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Veterinary Sciences
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Advances in Animal Sperm Conservation Techniques for Better Fertility
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Advances in Animal Sperm Conservation Techniques for Better Fertility

A special issue of Veterinary Sciences (ISSN 2306-7381). This special issue belongs to the section "Veterinary Reproduction and Obstetrics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 5 November 2024 | Viewed by 5936

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Silvia Cerolini

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Milan, Via dell’Università 6, 26900 Lodi, Italy
Interests: local poultry breeds; poultry semen cryopreservation; poultry reproduction
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Madeddu Manuela

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of Milan, Via dell’Università 6, 26900 Lodi, Italy
Interests: animal reproduction; semen cryopreservation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sperm conservation is one of the most important biotechnologies for the advancement of assisted reproduction in domestic and wild animals. Sperm conservation is essential for the breeding management of endangered breeds or species, for genetic improvement in livestock breeding, to prevent the loss of animal genetic variability and to solve infertility problems in high-quality individuals.

Despite the large progress that has been made in this field, the cellular mechanisms involved in sperm conservation have not yet been entirely explained. In particular, the fertility values recorded with the use of frozen/thawed sperm are still low in different animal species. New knowledge and investigations to improve the quality and fertilizing ability of stored semen in various species are, therefore, essential.

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue, which aims to publish original research articles or reviews on “Advances in Animal Sperm Conservation Techniques for Better Fertility”.

We invite researchers to contribute their recent studies, focusing principally, but not exhaustively, on the following topics:

  • Semen extenders;
  • Recent discoveries on the use of new cellular cryoprotectants;
  • Novel cryopreservation procedures;
  • Predictive markers for sperm fertility;
  • Technologies for the assessment of sperm integrity and functions;

Prof. Dr. Silvia Cerolini
Dr. Madeddu Manuela
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Veterinary Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • spermatozoa
  • fertility
  • sperm conservation
  • cryoprotectant
  • semen extender
  • semen evaluation

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 1829 KiB  
Article
Selection of Male Donors in Local Chicken Breeds to Implement the Italian Semen Cryobank: Variability in Semen Quality, Freezability and Fertility
by Manuela Madeddu, Luisa Zaniboni, Stefano Paolo Marelli, Cristina Tognoli, Silvia Belcredito, Nicolaia Iaffaldano, Michele Di Iorio and Silvia Cerolini
Vet. Sci. 2024, 11(4), 148; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci11040148 - 27 Mar 2024
Viewed by 685
Abstract
Native breed conservation is an important component of poultry biodiversity. The aim of this work is to describe different steps that lead to donor selection for the implementation of the Italian Semen Cryobank of Autochthonous Chicken and Turkey Breeds. The variability within and [...] Read more.
Native breed conservation is an important component of poultry biodiversity. The aim of this work is to describe different steps that lead to donor selection for the implementation of the Italian Semen Cryobank of Autochthonous Chicken and Turkey Breeds. The variability within and between breeds was evaluated, and the stored semen reproductive capacity was in vivo tested using artificial insemination. Semen from Bionda Piemontese, Bianca di Saluzzo and Pepoi roosters was collected and processed. Concentration, volume, sperm membrane integrity, total motile sperm, progressive motile sperm and kinetic parameters were analyzed; sperm parameters accounting for bird variability were used to select male donors. Fresh semen quality parameters measured in donor ejaculates showed significant differences between breeds; no differences were found after cryopreservation. Variability in the fertilizing ability of cryopreserved semen was found within a breed (5–16%) and between birds within a breed (BP = 3–7%; BS = 7–31%; PP = 6–22%); only sperm quality parameters measured in fresh ejaculates, not frozen/thawed, may be associated with in vivo fertility results. In conclusion, sperm concentration and progressive motility were successfully used as selection parameters to identify chicken male donors with improved sperm quality for sperm cryobanking. However, new reliable sperm markers to predict cryopreserved semen’s fertilizing ability are required. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Animal Sperm Conservation Techniques for Better Fertility)
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15 pages, 1211 KiB  
Article
Cryopreserving Rabbit Semen: Impact of Varying Sperm Concentrations on Quality and the Standardization of Protocol
by Michele Di Iorio, Fabrizio Lauriola, Giusy Rusco, Emanuele Antenucci, Michele Schiavitto and Nicolaia Iaffaldano
Vet. Sci. 2024, 11(1), 9; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci11010009 - 22 Dec 2023
Viewed by 1418
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the impact of sperm concentrations on the in vitro quality of cryopreserved rabbit semen. The semen pools (n = 8, from 80 donors) were split into five aliquots with final sperm concentrations of 15, 25, 35, 55, [...] Read more.
This study aimed to investigate the impact of sperm concentrations on the in vitro quality of cryopreserved rabbit semen. The semen pools (n = 8, from 80 donors) were split into five aliquots with final sperm concentrations of 15, 25, 35, 55, and 75 × 106 per straw. The sperm motility parameters (CASA system) and membrane integrity (flow cytometric analysis) were both evaluated at various stages of the cryopreservation process: fresh semen dilution, cooling, equilibration, and immediately after and 30 min post-thawing. The results indicated the significant influence of the sperm concentration on the total motility (TM) and progressive motility (PM), with a consistent decline in all sperm variables over the time points. Notably, the semen with a final concentration of 15 × 106 exhibited a higher TM and PM after cooling and equilibration. The post-thawing quality (TM, PM) was higher (p < 0.05) in the mid-range sperm concentrations of 25 × 106 (49.9% and 19.7%) and 35 × 106 (46.2% and 19.7%) compared to the other concentrations. This study demonstrated that the sperm concentration per straw played a significant role in specific phases of the cryopreservation process. These findings contribute valuable insights for refining and standardizing the cryopreservation protocol for rabbit semen, emphasizing the importance of the sperm concentration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Animal Sperm Conservation Techniques for Better Fertility)
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9 pages, 481 KiB  
Article
Osteopontin Concentration in Prostates Fractions: A Novel Marker of Sperm Quality in Dogs
by Koray Tekin, Efe Kurtdede, Berrin Salmanoğlu, Ongun Uysal and Calogero Stelletta
Vet. Sci. 2023, 10(11), 646; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci10110646 - 08 Nov 2023
Viewed by 1426
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the sperm quality and the osteopontin (OPN) concentration in the prostates of Malakli shepherd dogs. Ejaculates were collected once by digital manipulation from 39 male dogs aged between 2 and 4 years and older. The [...] Read more.
This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the sperm quality and the osteopontin (OPN) concentration in the prostates of Malakli shepherd dogs. Ejaculates were collected once by digital manipulation from 39 male dogs aged between 2 and 4 years and older. The first and third fractions of the ejaculate were centrifuged at 5000× g for 30 min, and supernatants were stored at −80 °C for further analysis of OPN using a double-antibody sandwich method (SEA899CA, Cloude-Clone Corp, Houston, TX, USA). Meanwhile, the second fractions were evaluated for sperm motility, concentration, viability, and rate of abnormal spermatozoa (head, acrosome, midpiece and tail abnormalities). The average concentration of OPN was 8.7 ± 5.2 ng/mL, and it differed significantly between the 1st 10.4 ± 5.3 ng/mL and 3rd 7.4 ± 5 ng/mL fractions. According to ROC (receiver operating characteristic curve) analysis, the OPN concentration had a better diagnostic ability for sperm motility (p < 0.001) than for the rate of abnormal spermatozoa (p < 0.05). Additionally, the OPN concentration was negatively correlated with poor sperm morphology and motility. In conclusion, the OPN concentration in prostate-derived secretions may be a possible marker of sperm quality in dogs. Further research could explore the involvement of OPN in sperm motility during cryopreservation and in vivo fertility. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Animal Sperm Conservation Techniques for Better Fertility)
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11 pages, 3699 KiB  
Article
The Use of Ovarian Fluid as Natural Fertilization Medium for Cryopreserved Semen in Mediterranean Brown Trout: The Effects on Sperm Swimming Performance
by Giusy Rusco, Michele Di Iorio, Stefano Esposito, Emanuele Antenucci, Alessandra Roncarati and Nicolaia Iaffaldano
Vet. Sci. 2023, 10(3), 219; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci10030219 - 13 Mar 2023
Viewed by 1336
Abstract
D-532 fertilization solution is generally used to replace the water or ovarian fluid during artificial reproductive practices in salmonids due to its ability to boost sperm motility and increase fertilization rates compared with natural activation media. However, the maintenance of ovarian fluid in [...] Read more.
D-532 fertilization solution is generally used to replace the water or ovarian fluid during artificial reproductive practices in salmonids due to its ability to boost sperm motility and increase fertilization rates compared with natural activation media. However, the maintenance of ovarian fluid in a reproductive microenvironment gives it the advantage of protecting the eggs from potential harmful factors from the external environment and simplifying the field operations related to its removal when D-532 is used alone. In light of this, the aim of the present study was to investigate in vitro, for the first time, the effect of ovarian fluid (OF 100%) on post-thaw sperm swimming performance of Mediterranean trout, comparing it with D-532 and a mixed solution of 50% D-532 and 50% ovarian fluid (OF 50%). The percentage of motile spermatozoa and movement duration was significantly increased in OF 100% and OF 50% compared with D-532. Sperm velocity was higher in D-532, but significant differences were recorded only with OF 100%. In conclusion, these results suggest that the presence of ovarian fluid alone or in combination with D-532 in an artificial microenvironment of reproduction represents a key factor in potentially increasing fertilization success when the frozen semen of Mediterranean brown trout is used. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Animal Sperm Conservation Techniques for Better Fertility)
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