Quantitative sperm characteristics of Tankwa goats with special reference to hyperactivated motility

Abstract

Computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA) is an automated and objective method of evaluating structural (e.g. morphology) and functional sperm parameters (e.g. motility and hyperactivation). Sperm hyperactivation is essential for successful fertilization and is thus an important aspect in determining the fertility potential of a male. In the current study, CASA was used for standard semen analysis and for comparison of the ability of phosphate buffered saline (PBS), BO sperm wash (10 mM caffeine), 4% lignocaine, and 5 mM procaine hydrochloride to induce hyperactivation in Tankwa goat spermatozoa. Twenty-nine ejaculates were collected from randomly selected male goats by electroejaculation. Although none of the four media affected percentage total sperm motility, lignocaine caused a significant decrease (P >0.05) in percentage progressive motility. Exposure to procaine resulted in an increase in swimming speed (P ≤0.05) and star-spin motility tracks, which are typical of sperm hyperactivation. Using PBS and procaine motility data from individually selected spermatozoa, receiver operator characteristic curves were constructed to distinguish the kinematic parameters employed as cut-off values for sperm hyperactivation. PBS and BO sperm wash did not induce hyperactivation (0.1 + 0.2% and 0.04  0.2% respectively), while lignocaine induced little hyperactivation (3.4 + 3.0%) and procaine hydrochloride had the highest percentage hyperactivation (25.3 + 13.6%). The large variation in hyperactivation (0–54.5%) may reflect inter-individual differences in sperm quality among these males. This study indicated procaine hydrochloride was the most promising hyperactivation-inducing medium for Tankwa goat spermatozoa and should be considered for similar assessments in other animal species
 Keywords: computer-aided sperm analysis, procaine hydrochloride, sperm kinematics, sperm morphometry, sperm motility

Semen characteristics of Bapedi sheep during the autumn breeding season

“…The TM recorded was slightly higher than that recorded on the same breed in winter (89.9 ± 9.1%, Maqhashu, 2019). The higher TM was expected and in line with the hypothesis that warmer days have better semen quality than cold days (Ngcauzele, 2018). However, the PM (31.0 ± 2.4%) and rapid-moving sperm cells (37.7 ± 3.4%) were low compared to the previous study on the same breed in winter (47.4 ± 13.1; 48.0 ± 13.5%, Maqhashu et al, 2020) and end of autumn (52.7 ± 13.3; 60.1 ± 19.5%, Munyai,2012).…”

“…However, the PM (31.0 ± 2.4%) and rapid-moving sperm cells (37.7 ± 3.4%) were low compared to the previous study on the same breed in winter (47.4 ± 13.1; 48.0 ± 13.5%, Maqhashu et al, 2020) and end of autumn (52.7 ± 13.3; 60.1 ± 19.5%, Munyai,2012). The difference may be attributed to factors such as the sample size (Ngcauzele, 2018), or the age since previous studies used rams aged 2 to 4 (Munyai, 2012) and 2 to 6 (Maqhashu et al, 2020). The lower PM and rapid-moving sperm cells will result in reduced speed to cover the distance to reach and penetrate the oocyte under natural conditions (Matshaba et al, 2010).…”

Origin, Migration, and Reproduction of Indigenous Domestic Animals with Special Reference to Their Sperm Quality

“…Based on the Tankwa goat hyperactivation data and the HA data from Table 6 , it is conceivable that most of the bull breeds are indeed potentially fertile. HA data for Tankwa goats [ 40 ], as well as indicated in Table 5 , further support this notion, and it is conceivable that this may apply to other goat breeds and other domestic species.…”

“…Table 4 and Table 5 include macroscopic, microscopic, and some sperm functional characteristics of various indigenous versus exotic breeds of pig, cattle, ram, and goat [ 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 ]. By and large, there are many similarities when several sperm parameters of these breeds are compared for a given species.…”

“…Hyperactive sperm swim at speeds two to three times that in semen, show very large undulations of the head, and portray linearity below 50%. A detailed study of Tankwa goat sperm showed specific sperm kinematic cut-off values for defining hyperactivation and also related this to sperm quality [ 40 ]. If the percentage HA of a semen sample exceeds 20%, it is indicative of high functional competence and potential to fertilize the oocyte [ 50 ].…”