Cat epididymal semen cryopreserved with and without vitamin E: effect on sperm parameters and lipid peroxidation

Macente, Beatrice Ingrid; Gutierrez, Raquel Ribeiro; Apparício, Maricy; Balieiro, Cristiano de Carvalho; Mansano, Cleber Fernando Menegasso; Pereira, Marcelo Maia; Borges-Silva, Juliana Corrêa; Pires-Buttler, Eliandra Antonia; Galvão, André Luis Batista; Toniollo, Gilson Hélio; Luvoni, Gaia Cecília; Morselli, Maria Giorgia; Vicente, Wilter Ricardo Russiano

p. 1193-1198

Cat epididymal semen cryopreserved with and without vitamin E: effect on sperm parameters and lipid peroxidation

Macente, Beatrice IngridGutierrez, Raquel RibeiroApparício, MaricyBalieiro, Cristiano de CarvalhoMansano, Cleber Fernando MenegassoPereira, Marcelo MaiaBorges-Silva, Juliana CorrêaPires-Buttler, Eliandra AntoniaGalvão, André Luis BatistaToniollo, Gilson HélioLuvoni, Gaia CecíliaMorselli, Maria GiorgiaVicente, Wilter Ricardo Russiano

The aims of this study were to investigate: 1) if the addition of α-tocopherol (vitamin E) in three concentrations (0.3, 0.6 and 0.9 mM) is able to preserve spermatozoa integrity after thawing and 2) the effect of α-tocopherol supplementation on lipid peroxidation. Fifty four domestic cats were used in this study constituting 18 pools (3 cats per pool). Each pool was submitted at four experimental groups: group 0 (control) epididymal sperm were frozen with a commercial Botucrio® extender; group 0.3, group 0.6 and group 0.9 the extender was supplemented with 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9 mM of α-tocopherol, respectively. Each semen sample was evaluated for motility, progressive forward motility, morphology, sperm viability (plasma membrane integrity-PMI), hypo-osmotic swelling test (HOST), before and after thawing. The evaluation of lipid peroxidation reaction by Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances (TBARS) test was performed on thawed semen only. Results demonstrated that there was no significant difference between control and the three α-tocopherol groups with regards to motility and progressive motility after thawing (P > 0.05). As expected, in fresh samples viability was significantly higher than in all the cryopreserved groups in which there was no positive influence of any of the αtocopherol concentration used. Lipid peroxidation was higher in the supplemented groups 0.6 and 0.9 mM of α-tocopherol than in control and in 0.3 mM group. In conclusion, the addition of α-tocopherol to the commercial extender had no positive influence on reduction of lipid peroxidation. This topic deserves further investigations to better understand the effect of cryopreservation procedures on epididymal spermatozoa and to establish adequate strategies to counteract sperm cryodamages.(AU)