Effect of cooled storage on quality and DNA integrity of Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) spermatozoa
P. Imrat A G , S. Mahasawangkul B , J. Gosálvez C , P. Suthanmapinanth D , P. Sombutputorn B , S. Jansittiwate B , N. Thongtip D , A. Pinyopummin D , B. Colenbrander A , W. V. Holt E and T. A. E. Stout A F
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Equine Sciences, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 114, 3584 CM, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
B National Elephant Institute, Forest Industry Organisation, Lampang 52190, Thailand.
C Departamento de Biología, Unidad de Genética, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), 28049 Madrid, Spain.
D Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Nakhonpathom 73140, Thailand.
E Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent’s Park, London, NW1 4RY, UK.
F Department of Production Animal Studies, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20 Hatfield, Pretoria 0028, South Africa.
G Corresponding author. Email: p.imrat@uu.nl
Reproduction, Fertility and Development 24(8) 1105-1116 https://doi.org/10.1071/RD11309
Submitted: 14 December 2011 Accepted: 21 March 2012 Published: 26 April 2012
Abstract
Artificial insemination (AI) is a potentially useful tool for breeding captive elephants because it facilitates efforts to minimise inbreeding. However, cooled storage of elephant semen markedly reduces fertility. This study compared the effects on semen-quality parameters, including sperm DNA fragmentation, of storing elephant semen at 4°C or 15°C in a commonly-used diluent (TEST) or a diluent developed to protect against sperm DNA damage (BullMax). Storing elephant semen for >24 h in either extender at either temperature resulted in decreases in sperm motility, viability, acrosome integrity and DNA integrity (P < 0.05); the decrease in motility was especially rapid. A subjective impression of circular sperm movement in TEST was confirmed by a higher curvilinear velocity and amplitude of lateral head displacement, but lower straight-line velocity and linearity than in BullMax. Initial percentages of spermatozoa with fragmented DNA (%SDF) did not differ between extenders or temperatures, but the rate of increase in %SDF during a 48-h incubation at 37°C was higher in TEST than in BullMax (P < 0.05). In conclusion, BullMax allows more linear movement and better preserves DNA stability of stored elephant spermatozoa than TEST. Sperm DNA stability during incubation at 37°C is a promising, discriminative parameter for selecting semen storage conditions of bulls for elephant AI.
Additional keywords: DNA dynamics, extender, SCD, sperm DNA fragmentation, sperm preservation, temperature.
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