Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
Theriogenology. 2011 Mar 15;75(5):897-903. doi: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2010.10.032. Epub 2010 Dec 17.
Sperm plasma membrane lipids have an important role to play in determining membrane fluidity and sperm motility. The objective of the present study was to determine whether there are differences in the lipid and fatty acid (FA) composition of boar sperm and seminal plasma in the ejaculates of boars having different sperm motilities. Semen was collected from two groups of boars having normal (> 60%; n = 53) or low (< 60%; n = 53) motility sperm and the semen was evaluated for motility, morphology and vitality. The semen was then centrifuged to separate the sperm from the seminal plasma and both were kept at -20 °C until analyzed for lipid content and FA profile by gas chromatography. Total antioxidant status (TAS) of seminal plasma was determined using a commercial kit. There were differences (P ≤ 0.05) in sperm total lipids, cholesterol, saturated fatty acids (SFA), phospholipids, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and the ratio of n-6:n-3 PUFA between boars with normal and low motility sperm. Total lipids, cholesterol, phospholipids, PUFA, DHA and n-3 PUFA were positively correlated with sperm motility, viability, normal morphology and normal plasma membrane. In contrast, SFA and the ratio of n-6: n-3 PUFA were negatively correlated (P ≤ 0.05) with sperm motility, viability, normal morphology and normal plasma membranes. The TAS of seminal plasma from boars having normal motility sperm was higher (P ≤ 0.05) than that of boars having low motility sperm and TAS was positively correlated (P = 0.0001) with sperm motility, viability, normal morphology and normal plasma membranes. In summary, differences in sperm motility were related to n-3 PUFA content in the sperm plasma membrane and extracellular antioxidants in seminal plasma which protect sperm plasma membranes from lipid peroxidation during periods of oxidative stress.
精子质膜脂质在决定膜流动性和精子运动性方面起着重要作用。本研究的目的是确定具有不同精子运动性的公猪精液中精子和精浆的脂质和脂肪酸（FA）组成是否存在差异。从两组公猪中收集精液，一组公猪的精子运动性正常（>60%；n=53），另一组公猪的精子运动性低（<60%；n=53），并评估精液的运动性、形态和活力。然后将精液离心分离精子和精浆，将两者在-20°C下保存，直至通过气相色谱法分析脂质含量和 FA 图谱。使用商业试剂盒测定精浆的总抗氧化状态（TAS）。正常运动精子和低运动精子的公猪之间的精子总脂质、胆固醇、饱和脂肪酸（SFA）、磷脂、n-3 多不饱和脂肪酸（PUFA）、二十二碳六烯酸（DHA）和 n-6:n-3 PUFA 比例存在差异（P≤0.05）。总脂质、胆固醇、磷脂、PUFA、DHA 和 n-3 PUFA 与精子运动性、活力、正常形态和正常质膜呈正相关。相反，SFA 和 n-6:n-3 PUFA 比例与精子运动性、活力、正常形态和正常质膜呈负相关（P≤0.05）。具有正常运动精子的公猪的精浆 TAS 较高（P≤0.05），具有低运动精子的公猪的精浆 TAS 与精子运动性、活力、正常形态和正常质膜呈正相关（P=0.0001）。总之，精子运动性的差异与精子质膜中的 n-3 PUFA 含量和精浆中的细胞外抗氧化剂有关，这些抗氧化剂可以保护精子质膜免受氧化应激期间的脂质过氧化。
