Time dependent impact of reactive oxidants on seminal attributes, mitochondrial membrane potential, lipid peroxidation and capacitation-like changes of Karan-Fries bulls during cryopreservation

• Published in: Cryo-Letters Vol. 43; no. 4; p. 227
• Main Authors: Kulkarni, N A, Roy, A K, Pandita, S, Shashank, C G, Chethan, H S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01.07.2022
• Subjects: Animals; Cattle; Cryopreservation - methods; Cryopreservation - veterinary; Female; Lipid Peroxidation; Male; Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial; Oxidants - pharmacology; Semen; Semen Analysis; Semen Preservation - methods; Semen Preservation - veterinary; Sperm Motility; Spermatozoa
• ISSN: 0143-2044
• DOI: 10.54680/fr22410110212

Cryopreservation of semen is a valuable technique; however, it is also known to be detrimental to the structure of spermatozoa and fertility due to cryo-injury and subsequent generation of reactive oxidants. To determine the time-dependent impact of reactive oxidants on seminal attributes, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), lipid peroxidation status (LPO) and early capacitation like changes. Semen samples were collected by artificial vagina technique from six Karan-Fries (KF) bulls and subsequently examined at 0 h (before cryopreservation) and at 24 hours, 15 days and 2-months of storage for various seminal attributes, MMP, and early capacitation-like changes. Simultaneously, LPO (TBARS) was determined in fresh and post-thaw seminal plasma. A sharp decrease (P < 0.01) in semen quality was observed only after 24 h of cryopreservation except for viability and acrosomal integrity. Sperm viability and acrosome integrity reduced significantly up to 2 months of cryopreservation. The lipid peroxidation status was found to be lower in fresh seminal plasma (2.6 ±0.2 vs. 3.5 ± 0.3 units/mL) as compared to post-thaw. Furthermore, the active MMP of fresh semen showed a significant (P < 0.01) decrease after 24 hours (77.9 ± 0.4 vs. 54.5 ±0.3%) of cryopreservation, while there was a non-significant decrease in active MMP after 15 d and 2-months (53.7 ± 0.1 and 52.8 ± 0.2%). Moreover, significant (P. < 0.01) early capacitation-like changes were found in post-thaw spermatozoa (25.7 ± 0.1 vs. 9.1 ± 0.2%) as compared to fresh ejaculate. Spermatozoa incur the majority of damages during the early phase of cryopreservation, however the damage associated by different stressors cannot be neglected. doi.org/10.54680/fr22410110212.