1. Assessment of in vitro sperm characteristics in relation to fertility in dairy bulls.
- Author
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Gillan L, Kroetsch T, Maxwell WM, and Evans G
- Subjects
- Acrosome physiology, Animals, Chromatin physiology, Dairying, Male, Regression Analysis, Sperm Capacitation physiology, Sperm Count veterinary, Sperm Motility physiology, Spermatozoa cytology, Cattle physiology, Cryopreservation veterinary, Fertility physiology, Semen Preservation veterinary, Spermatozoa physiology
- Abstract
The performance of frozen-thawed spermatozoa from 10 Holstein bulls in a range of in vitro diagnostic tests and the relationship with adjusted in vivo fertility data was determined. The tests included an assessment of motility (subjective and computer-assisted), morphology, concentration, viability, acrosomal and chromatin integrity conducted immediately post-thaw and after swim-up, in conjunction with membrane status (CTC staining) and migration in an artificial cervical mucus. Adjusted in vivo fertility correlated with subjectively assessed post-thaw motility (r=0.672, p=0.033), post-thaw straight-line velocity (r=0.636, p=0.048), post-thaw sperm morphology (r=-0.762, p=0.010), post-thaw sperm viability (r=0.635, p=0.048), the concentration of spermatozoa after swim-up (r=0.649, p=0.042), sperm morphology after swim-up (r=-0.687, p=0.028), the number of spermatozoa migrating 10mm into artificial cervical mucus (r=0.632, p=0.050) and the distance migrated by the vanguard spermatozoon in artificial mucus (r=0.701, p=0.024). A stepwise regression analysis identified tests which, when combined, produced models with a strong correlation (R(2)>0.9) to fertility.
- Published
- 2008
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