Abstract
The objective of this experiment was to investigate whether the motility parameters and acrosome integrity of goat ejaculated spermatozoa are affected by collecting semen into tubes containing an extender, and thereby determine the significance of reducing contact between seminal plasma and the sperm membrane at ejaculation. Semen were collected from three goats into tubes containing 0, 1 or 10 ml extender, or collected into tubes containing 10 ml extender supplemented with 0.1, 1 or 5% BSA. Sperm motion parameters were evaluated immediately after collection, after washing, and during a 3-h thermal resistance test. Acrosome integrity was assessed using FITC-PNA staining. Semen collection into tubes containing 10 ml extender produced higher sperm motility, progressive motility, and acrosome integrity than that using a smaller volume of extender. Furthermore, collection into 5% BSA-containing extender exhibited higher sperm characteristics and maintained high sperm motility and progressive motility throughout incubation. In conclusion, semen collection into tubes with a large volume of extender, especially extender containing higher concentrations of BSA, improved the quality of ejaculated spermatozoa, strongly suggesting that the in vitro functional characteristics of the spermatozoa were abruptly modified by flash sperm contact with accessory sex gland fluid at ejaculation.
