Effect of chloride ions on cock spermatozoa

Abstract

The respiration rate, rate of fructolysis and incidence of abnormal spermatozoa were studied in cock semen immediately after dilution (1:10) and after storage at 5°C. Tyrode's solution was the basic diluent, and the effect of replacement of chloride by either glutamate or phosphate was investigated. Replacement by glutamate resulted in a linear reduction of respiration and fructolysis rates of fresh semen and of the fructolysis rate of stored semen. Respiration rate of stored semen decreased nonlinearly. Replacement of chloride by phosphate had no significant effect on the metabolic rates of either fresh or stored semen. Chloride ions caused an increase in the incidence of abnormal sperm after storage. When glutamate replaced chloride this increase was reduced, whereas in phosphate replacement there was evidence of a synergistic effect between chloride and phosphate in causing abnormalities. Differences in metabolic rates could not be accounted for by changes in the incidence of dead or abnormal sperm.

The Distribution of the Principal Inorganic Ions in Semen From the Vas Deferens of the Domestic Fowl and the Content of Carbon Dioxide in the Seminal Plasma

“…The fact that fowl spermatozoa mature in an environment in which the level of chloride ions is low may be one of the causes for the deterioration of spermatozoa in diluents containing approximately blood levels of chloride [Lake, 1960;El Zayat and van Tienhoven, 1961].…”

Metabolism of Spermatozoa

“…However, a recent report (105) states that replacing the chloride in Tyrodes solution with phosphate had no effect on the metabolic rate of cock spermatozoa. Mann and White (284) and White (473) have stated that phosphate inhibits the oxidation of lactic acid and probably does so by inhibiting lactic dehydrogenase.…”