Mito‐TEMPO Improves Post‐Thaw Quality and Fertilizing Capacity of Rooster Semen Cryopreserved in Beltsville Extender
Mahdi Mokhtari, Mahdi Khodaei‐Motlagh, Reza Masoudi, Mohsen SharafiABSTRACT
Background
Rooster semen cryopreservation is a reproductive technology carried out to boost genetic gain and productivity in chicken's commercial flocks. However, semen cryopreservation significantly decreases the quality and fertilizing potential of sperm cells.
Objectives
This study evaluated cryoprotective effects of the mitochondria‐targeted antioxidant Mito‐TEMPO added to the freezing medium by assessing post‐thaw characteristics of rooster sperm.
Methods
Semen samples were diluted in the Beltsville extender supplemented with 0, 1, 10, 100 or 1000 µM of Mito‐TEMPO. Following the thawing of frozen semen doses, we examined the following sperm parameters: motility, membrane integrity, morphology, mitochondrial activity, acrosome integrity, viability, apoptosis status, lipid peroxidation, DNA fragmentation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, and fertilizing ability.
Results
Semen diluted in extenders containing 10 or 100 µM of Mito‐TEMPO significantly exceeded all other groups of frozen‐thawed semen samples in sperm motility, average path velocity as well as membrane/acrosome integrity and mitochondrial activity. Moreover, the addition of 10 and 100 µM of Mito‐TEMPO significantly decreased lipid peroxidation, apoptosis rate, DNA fragmentation, and ROS concentrations compared with all cryopreserved groups and was associated with a higher ( p ≤ 0.05) fertilization rate compared with a non‐supplemented control group, albeit it was still significantly lower compared with that obtained using fresh semen.
Conclusions
It could be concluded that Mito‐TEMPO improved an array of quality parameters and fertilizing potential of rooster semen and hence can be recommended for use as a diluent additive in semen cryopreservation procedures employed in commercial poultry operations.