Selenium in blood, semen, seminal plasma and spermatozoa of stallions and its relationship to sperm quality
H. Bertelsmann A D , S. Keppler B , M. Höltershinken C , H. Bollwein C , D. Behne A , D. Alber A , G. Bukalis A , A. Kyriakopoulos A and H. Sieme BA Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie, Department of Elemental Analytics, Hahn-Meitner Platz 1, 14109 Berlin, Germany.
B University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover Foundation, Clinic for Horses, Unit for Reproductive Medicine of Clinics, Bünteweg 15, 30559 Hannover, Germany.
C University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover Foundation, Clinic for Cattle, Bischofsholer Damm 15, 30173 Hannover, Germany.
D Corresponding author. Email: bertelsmann@helmholtz-berlin.de
Reproduction, Fertility and Development 22(5) 886-891 https://doi.org/10.1071/RD10032
Submitted: 23 February 2010 Accepted: 22 March 2010 Published: 22 April 2010
Abstract
The essential trace element selenium is indispensable for male fertility in mammals. Until now, little data existed regarding the relationship between selenium and sperm quality in the stallion. Selenium, or selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase activity, was determined in red blood cells, semen, seminal plasma and spermatozoa, and the percentages of spermatozoa with progressive motility (PMS), intact membranes (PMI), altered (positive) acrosomal status (PAS) and detectable DNA damage, determined by the sperm chromatin structure assay, were evaluated in 41 healthy stallions (three samples each). The pregnancy rate per oestrus cycle (PRC) served as an estimation of fertility. An adverse effect on stallion fertility caused by low dietary selenium intake was excluded, as all stallions had sufficient selenium levels in their blood. Interestingly, no significant correlations (P > 0.05) between the selenium level in blood and the selenium level in seminal plasma or spermatozoa were found, suggesting that the selenium level in blood is no indicator of an adequate selenium supply for spermatogenesis. The selenium level in spermatozoa (nmol billion–1) was correlated with PMI, PMS and PAS (r = 0.40, r = 0.31 and r = –0.42, respectively; P ≤ 0.05), and the selenium concentration in spermatozoa (nmol g–1) was correlated with PRC (r = 0.40, P < 0.03). The results of the present study show that the determination of an adequate selenium status for the male equine reproduction requires the analysis of selenium in spermatozoa. Furthermore, selenium is associated with improved sperm quality and fertility in the stallion.
Additional keywords: glutathione peroxidase, male fertility.
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