Seminal plasma evaluation and prediction of semen quality in stallions

Use of biochemical and protein profiles of seminal plasma to prediction of semen quality and fertility in stallions
Pol J Vet Sci. 2021 Dec;24(4):505-514. doi: 10.24425/pjvs.2021.139975.
Authors
C Stelletta 1 , S Alberti 2 , B Cil 3 , K Tekin 3 , M B Tirpan 3 , M Arganaraz 4 , E Akcay 3 , A Daskin 3
Affiliations

1 Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health, University of Padova, Agripolis, Viale dell’Università – 35020 Legnaro, Italy.
2 Practitioner, Veneto Region, Italy.
3 Department of Animal Reproduction and Artificial Insemination, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ankara University, 06110, Ankara, Turkey.
4 Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas (INSIBIO) and Instituto de Biología “Dr. Francisco D. Barbieri”, Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia, UNT Chacabuco 461, T4000ILI, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina.

PMID: 35179838
DOI: 10.24425/pjvs.2021.139975

Abstract

The identification of various substances in seminal plasma has opened the way to study their functionality. It was aimed to identify the electrophoretic protein profile (EPP) and biochemical parameters (BP) of seminal plasma (SP) as predictors of semen quality and fertility in stallion. Forty-six ejaculates from 7 fertile stallions, aged between 6-26 years, were collected from May to July and 117 mares were used to obtain fertility data. For each ejaculate, volume, sperm motility, concentration were determined and seminal plasma samples were collected to perform one- -dimensional electrophoresis and biochemical profiling. Following the estrus detection, mares were inseminated with fresh sperm. Pregnancy rates and foal rates were recorded. The concentration of 15-18 kDa molecular weight (MW) proteins has shown a positive correlation with sperm concentration and foal rate. Besides, a strong positive correlation was found between sperm concentration and 23-28 kDa MW proteins (r=0.77). The volume of 19-22 kDa MW proteins was negatively correlated with pregnancy and foal rate. Similarly, the volume of high MW proteins (173-385 kDa) correlated negatively with sperm motility and foal rate. Apart from the protein profile, while Magnesium and Glucose levels were negatively correlated with sperm quality and foal rate, Cholesterol level was a positive indicator of the quality of semen as well as the foaling rate. Moreover, the total protein level was correlated negatively with the sperm concentration whereas triglyceride was correlated positively. In conclusion, EPP and BP of seminal plasma are valuable clinical tools as predictors of fertility and semen quality in the stallion.

Keywords: fertility; seminal plasma biochemistry; seminal plasma proteins; stallion.