a previous contralateral orchiectomy.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.89-94
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• 1991

Thirty five couples were treated by intrauterine insemination with sperm prepared by a washing and swim-up method. Fifteen women conceived(42.9%). Sperm washing and swim-up was found to significantly improve sperm motility for men of infertile couples and the increment of percent sperm motility after sperm preparation allowed significant differentiation of pregnant and nonpregnant patients in asthenozoospermia(submotile) group (p<0.01). The author suggest that the increment of percent sperm motility after sperm washing and swim-up could be a useful screening tool for in vitro procedure proposed to improve fertility in the intrauterine insemination of asthenozoospermia.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.263-266
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• 2010

Prediction of semen's fertilizing ability used in artificial insemination (AI) is one of very important factors on pig reproductive performance. In vitro fertilization (IVF) has been used for indirect evaluation of sperm's fertilizing ability and it has been showed as highly correlated index. In swine industry, increasing interest in preservation of boar semen raises questions on the sperm motility from semen used in commercial AI centers. Mitochondria in sperm mid-piece generate the energy to support motility and could be an explanation of impaired fertility. Objective of this study was to suggest usable sperm motility to farms in measuring the effect of sperm motility and sperm abnormality on in vitro production of embryo in which sperm's fertilizing ability can be determined indirectly. Semen samples were provided from local AI center and used within 3 days after collection. Semen samples were divided by 4 different motile groups (>70%; 61~70%; 51~60%; <50%) using CASA (computer-assisted sperm analysis) on the days of IVF. Developmental rate to the blastocyst stage from over 61% motile sperm group showed significantly higher rate than below 60% motile sperm group ($16.5{\pm}0.7{\sim}18.4{\pm}0.8%$ vs $6.3{\pm}0.8{\sim}11.5{\pm}0.7%$, p<0.05). In experiment to determine the relationship between sperm motility and viability and abnormality, over 61% motile sperm groups showed significantly higher viability rate compared to below 60% motile sperm groups ($84.8{\pm}4.0{\sim}88.1{\pm}4.0%$ vs $69.1{\pm}4.0{\sim}74.2{\pm}4.0%$, p<0.05). On the other hand, morphological sperm abnormality showed significantly higher in over 70% motile sperm group ($10.2{\pm}2.2$ vs $16.0{\pm}2.2{\sim}21.0{\pm}2.2%$, p<0.05). In experiment to find the correlation between sperm motility of 4 different motile groups and amount of mitochondria, lower motility group also showed lower level of mitochondria (p<0.05). The mitochondria parameter used in this study showed another possibility to differentiate the sperm motility. Taken together, because below 60% motile semen used in AI reduce the fertility, AI centers should provide the over 60% motile sperm to the farms at the time of AI.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.785-796
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• 2006

This study was designed to evaluate the changes in sperm motility, viability, HOST(hypo-osmotic swelling test), IVP(in vitro penetration), SCSA(sperm chromatin structure assay) during storage of liquid semen collected from boars with different farrowing rates using AI, and to find the relationship between boar fertility through AI and sperm diagnostic parameters during semen storage. The results of HOST were significantly decreased according to the increasing of in semen storage days and the results of IVP were significantly decreased at 3 days of semen storage (P<0.05). The %Red was significantly different among the >80%, 70󰠏80% and <70% farrowing rate group at semen storage day 6(P<0.05). The correlation coefficients between the %Red and farrowing rate were increased according to the semen storage. In conclusion, these results suggest that the sperm parameters evaluated in these studies may be useful indicators to predict the fertility of AI and evaluate the semen quality in boars.