LUCRĂRI ŞTIINłIFICE MEDICINĂ VETERINARĂ VOL. XLI, 2008, TIMIŞOARA
PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PARAMETERS OF BOAR SPERM
ILINCA FRUNZĂ, H. CERNESCU, GABRIELA KORODI
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Timisoara, Calea Aradului No. 119, Romania
[email protected]
Summary
Sperm analysis allows evaluation of fertility potential of a male, the causes of
infertility and of seminal material quality.
Sperm evaluation must be done rapidly, in short time after collecting, to allow
processing regarding initial quality and fertility maintenance. The careful corroboration of
most test results offers the necessary criteria for high fertilization capacity ejaculate
selection. Ejaculates are analyzed from more point of views as: color, odor, viscosity, pH, but
also concentration, mobility, anomalies, etc., unitary criteria are used for estimation of the
obtained results.
Sperm parameters vary from one individual to another, being influenced by many
exogenous agents (alimentation, the regime of utilization in reproduction, comfort, stress
etc.) or endogenous agents (genetic, neuroendocrin etc.). Sperm quality can be modified
due to mentioned factors which influence on spermatogenesis activity of testicles, but also
due to prostatic diseases.
Sperm examination, regarding evaluation of male aptitudes must be complex and
precise. This consists in a macroscopic and a microscopic examination.
Key words: Boar, semen, parameters
Physical parameter of boar semen describe in this review is: the sperm
volume, color, odor, pH, sperm concentration and spermatozoa mobility
Sperm volume is a physical sperm parameter, evaluated immediately after
ejaculate collection. In boars, ejaculate volume varies in relation with: age,
individual, ejaculates frequency, overheads status, feeding, health status, collection
way, stress agents, collection moment, etc. Younger boars have a diminishing
ejaculate volume, arriving to maximum at sexual maturity (5 - 8 months), and the
level remains increased until andropause (7 - 8 years) (2, 11)
Main boar ejaculate volume is 250 ml, with variation between 100 and 1200 ml
(5)
After LABUSSIERE (15), average boar ejaculate volume is 150 – 250 ml.
After HAFEZ (7), main boar ejaculate volume is 100 – 150 ml.
KOMMISRUD et al. (14), studying boar ejaculates obtained from 4 breeds,
the following results in values of ejaculates volume: Duroc 147 ± 47 g; Landrace
265 ± 77 g; Duroc/Landrace 253 ± 72 g, Yorkshire 245 ± 99 g.
After STRZEZEK et al. (20) average boar ejaculate volume is 250 ml.
Researches made by JOHNSON et al. (11), on 4 boar breeds, found the
following average values for ejaculate volume: Landrace 252 ± 12.5ml; York 243 ±
29.7 ml; Duroc 170 ± 15.1 ml; Chester 187 ± 27.0 ml.
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After ARDELEAN (2), average of boar sperm volume is 200 – 250 ml (125 – 1000
ml).
The average of boar sperm volume at one ejaculate is 250 ml, with
variations between 50 and 400 ml and represents the highest main ejaculate
volume, in comparison with the other reproduction males of domestic animals. It is
due to abundant secretion of accessory reproductive glands, especially of seminal
vesicles. Bulb-urethral glands secretion is also abundant and it forms the
gelatinous part of the sperm (7, 8).
When the volume is very low it is considered inadequate because between
ejaculate volume and the other characteristics there is a positive correlation.
Deviations from normal of one ejaculate sperm volume can be found in all ages of
boars, and these deviations are considered as pathological (19).
Generally more decreased ejaculate volume is obtained from younger
boars. Frequent ejaculation determines decreased volumes, and in case of
consecutive collection of two ejaculates, the second one will surely have a lower
volume. The decreased volume has not necessarily pathological signification, but it
is accompanied by a low concentration of spermatozoa (13, 16).
Sperm color is an important physical semen parameter.
Normal color of boar sperm is white, with bluish shadows. If collections are
repeated many times during one day, spermatic liquid become clearer due to
spermatozoa concentration decreasing.
Normal color of sperm can present different shades, being influenced by
different factors: (1, 2, 4, 7, 16, 20 )
■ Yellow color can be determined by reproductive male feeding with high
carotene containing forages, by the existence of some suppurative processes localized in
different levels of the genital track, or maybe because of urine presence;
■ Tawny-pink color indicates the presence of red cells in sperm, which
proceed from different lesions in the genital track (bleeding in the penis, prepuce,
urethra and prostate). It is essential to determine blood precedence origin. Often
bleeding appears due to ruptured urethral blood vessels during the harvests. If it is
not recurrent, this bleeding must not be a problem. Tawny-pink color can also be
caused by some long-term treatments with phenothiazine or with prontosil;
■ Brown color indicates the presence of destroyed red cells or denotes a
prostatic infection;
■ Greenish-bluish color is observed in the case of oligospermy or
treatments with methylene blue.
Opaque aspect of the sperm is observed in some testicular diseases or sex
accessory glands diseases, wherein there are some pathological statuses.
Sperm odor is a characteristic one, it resembles with the odor of a newboiled and razed bone or it can be resembled with the odor of reeking milk (2).
In some cases color of the sperm can be affected by drugs, administrated
to the reproductive male, by consumed plants or maybe by urine or putrefaction.
Sperm pH is an important indicator for seminal material quality.
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After KING and MacPHERSON (13) the pH of the principal boar sperm
fraction is 7.69 ± 0.33.
Studies made by PAULENZ et al. (19) had shown that boar sperm pH,
close after collection is 7.21. It decreases significantly to 6.69 and 7.06 after
maintain the sperm 96 hours at 25ºC respectively 20ºC. pH value increases
insignificantly to 7.25 if the sperm is kept at 15 ºC and to 7.29 when storage
temperature is 10 ºC.
After NEWTH and LEVIS, (18), boar sperm has pH 7.5.
STRZEZEK et al. (20) had determined boar sperm pH from four different
breeds and they obtained the following results: Landrace 7.1 ± 0.06; York 7.1 ±
0.07; Duroc 7.1 ± 0.07; Chester 6.9 ± 0.08.
Sperm pH in collection moment, higher than 8 denotes a low quality sperm or
the presence of an infectious process in the genital tract or in accessory sex glands.
Within the species and in the same male indeed, sperm pH can differ from
one ejaculate to another.
The explanation is that inside the epidydim pH mean is 6.10 and can
oscillate between 5.57 and 6.9. Because of the acid medium, spermatozoa from
epidydim are in anabiosis being immobiles.
Accessory sex glands contribution, with lower or higher secretion levels to
the ejaculate, will determine an alkaline or more acid reaction. pH changes
negatively influence spermatozoa viability and motility (6, 12, 13).
Sperm concentration is an important indicator of sperm quality and represents
the start point, inside of storage technologies, for establishing sperm dilution level.
For spermatozoa number determination, in the current practice many
determination methods can be used: hemocytometric method; spectrophotometric
method; spermiodensimetric method (Karras); computerized method (17).
After HAFEZ (7), the mean of spermatozoa concentration of boar sperm is
0.1-0.2x108 spermatozoa/ml.
KOMMISRUD et al. (14), studying boar ejaculates from 4 breeds had
obtained the following values for sperm concentration in spermatozoa: Duroc 133 ±
49 X 106 spermatozoa/ml; Landrace 86 ± 32 x 106 spermatozoa/ml;
Duroc/Landrace 100 ± 21 X 106 spermatozoa/ml; Yorkshire 117 ± 35 x 106
spermatozoa/ml.
After LABUSSIERE (15), boar sperm mean concentration in spermatozoa
is 200-300 million /ml.
TURBA et al. (21), considering concentration, inserts boar sperm as being
a dense ejaculate which contains between 0.151 and 0.400 billion spermatozoa/ml.
STRZEZEK et al. (20), analyzing ejaculates from four different breeds of
boars obtained the following values for sperm concentration: Landrace 286 ± 8.072
x 106 spermatozoa/ml; York 211 ± 22.07 x 106 spermatozoa/ml; Duroc 315 ± 47.43
6
6
x 10 spermatozoa/ml; Chester 363 ± 50.16 x 10 spermatozoa/ml.
Boar sperm mean concentration is 100 - 300 million/ml, so, boar sperm is
of 5-10 times less concentrated than bull sperm and approximately equal in
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concentration with stallion sperm. Variation limits are very large, between 10 million
and 1 billion spermatozoa/ml (4).
Spermatozoa mobility determination is considered as being one of the
most important stages of sperm examination.
Mobility and viability of spermatozoa depend on the optimal proportion
between prostatic and vesicular fluids. Seminal glands secretion contains one or
more factors which have negative effect on spermatozoa motility and viability. On
the other hand, prostatic fluid stimulates motility, so that in contact with this one,
spermatozoa are protected from the negative effect of vesicular fluid (17, 22).
Normal spermatozoa movement is a rectilinear, monoplane, forward motion with
rapid movements of tail. Beside this rectilinear, normal motion, spermatozoa present
abnormal movements too, as: rotary or “in manege”, vibratory, retrograde, etc (22).
The most fertile ejaculates are those which have a progressive mobility of
80% from spermatozoa (6).
Spermatozoa which are moving normally, have different speeds,
depending on biological value of sperm, on storage temperature and duration, and
not at last on utero-cervico-vaginal secretion quality, formed by the females in
estrus.
Photoelectric, electronic and computerized sperm analyzing methods,
allow a precise evaluation of spermatozoa mobility, their trajectory, and movement
speed and also of the types of observed motions. Spermatozoa mobility estimation
is also possible by using the cervical mucus test (9, 17).
STRZEZEK et al (20), analyzing ejaculates of boars from 4 different breeds
had obtained the following values for spermatozoa mobility. Landrace 0.86 ± 0.16
µm/s, York 0.86 ± 0.18 µm/s, Duroc 0.88 ± 0.14 µm/s, Chester 0.80 ± 0.00 µm/s.
Chemical Parameters of boar semen. Knowing the chemical composition
of seminal plasma is important in establishing diluents for sperm so that allows
maintaining and prolonging of spermatozoa viability during the entire conservation.
Sperm contains 8% organic substance and 2% mineral substances
summarizing 10 % of dry substance beside 90% water (16).
Glucydes are inside the spermatozoa and seminal plasma. These have an
important role in energetic metabolism. Glucydes concentration depends on the
testosterone level and on season. After HOLT and HARRISON (9), boar sperm
contains 77 mg glucydes/ 100 ml.
After TURBA et al. (21) boar sperm contains 6-18 mg %/ml sorbitol and 2040 mg%/ml fructose.
Boar sperm is abundant in inositol, being in average 600-725 mg%. Inositol quantity
from boar sperm is 10 times bigger than in bull semen and 20 times bigger than in stallion
semen. Its role is to assure osmotic pressure in boars seminal liquid (10, 14, 16)
Boar semen contains very high levels of sialic acid (2).
Citric acid from boar sperm proceeds from seminal vesicles and it is in
quantity of 130 mg% (4). After HUANG et al. (10) citric acid is in quantity of 140 mg
%, and 110 – 260 mg % after HAFEZ (7).
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In researches made by AGARWAL et al. (1) on boar seminal material, was
observed that lipoproteins are 404.02 ± 27.82 mg% and glycerilphosphorilcolin
quantities vary between 110 and 240 mg%.
For WATSON (23), the distribution of phospholipids in boar spermatozoa is
following: sphingomyelins 12.6%, phosphatidylserines 2.4%, colinplasmalogen 9.8%,
phosphatidylcholine 37.4%, ethanolaminplasmalogen 10.8%, phosphatidylethanolamine
13.8%, cardiolipins 3% and other lipids 10.5%.
Researches made by CENTURION et al. (3) had determined in boar sperm
a mean protein quantity of 1.84 ± 0.074 g%.
CHEMINADE et al. (5) had qualitatively identified and quantitatively dozed
amino acids from boar sperm. Glutamic acid was found in highest quantities:
64.96±2.73 mg%, the methionine 11.9 mg%, glycine 4.71 ± 0.7 mg%, aspartic acid
2.91±0.46 mg%.
Boar sperm is the richest in ergothioneine, with seminal plasma content
varying between 5 and 250 mg% (6).
In boar sperm, total nitrogen, from wich a great part is of proteic nature and
it is in high quantity, being mean 615 mg%, with variations between 335 and 765
mg%. So, from a quantitative point of view, in boar sperm total nitrogen is the third
organic compound (after protein and inositol) (12).
Protein quantity from sperm is lower than the one from blood plasma. In
boar, the protein content in sperm varies between 3.26 and 4.0 g %.
Hyaluronidase activity, expressed in reductive viscosity units toward
hyaluronic acid solution in boar sperm, is 650 – 1000 U.V.R./ml (9).
Sperm is rich in androgenic and estrogenic hormones and contains many
enzymes as: catalaze, phosphataze, mucinaze, hyaluronidaze, trypsine, amilaze,
lipase and colinesteraze (23)
Alcaline phosphataze is most of testicular origin and it is correlated with
spermatogenesis and sexual maturity, in boar the activity of this enzyme is
between 23 and 312 Bodanski units. Acid phosphataze is mostly of prostatic origin,
in boar the activity of this enzyme is between 0 and 152 Bodanski units (17).
Researches made by HOLT et al. (8) showed that enzymatic activity of
alkaline phosphataze from fresh sperm was of a mean of 73.83 ± 8 Bodanski units.
Biochemical studies made on seminal plasma showed that this biologic
liquid contains almost all the known vitamins (A, C, D, B complex, etc.), the
proportion of these in sperm being directly influenced by vitamin content of the
ratio. C vitamin is indispensable for spermatozoa viability, low concentration of this
vitamin being followed by a weak fecundity (1, 6).
Boar sperm contains highest mean inorganic substances quantities. Sperm
contains a mineral salt which, on first hand, assures the necessary osmotic
pressure for keeping spermatozoa membrane integrity, and on the other hand, by
presenting ions it contributes to enzymes activation. (14)
STRZEZEK et al (20) observed that in boar sperm sodium is 660 mg% (with
variations between 290 and 850 mg%), chlorine 330 mg% (with variations between 150
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mg% and 430 mg%) and potassium 260 mg % (with variations between 90 mg% and
440 mg%), mean magnesium quantity is 11 mg% (with variations between 5 and 15
mg%), calcium between 2 –6 mg% and inorganic phosphor 2 mg%.
For MANN and LUTWAK-MANN (16), electrolytes distributions in boar
seminal plasma is the following: sodium 280 – 840 mg%; potassium 69 – 300
mg%; calcium 3 – 9 mg%; magnesium 5 – 14 mg%; chloride 220 – 450 mg%.
From the researches made on boar sperm regarding the mineral substances
content of sperm, HAFEZ (7), obtained the following mean values: sodium 178±11 mg%;
potassium 89±4 mg%; calcium 6±2 mg%; magnesium 6±0.8 mg%; chloride 86 mg%.
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