Abstract

Flow cytometry is a useful tool that provides an accurate, objective and rapid evaluation of semen quality. The use ofthis technique could significantly improve the quality of buffalo semen samples used in artificial insemination. Thisstudy was carried out to evaluate, by flow cytometry, frozen-thawed buffalo spermatozoa quality parameters suchas sperm viability by SYBR-14 / propidium iodide staining; mitochondrial function by JC-1 potentiometric probe; spermchromatin stability (SCSA) by acridine orange; and acrosome reaction (AR) by FITC-PNA staining. Semen samples fromfive Italian Mediterranean buffalo bulls were used. Sperm viability was not different between bulls and ranged from33.4% to 43.6%. A consistent rate (55.1 ± 10.8%) of sperm cells showed high mitochondrial membrane potential (Dwhigh),with no significant differences between subjects. Sperm chromatin structure assay differed significantly between the fivebuffalo bulls; moreover, data showed high stability within each buffalo. DNA fragmentation indexes (DFI), such as %-DFI,X-DFI, SD-DFI, were 11.2 ± 8.6, 153.3 ± 24.6 and 81.6 ± 21.2, respectively. Regarding AR, the percentage ofacrosome-reacted live (ARL) and acrosome-reacted dead (ARD) spermatozoa was 0.3 ± 0.2 and 15.3 ± 5.5, respec-tively. This functional parameter differed significantly between buffalo bulls and showed high stability. Following to Ca2+ionophore A23187 for 3 h, AR significantly differed between subjects and was characterized by an increase in both ARL(10.8%) and ARD population (22.0%). This study indicates that flow cytometry could be a useful tool for a quickmultiparametric evaluation of sperm quality in buffalo. In particular, SCSA and AR resulted in sperm functionalparameters sensitive enough for the diagnosis of frozen-thawed semen fertilizing potential.

Autore Pugliese

• Minervini Fiorenza

Tutti gli autori

• Minervini F. ; Guastamacchia R. ; Pizzi F. ; Dell'Aquila M.E. ; Barile V.L.

Titolo volume/Rivista

Reproduction in domestic animals

Anno di pubblicazione

2012

ISSN

0936-6768

ISBN

Non Disponibile

Numero di citazioni Wos

Nessuna citazione

Ultimo Aggiornamento Citazioni

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Numero di citazioni Scopus

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Ultimo Aggiornamento Citazioni

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Settori ERC

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Codici ASJC

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