Effects of addition of cock blood serum to semen diluents on the motility, glucose utilization and oxygen consumption of cock spermatozoa

• Published in: Japanese poultry science Vol. 13; no. 6; pp. 223 - 228
• Main Authors: TERADA, Takato, WATANABE, Moriyuki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese; English
• Published: Japan Poultry Science Association 1976
• DOI: 10.2141/jpsa.13.223
• ISSN: 0029-0254

Since the transparent fluid which mixes with the semen from the vas deferens contains blood serum components, the present experiments were performed to find out the effect of addition of blood serum at various levels to the semen dilutents on the spermatozoal motility and metabolism. Pooled semen from 15 roosters was centrifuged at 3000 r.p.m. for 10 minutes. The precipitate was washed twice with phosphate buffer (Δ=-0.60°C, pH=7.0) containing 3.6mg/ml glucose and resuspended in the phosphate buffer. The spermatozoal suspension was mixed with the phosphate buffer containing various levels of blood serum and the mixture was incubated at 37°C for 1-3hrs. During the incubation, the mixture was shaken. Motility was scored from 0 to 5. Oxygen consumption was measured polarographically with a Clark oxygen electrode. The results obtained are as follows. 1. Spermatozoa in the medium containing 35 to 75% blood serum showed more vigorous motility at the beginning of incubation and maintained better motility for 3 hours than those in the medium containing 0 to 15% blood serum. 2. Immediately after incubation, average oxygen consumption rate at a concentration of 0, 5, 15, 35, 55 and 75% serum was 3.8, 6.0, 8.9, 13.4, 13.5 and 14.7μl/1010sperm/min. respectively. The higher concentrations of the serum (35-75%) resulted in more sharp decrease of oxygen consumption rate than the low (0-15%) with the progress of incubation period. 3. During one hour incubation, 35, 55 and 75% serum markedly stimulated glucose utilization, as compared to 0%/ serum. After more than two hours incubation, glucose utilization at a concentration of 35% serum was apparently greater than that at the other concentrations of the serum. The results suggest that cock blood serum components are closely related to the spermatozoal motility and metabolism.