Effect of L-Carnitine Plasma Level on Sperm Progressive Motility in Young Boars

Abstract

The present study aimed to evaluate the relationship between plasma L-carnitine levels and sperm parameters in young boars. Blood and spermatozoa were collected from 53 healthy young Duroc boars between 189 and 394 days of age (mean age, ca. 300 days). Correlation analysis was made on plasma L-carnitine level versus sperm total motility and progressive motility. Among them, weak positive correlation was found in the relationship between the sperm progressive motility and plasma free L-carnitine concentration (r＝0.253, p＝0.068). It was suggested that examining plasma L-carnitine level might be a practical method for predicting the sperm quality. With a larger population of young boars, further investigations are needed to elucidate the causal relationship between those two parameters.