L-carnitine is a survival factor for chilled storage of rooster semen for a long time.

Rooster sperm is sensitive to cooling, which restricts procedures to store sperms for extended periods of time for artificial insemination of commercial flocks. This study was conducted to evaluate the suitability of adding L-carnitine (LC) to chilled-storage of rooster sperm and its effects on sperm quality parameters and its fertility potential during storage at 5 °C. Pooled semen from roosters were divided into six equal aliquots and diluted with media supplemented with different concentrations of LC (0, 0.5, 1, 2, 4 and 8 mM LC). Diluted semen samples were cooled to 5 °C and stored over 48 h. Motility, viability, membrane functionality, lipid peroxidation and mitochondria activity of the sperm were assessed at 0, 24 and 48 h of storage. Moreover, fertility potential of chilled stored sperm was considered at 24 h of storage. While sperm quality was not affected by LC at the beginning of storage (0 h), supplementation of extender with 1 and 2 mM of LC significantly improved the percentage of sperm motility, viability, membrane integrity and mitochondria activity at 24 h and 48 h compared to other groups. Lipid peroxidation was significantly reduced in sperm samples diluted with 1 and 2 mM LC at 24 h (2.15 ± 0.52 nmol/ml and 2.21 ± 0.52 nmol/ml) and 48 h (3.42 ± 0.49 nmol/ml and 3.38 ± 0.49 nmol/ml) compared to other groups. Furthermore, fertility rates during artificial insemination using sperms cooled for 24 h in the presence of 1 and 2 mM LC were significantly higher (78%) than in the control group (64%). These findings suggest that optimum doses of LC could protect rooster sperm against cool storage-induced functional and structural damages.

Fattah A ，Sharafi M ，Masoudi R ，Shahverdi A ，Esmaeili V ... -  《-》

Improvement of rooster semen quality using coenzyme Q10 during cooling storage in the Lake extender.

Sensitivity of rooster semen to stressful condition of cooling restricts the semen storage in commercial flocks for artificial insemination. This study was accomplished to investigate the effect of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) addition to the Lake extender during chilled-storage on the parameters of sperm quality and fertility performance. Roosters' pooled semen samples were assigned into equal parts and diluted with Lake extender supplemented with different concentrations of CoQ10 (0, 1, 2, 5 and 10 μM CoQ10). Then, semen samples were cooled to 5 °C and stored over 48 h. Total and progressive motilities, abnormal morphology, viability, membrane functionality, lipid peroxidation (LPO) and mitochondria active potential of diluted sperm were evaluated at 0, 24 and 48 h of cooling storage. Fertility performance of cooled stored semen was examined at 24 h of cooling storage. Although CoQ10 did not affect sperm quality at the starting time of cooling storage (0 h), extender supplementation with 5 μM of CoQ10 showed higher (P ≤ 0.05) sperm total and progressive motilities, membrane functionality, viability and mitochondria active potential at 24 h as well as total motility, viability and membrane functionality at 48 h in contrast with other groups. Moreover, lipid peroxidation was lower (P ≤ 0.05) in semen samples diluted with 5 μM CoQ10 at 24 and 48 h compared to others. After artificial insemination with 24 h chilled-stored sperm, fertility efficiency was higher (P ≤ 0.05) in treatments contained 5 μM CoQ10 compared to the control group. According to the results, using optimum dose of CoQ10 could be helpful to save rooster semen against chilled storage structural and functional damages.

Masoudi R ，Sharafi M ，Pourazadi L 《-》

L-Carnitine in rooster semen cryopreservation: Flow cytometric, biochemical and motion findings for frozen-thawed sperm.

Rooster semen cryopreservation is not efficient for artificial insemination in breeder flocks. L-Carnitine (LC) has been evaluated for effectiveness in cryopreservation media on the characteristics of rooster sperm after freeze-thawing. Motility characteristics, membrane functionality, abnormal morphology, apoptotic like changes, mitochondria activity and lipid peroxidation of rooster sperms were assessed after freeze-thawing with different concentrations of LC in Beltsville medium. Semen samples were collected from 12 roosters, twice a week, and diluted in the extenders that contained different concentrations of LC. Supplementation of Beltsevile with 1 and 2 mM LC was found to result in higher total motility (68.2± 1.7% and 69.1± 1.7%, respectively), progressive motility (28.4± 1.6%, 29.8± 1.6%), membrane functionality (76.2± 1.9% and 75.9± 1.9%), viability (58.2 ± 1.1%, 59.1 ± 1.1%) and lower significant of lipid peroxidation (2.53 ± 0.08 nmol/ml, 2.49 ± 0.08 nmol/ml) compared to control group containing no LC. Lower motility, progressive motility, and viability were observed in frozen-thawed sperm in extender containing 8 mM LC (35.8± 1.7%, 9.6± 1.2% and 27.1 ± 1.2%, respectively) compared to control. Morphology and mitochondrial activity were not affected by different concentrations of LC. Our results showed that supplementation of Beltsville extender with 1 and 2 mM LC significantly improved the quality of rooster sperm quality after freeze-thawing.

Fattah A ，Sharafi M ，Masoudi R ，Shahverdi A ，Esmaeili V ，Najafi A ... -  《-》

Supplementation of chilling storage medium with glutathione protects rooster sperm quality.

This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of addition of reduced glutathione (GSH) to the extender on the rooster's semen quality parameters and fertility potential. Semen samples were diluted with Lake extender contained 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 4 and 8 mM GSH. Then, were chilled to 5 °C and stored for a period of 48 h. Sperm motion characteristics, viability, membrane integrity, lipid peroxidation, mitochondrial activity and fertility potential were evaluated. At the initiation of the experiment (0 h), GSH did not affect sperm parameters, while 2-4 mM GSH improved (P ≤ 0.05) quality indicators during storage periods. Moreover, the samples treated with 2-4 mM GSH have had a lower lipid peroxidation compared to other groups (P ≤ 0.05). Artificial insemination using the semen samples, which had been stored in groups treated with 2-4 mM GSH for a period of 24 h, led to greater (P ≤ 0.05) fertilizing potential compared to the control group.

Masoudi R ，Sharafi M ，Pourazadi L ，Dadashpour Davachi N ，Asadzadeh N ，Esmaeilkhanian S ，Dirandeh E ... -  《-》

Cysteamine enhances quality and fertility potential of rooster semen in cooled storage.

This study investigated the effects of supplementing Lake extender with cysteamine (CYS) on rooster semen quality in cold storage and it's fertility performance. Semen samples were diluted with Lake extender supplemented with different concentrations of CYS (0, 1, 2, 4 and 8 mM) and were cooled and stored at 5 °C for a period of 46 h. Motility, membrane functionality, viability, lipid peroxidation, and mitochondria membrane potential were evaluated at 0, 23 and 46 h of storage. Fertility was assessed at 23 h of storage. Although at the beginning time (0 h), parameters were not affected, 1 mM of CYS improved (P ≤ 0.05) total motility, progressive motility and mitochondria membrane potential during 23 and 46 h storage. Moreover, 1 and 2 mM CYS improved (P ≤ 0.05) membrane functionality and viability compared to other groups. Lipid peroxidation was lower (P ≤ 0.05) in samples diluted with 1 and 2 mM CYS compared to the others. Artificial insemination with 23-hrs cooled-stored semen produced the higher (P ≤ 0.05) fertility rate in groups received 1 and 2 mM CYS compared to the control group. In conclusion, addition of 1 and 2 mM CYS to the extender could be helpful to protect rooster semen against structural and functional damages of cooling storage process.

Masoudi R ，Esmaeilkhanian S ，Sharafi M ，Abdollahi Z ，Jafari V ，Hatefi A ，Zarei F ，Asadzadeh N ，Sadeghipanah A ，Barfourooshi HJ ，Banabazi MH ... -  《-》