Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-mlc7c Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-03T08:38:16.109Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Effects of vitamin E supplementation in the extender on frozen-thawed bovine semen preservation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 August 2010

J.-H. Hu
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, P.R. China
X.-L. Zhao
Affiliation:
Hainan Vocational and Technical Institute of Biological Sciences, Haikou, Hainan 57000, P.R. China
W.-Q. Tian
Affiliation:
Animal Engineering Department, Yangling Vocational and Technical College, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, P.R. China
L.-S. Zan*
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, P.R. China
Q.-W. Li
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, P.R. China Department of Biological Engineering, College of Environment and Chemistry Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, Hebei 066004, P.R. China
*
Get access

Abstract

The maturing sperm cells discard the majority of their cytoplasm during the final stages of spermatogenesis and lose some of their defense enzymes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of vitamin E supplementation on standard semen quality parameters and antioxidant activities of frozen-thawed bovine sperm. Vitamin E was added at concentrations of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 mg/ml to bovine semen cryoprotective medium. The results showed that the sperm motility and VSL, STR values in the extender supplemented with 1.0 and 1.5 mg/ml of vitamin E, were significantly higher than that of other concentrations (P < 0.05). The percentages of acrosome-intact and membrane-intact sperm were significantly improved (P < 0.05) by supplementing with 1.5 mg/ml of vitamin E. In biochemical assays, the extender supplemented with vitamin E did not exhibit significant improvement in SOD (superoxide dismutase) levels, compared with the control (P > 0.05). Compared with other groups, CAT (catalase) levels were demonstrated to be greater with the supplementation of vitamin E at 1.0 and 1.5 mg/ml (P < 0.05). The extender supplemented with 1.5 mg/ml of vitamin E caused the highest levels of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), compared with other groups (P < 0.05). The glutathione (GSH) activity was significantly higher with the supplementation of 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 mg/ml of vitamin E, compared with 2.0 mg/ml in the vitamin E group and control (P < 0.05). Moreover, increasing the doses of vitamin E decreased sperm antioxidant activities, the extender supplemented with 2.0 mg/ml of vitamin E, caused the lowest levels of GSH-Px and GSH activities, compared with other treatment groups (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the beneficial effects of vitamin E noted in this study can be attributed to the antioxidant characteristics. Vitamin E supplementation in the extender reduced the lipid peroxidation potential and improved semen quality during freezing-thawing. More researches are needed to evaluate and understand the precise physiological role of vitamin E in reproduction.

Type
Full Paper
Copyright
Copyright © The Animal Consortium 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aboagla, EM, Terada, T 2003. Trehalose-enhanced fluidity of the goat sperm membrane and its protection during freezing. Biology of Reproduction 69, 12451250.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Agarwal, A, Prabakaran, SA, Said, TM 2005. Prevention of oxidative stress injury to sperm. Journal of Andrology 26, 654660.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Aitken, RJ 1994. A free radical theory of male infertility. Reproduction, Fertility and Development 6, 1923.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Aitken, RJ, Clarkson, JS 1988. Significance of reactive oxygen species and antioxidants in defining the efficacy of sperm preparation techniques. Journal of Andrology 9, 367376.Google Scholar
Askari, HA, Check, JH, Peymer, N, Bollendorf, A 1994. Effect of natural antioxidant stocopherol and ascorbic acids in maintenance of sperm activity during freeze thaw process. Archives of Andrology 33, 1115.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Baumber, J, Ball, BA, Linfor, JL, Meyers, SA 2003. Reactive oxygen species and cryopreservation promote DNA fragmentation in equine spermatozoa. Journal of Andrology 24, 621628.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Beconi, MT, Affranchino, MA, Schang, LM, Beorlegui, NB 1991. Influence of antioxidants on SOD activity in bovine sperm. Biochemistry International 23, 545553.Google Scholar
Beconi, MT, Francia, CR, Mora, NG, Affranchino, MA 1993. Effect of natural antioxidants on frozen bovine semen preservation. Theriogenology 40, 841851.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Beorlegui, N, Cetica, P, Trinchero, G, Cordoba, M, Beconi, M 1997. Comparative study of functional and biochemical parameters in frozen bovine sperm. Andrologia 29, 3742.Google Scholar
Bilodeau, JF, Blanchette, S, Gagnon, IC, Sirard, MA 2001. Thiols prevent H2O2- mediated loss of sperm motility in cryopreserved bull semen. Theriogenology 56, 275286.Google Scholar
Breininger, E, Beorlegui, NB, O’Flaherty, CM, Beconi, MT 2005. Alpha-tocopherol improves biochemical and dynamic parameters in cryopreserved boar semen. Theriogenology 63, 21262135.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brouwers, JFH, Gadella, BM 2003. In situ detection and localization of lipid peroxidation in individual bovine sperm cells. Free Radical Biology and Medicine 35, 13821391.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brzezinska-Slebodzinska, E, Slebodzinski, AB, Pietras, B, Wieczorek, G 1995. Antioxidant effect of Vitamin E and glutathione on lipid peroxidation in boar semen plasma. Biological Trace Element Research 47, 6974.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cao, G, Cutler, RG 1993. High concentrations of antioxidants may not improve defense against oxidative stress. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics 17, 189201.Google Scholar
Cerolini, S, Maldjian, A, Surai, P, Noble, R 2000. Viability susceptibility to peroxidation and fatty acid composition of boar semen during liquid storage. Animal Reproduction Science 58, 99111.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cerolini, S, Zaniboni, L, Maldjian, A, Gliozzi, T 2006. Effect of docosahexaenoic acid and α-tocopherol enrichment in chicken sperm on semen quality, sperm lipid composition and susceptibility to peroxidation. Theriogenology 66, 877886.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chatterjee, S, Gagnon, C 2001. Production of reactive oxygen species by spermatozoa undergoing cooling, freezing and thawing. Molecular Reproduction and Development 59, 451458.Google Scholar
Dalvit, GC, Cetica, PD, Beconi, MT 1998. Effect of α-tocopherol and ascorbic acid on bovine in vitro fertilization. Theriogenology 49, 619627.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Devi, GS, Prasad, MH, Saraswathi, I, Raghu, D, Rao, DN, Reddy, PP 2000. Free radicals antioxidant enzymes and lipid peroxidation in different types of leukemias. Clinica Chimica Acta 293, 5362.Google Scholar
Flohe, L, Otting, F 1984. Superoxide dismutase assays. Methods in Enzymology 105, 93104.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Foote, RH, Hare, E 2000. High catalase content of rabbit semen appears to be inherited. Journal of Andrology 21, 664668.Google Scholar
Foote, RH, Brockett, CC, Kaproth, MT 2002. Motility and fertility of bull sperm in whole milk extender containing antioxidants. Animal Reproduction Science 71, 1323.Google Scholar
Geva, E, Bartoov, B, Zabludovsky, N, Lessing, JB, Lerner-Geva, L, Amit, A 1996. The effect of antioxidant treatment on human spermatozoa and fertilization rate in an in vitro fertilization program. Fertility and Sterility 66, 430434.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goth, L 1991. A simple method for determination of serum catalase activity and revision of reference range. Clinica Chimica Acta 196, 143151.Google Scholar
Hammerstedt, RH, Graham, JK, Nolan, JP 1990. Cryopreservation of mammalian sperm: what we ask them to survive. Journal of Andrology 11, 7388.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hughes, CM, Lewis, SE, McKelvey-Martin, VJ, Thompson, W 1998. The effects of antioxidant supplementation during Percoll preparation on human sperm DNA integrity. Human Reproduction 13, 12401247.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lawrence, RA, Burk, RF 1976. Glutathione peroxidase activity in selenium-deficient rat liver. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 71, 952958.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Liu, M, Wallin, R, Wallmon, A, Saldeen, TV 2002. Mixed tocopherols have a stronger inhibitory effect on lipid peroxidation than α-tocopherol alone. Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology 39, 714721.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Massaeli, H, Sobrattee, S, Pierce, GN 1999. The importance of lipid solubility in antioxidants and free radical generating systems for determining lipoprotein peroxidation. Free Radical Biology and Medicine 26, 15241530.Google Scholar
Meister, A, Anderson, ME 1983. Glutathione. Annual Review of Biochemistry 52, 1160.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Niki, E 1987. Antioxidants in relation to lipid peroxidation. Chemistry and Physics of Lipids 44, 227253.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Osinowo, OA, Bale, JO, Oyedipe, EO, Eduvie, LO 1982. Motility and eosin uptake of formaldehyde-treated ram spermatozoa. Journal of Reproductive and Fertility 65, 389394.Google Scholar
Pena, FJ, Johannisson, A, Wallgren, M, Rodriguez Martinez, H 2003. Antioxidant supplementation in vitro improves boar sperm motility and mitochondrial membrane potential after cryopreservation of different fractions of the ejaculate. Animal Reproduction Science 78, 8598.Google Scholar
Richer, SC, Ford, WCL 2001. A critical investigation of NADPH oxidase activity in human spermatozoa. Molecular Human Reproduction 7, 237244.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Saleh, RA, Agarwall, A 2002. Oxidative stress and male infertility: from research bench to clinical practice. Journal of Andrology 23, 737752.Google Scholar
Sedlak, J, Lindsay, RHC 1968. Estimation of total, protein bound and non-protein sulfhydryl groups in tissue with Ellmann’s reagent. Analytical Biochemistry 25, 192205.Google Scholar
Sharma, RK, Agarwal, A 1996. Role of reactive oxygen species in male infertility. Urology 48, 835850.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Storey, BT 1997. Biochemistry of the induction and prevention of lipoperoxidative damage in human sperm atozoa. Molecular Human Reproduction 3, 203213.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Takanami, Y, Iwane, H, Kawai, Y, Shimomitsu, T 2000. Vitamin E supplementation and endurance exercise: are there benefits? Sports Medicine 29, 7383.Google Scholar
Upreti, GC, Jensen, K, Munday, R, Duganzich, DM, Vishwanath, R, Smith, JF 1998. Studies on aromatic amino acid oxidase activity in ram spermatozoa: role of pyruvate as an antioxidant. Animal Reproduction Science 51, 275287.Google Scholar
Verma, A, Kanwar, KC 1999. Effect of vitamin E on human sperm motility and lipid peroxidation in vitro. Asian Journal of Andrology 1, 151154.Google Scholar