170 Effect of the uterine content on the reduction of the viscosity of the semen of alpacas (Vicugna pacos)
J. Villanueva A , L. Auqui A , N. Silva A , E. Aisen B , W. Huanca A and W. Huanca AA Laboratory of Animal Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Perú
B Laboratory of Theriogenology, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Cinco Saltos (RN), Argentina
Reproduction, Fertility and Development 35(2) 212-212 https://doi.org/10.1071/RDv35n2Ab170
Published: 5 December 2022
© 2023 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of the IETS
Alpaca semen, like that of other camelids, has a high viscosity as a characteristic, which makes handling, evaluation, and conservation of semen difficult due to the effect on semen dilution with the dilutors used. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of the inclusion of uterine content on the reduction of semen viscosity. Semen from five alpacas were obtained by artificial vagina and split between two treatments: T1 (uterine content) and T2 (saline phosphate buffer). The uterine content was obtained by washing the uterus of alpacas with the presence of a follicle = 7 mm. The washings were subsequently centrifuged at 200 g × 20 min; the supernatant was removed with a pipette and placed in cryovials (0.5 mL) to keep them in liquid nitrogen until use. Semen obtained from five alpacas was evaluated for the variables (T0), viscosity, motility, and Hypo-osmotic swelling test (Host). The samples were gently homogenised with a pipette and incubated in a water bath at 37°C for evaluation at different times: T30 min (m), T60m, T90m, and T120m, for viscosity, motility, and Host. The R program was used, performing a 4 × 2 factorial arrangement. Since the viscosity data did not meet the assumptions of normality and homoscedasticity of variance, a nonparametric Kruskall Wallis test was chosen. The motility decreased with time, both for PBS and for CU (P < 0.000261), although there was no difference in treatment means (P > 0.301) or the interaction of time and treatment (P > 0.876). Motility differed between T30 and T120 (P < 0.0001511) and T30–T90 (P < 0.010778). The Host results differed with time (P < 0.0428), but not between treatments (P > 0.0576) or the interaction of time and treatment (P > 0.912); T30–T120 (P > 0.04393). Regarding viscosity, differences can be seen between the two treatments at times T30 and T120 (P < 0.010), T60 and T120 (P < 0.011), T90 and T30 (P < 0.011), and T90 and T60 (P < 0.022). In conclusion, both PBS and CU would help to decrease seminal viscosity but both treatments decrease sperm quality over time.
This research was supported by Financiado por el Proyecto N° 149-2017 – CIENCIACTIVA.
