Metabolic Characterization and in vitro Storage Ability of Chicken Sperm Separated by a Migration-Gravity Sedimentation Method

Abstract

In vitro semen preservation is critical for poultry production and genetic resource conservation. However, both liquid storage and cryopreservation reduce the viability of chicken sperm. In mammals, ejaculated semen contains subpopulations with varying functionality and storage tolerance. Recently, a commercial device called MIGLIS (Menicon Life Sciences) has been used to collect motile sperm from several mammalian species based on sperm motility and gravity sedimentation. Here, we evaluated the benefits of MIGLIS separation on fertilization potential, metabolic properties, and bacterial contamination of chicken sperm, as well as liquid storage and cryopreservation. We report that 10% of motile sperm (G sperm) were successfully separated from the rest of the sperm (P sperm). Acrosomal responsiveness and inner perivitelline layer penetrability were normal. Whereas intracellular ATP and lactic acid content were higher in G sperm than in P sperm; mitochondrial membrane potential and reactive oxygen species did not differ between sperm types. Furthermore, G sperm presented lower bacterial contamination, along with greater viability and functionality during storage. In conclusion, the MIGLIS method separated high-quality chicken sperm with superior motility, anabolic capacity, and resistance to bacterial contamination. Hence, the method is suitable for in vitro sperm selection for liquid storage or cryopreservation.