The Effect of Glutathione Addition to the Sperm Extender on Ram Cooled Sperm Quality

Document Type : Full Research Paper

Author

Animal Science Research Institute of Iran (ASRI), Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the sperm quality preservation in sheep using glutathione antioxidant during cooling process. In this experiment, semen samples were collected from 5 Zell rams and added to the extender containing 0, 1, 2, 4 and 8 mM glutathione and stored at 4 ˚C until 48 hours. Sperm quality was evaluated at 0, 24 and 48 hours after cooling and total motility, progressive motility, viability, membrane integrity, mitochondrial activity and lipid peroxidation were assessed. No difference was observed between treatments at time 0 of cooling. At 24 and 48 hours of cooling period, the use of 4 mM glutathione increased total motility, progressive motility, viability, membrane integrity, mitochondrial activity and decreased lipid peroxidation in ram cooled sperm. In conclusion, using 4 mM glutathione antioxidant treatment could be a suitable method to preserve ram sperm quality during cooling process. 

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Main Subjects


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