Effect of Freezing on Spermatozoa from Tigaie Rams Belonging to the Mountain Ecotype

Authors

  • Vasile Miclea University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Animal Husbandry and Biotechnologies, 3-5 Mănăştur Street, 400372, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
  • Marius Zăhan University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Animal Husbandry and Biotechnologies, 3-5 Mănăştur Street, 400372, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
  • Ileana Miclea University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Animal Husbandry and Biotechnologies, 3-5 Mănăştur Street, 400372, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
  • Elena Ilișiu Research and Development Station for Sheep and Goat Breeding, 11, Dedradului Street, 545300, Reghin, Romania
  • Alexandru Rusu University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Animal Husbandry and Biotechnologies, 3-5 Mănăştur Street, 400372, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
  • Florin Varo-Ghiuru University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Animal Husbandry and Biotechnologies, 3-5 Mănăştur Street, 400372, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Keywords:

freezing, mountain ecotype, ram semen, Tsigaie

Abstract

Our aim was to study the influence of freezing on the viability and frequency of abnormalities in frozen ram spermatozoa. Sperm was collected form 20 rams belonging to the mountain ecotype of the Tigaie breed using the artificial vagina technique and volume and motility were assessed. Afterward it was diluted with Tryladil (1:4) supplemented with 20% egg yolk and heated at 37°C. Subsequently the temperature decreased at a rate of 0.2°C/minute until reaching 4°C and an equilibration time of 2 hours followed. During this time the diluted sperm was packaged in 0.25 ml straws. After sealing these were kept 6 cm above liquid nitrogen level for 13 minutes (-120°C) and then plunged into nitrogen. Volume, motility and concentration were assessed before freezing. After thawing sperm morphology was assessed using Hancock’s method and at the same time the endurance (at 10, 30 and 60 minutes) and HOST tests were performed. The highest motility (0.40) was graded at 30 minutes. It could be correlated with the increased percentage of HOST positive spermatozoa, 27.78%. The percentage of abnormal spermatozoa was also high (47.89%), 38.44% of them having acrosome flaws. Cryopreservation has a negative effect on the characteristics of sperm cells from Tigaie rams belonging to the mountain ecotype.

References

Zăhan, M., Miclea, V., Ghiuru, F., Roman, I., Rusu, Al., Miclea, I., Mihăilescu, M., The influence of freezing on some rare breeds boar semen cryopreservation, Bulletin UASVM Cluj-Napoca, Animal Science an Biotechnologies, 2010, 67, 1-2, 492

Miclea, V., Zăhan, M., Rău, V., Nagy, Al., Miclea, I., Reproductive activity of Tsigaie sheep belonging to the hill and mountain ecotypes, UASMV Timişoara, Scientific Papers, Animal Science and Biotechnologies, 2010, 43, 1, 192-194

Barbas, J. P., Mascarenhas, R. D., Cryopreser-

vation of domestic animal sperm cells, Cell and Tissue Banking, 2008, 10, 1, 49-62

Curry, M.R., Cryopreservation of Mammalian Semen In Methods in Molecular Biology-Cryopreservation and Freeze-Drying Protocols, Day J. G., and Stacey G. N., Ed., Humana Press, 2007, pp. 303-311

Downloads

Published

2023-11-01

Issue

Vol. 44 No. 1 (2011): Scientific Papers: Animal Science and Biotechnologies

Section

Animal Reproduction

License

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.