Sperm binding to hyaluronan is an excellent predictor of Nili‐Ravi buffalo bull fertility

Abstract

This study reports the first evaluation of sperm hyaluronan binding assay (HBA) for predicting the fertility of Nili‐Ravi buffalo bulls in relation to standard parameters of sperm quality. Cryopreserved semen doses of low (n = 6), medium (n = 3) and high fertility (n = 8) bulls based on their respective return rates were used. Significantly, more spermatozoa bound to hyaluronan from the most fertile bulls (57.15% ± 1.44) compared with medium (42.46% ± 1.08) and low fertility bulls (29.70% ± 0.78). A strongly positive correlation (r = .824, p < .01) was found between HBA and fertility that predicts a 67.9% variability (r2 = .679, p < .01) in fertility. HBA was also strongly positively correlated with sperm viability (r = .679, p < .01) followed by their live/dead ratio (r = .637, p < .01), uncapacitated spermatozoa (r = .631, p < .01), normal apical ridge (r = .459, p < .01), motility (r = .434, p < .01), mature spermatozoa with low residual histones (r = .364, p < .01), high plasma membrane integrity (r = .316, p < .01) and nonfragmented DNA levels (r = .236, p < .05). It was negatively correlated with spermatozoa having reacted acrosome (r = −.654, p < .01). A fertility model built using a combination of sperm HBA and either sperm livability or viability predicts, respectively, 86.1% (r2 = .861, p < .01) and 85.9% (r2 = .859, p < .01) variability in buffalo bull fertility. In conclusion, sperm HBA may prove to be a single robust predictor of Nili‐Ravi buffalo bull fertility.

Use of a Sperm-Hyaluronan Binding Assay for Evaluation of Sperm Quality in Dromedary Camels

“…Frozen-thawed camel spermatozoa showed significantly less binding than fresh spermatozoa (3 to 24 %), and also less binding than frozen-thawed Nili-Ravi buffalo spermatozoa (27 to 57%; Awan et al 2021). Low post-thaw binding was expected since dromedary camel spermatozoa do not tolerate freezing-thawing procedure well (Morton et al 2010).…”

“…Some potential for assessing stallion sperm fertility was reported as the spermatozoa bound to HBA, but the test failed to predict the success of AI (Colleoni et al 2011). A study on Nili-Ravi buffalo bull fertility reported high prediction value for HBA test (predicting 67.9% variability) from frozen-thawed sperm samples (Awan et al 2021).…”

“…The HBA test has been deployed at human andrology laboratories to predict in-vivo fertility of sperm samples and also for sperm selection for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) (Esterhuizen et al 2015). Novel studies have also reported HBA to have potential in predicting fertilization capacity in animal reproduction; Chun et al (2005) found HBA score to associate with higher production rate on porcine embryos with normal chromosomal complement; Colleoni et al (2011) reported some potential for assessing stallion fertility and Awan et al (2021) found that the HBA test was capable of predicting the fertility of frozen-thawed Nili-Ravi buffalo bull spermatozoa (2021).…”

Sperm selection by the oviduct: perspectives for male fertility and assisted reproductive technologies

“…[ [160][161][162][163]167,201] Hyaluronan-rich medium: A droplet of medium with sperm is put in contact with a droplet of medium with hyaluronic acid. Sperm in the interface of the droplets are selected.…”

“…Hyaluronic acid-binding proteins have been identified in sperm of various species [159]. And in some, such as in buffalo, sperm binding to hyaluronic acid has been correlated with fertility after AI [160]. A plethora of studies in humans has shown that sperm that bind hyaluronic acid have better quality parameters.…”