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ARS Home » Plains Area » Clay Center, Nebraska » U.S. Meat Animal Research Center » Livestock Bio-Systems » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #185542
Title: VALIDATION OF THE SPERM MOBILITY ASSAY IN BOARS AND STALLIONS

Author
item VIZCARRA, JORGE - TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY
item Ford, Johny

Submitted to: Theriogenology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/16/2006
Publication Date: 9/1/2006
Citation: Vizcarra, J.A., Ford, J.J. 2006. Validation of the sperm mobility assay in boars and stallions. Theriogenology. 66(5):1091-1097.

Interpretive Summary: A reliable method to estimate fertility of boars is currently unavailable to the swine industry. The present study evaluated a sperm mobility assay that is presently used to predict fertility of roosters and turkey toms and optimized the protocol for use with boar sperm. Sperm cells (300 ul of 50 million viable cells/ml) were overlaid in a cuvette filled with Accudenz at 37C. After a 5-min incubation, the absorbance of the Accudenz solution was measured as an estimate of the number of sperm that entered the Accudenz layer. Variation for this attribute of sperm cells was observed in a group of boars. Future studies will evaluate repeatability of this attribute within individual boars and the association of this with fertility.

Technical Abstract: The sperm mobility assay measures the rate of sperm penetration in a biologically inert cell separation solution (Accudenz). When a sample of sperm is overlaid in a cuvette containing Accudenz, the sperm penetrates the solution and the absorbance of the sample can be measured using a spectrophotometer. The mobility assay has been successfully used as a criterion to select chicken and turkey semen donors. To validate the mobility assay in mammalian species, we used semen from boars and stallions. Absorbance was measured in fresh ejaculates from both species after overlaying the sperm sample in prefilled cuvettes for 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 40 min. No significant differences were observed when sperm cells were incubated in prewarmed cuvettes at 37, 39 or 41 degree C. However, a minimum concentration of 5 x 107 viable sperm/mL was needed to evaluate the rate of sperm penetration in boars. The time at which the absorbance was half-maximal was 5.4 min for boar sperm cells and 14.1 min for stallions. Frequency analysis from boars (n = 24) suggested a normal distribution of the mobility values. Positive correlations between mobility values and several Computer-Aided Sperm Analysis (CASA) parameters were obtained. Additionally, multiple ejaculates from single males were obtained, and a medium repeatability for the mobility values was observed. We concluded that the mobility assay can be tailored to mammalian species. In addition, our data suggest that there is phenotypic variation in the mobility estimates in boars.