Date of Graduation

Spring 2019

Degree

Master of Natural and Applied Science in Agriculture

Department

College of Agriculture

Committee Chair

Gary Webb

Abstract

A current method in addressing subfertility in stallions include manipulating the semen extender media by supplementing antioxidants and energy sources. Two experiments (EXP 1/EXP 2) were conducted to assess the effects of pyruvate and Oxyrase® suspended in commercial diluents for preservation of stallion spermatozoa. Assessment of total (TM) and progressive motility (PM), velocity and direction of movement (VAP, VSL, VCL, and elongation) were recorded by CASA. In EXP 1, 3 different ejaculates were collected from each of 4 stallions. Aliquots of each ejaculate were suspended into 4 treatments of INRA96 with or without Oxyrase® supplemented at 2.4 U/ml and centrifuged or not centrifuged. Aliquots of each treatment were split for analysis by CASA after 2 hours, 24 hours, and 48 hours of storage. In EXP 2, 3 different ejaculates were collected from each of 3 stallions. Two of five aliquots were suspended in skim-milk glucose (SKMG) or SKMG modified by the addition of sucrose (SKMG+S). The remaining diluents were formulated with 2.4 instead of 4.9 g of glucose per 100ml and with increasing amounts of pyruvate. Method of storage and analysis was consistent through EXP 2. In EXP 1 the addition of Oxyrase® did not improve (P <.05) post storage motility of stallion spermatozoa. At all times in EXP 2 the diluents SKMG+S and SKMG demonstrated numerically higher TM and PM than extenders with substituted pyruvate. In conclusion, addition of Oxyrase® in INRA96 and substitution of pyruvate in diluents with formulas commonly used demonstrated no beneficial effects to stallion spermatozoa survival.

Keywords

stallion, spermatozoa, oxyrase, pyruvate, semen extenders

Subject Categories

Agriculture | Animal Sciences | Other Animal Sciences

Copyright

© Jordan T. Shore

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