Reproductive Physiology Laboratory, Department of Animal Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU), Islamabad, Pakistan; Department of Zoology, University of Buner, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan.
Department of Zoology, University of Buner, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan.
Res Vet Sci. 2023 Nov;164:104996. doi: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2023.104996. Epub 2023 Aug 26.
This study investigated the beneficial effects of relaxin on cryotolerance of buffalo spermatozoa and reproductive hormones during low breeding season. Collected semen was diluted in five aliquots with relaxin addition (0.25 mg/mL, 0.50 mg/mL, 0.75 mg/mL, 1 mg/mL, and control). After gentle dilution (37°C), cooling (4°C, 2 h), equilibration (4°C, 4 h), and packaging (straws, polyvinyl French, 0.5 mL), frozen (cell freezer), and thawed (37°C, 30 s) for analysis. Blood samples were collected at different time intervals i.e., -60, -30 and 0 min (pre-dose) and 30, 60, 90, 120 and 150 min (post-dose) from a jugular vein. This study manifest that adding relaxin (1 mg/ mL) in freezing medium ameliorates sperm motility, functionality (%), and seminal plasma total antioxidant capacity (TAC, μM/L) than control during low breeding season. Furthermore, we found that relaxin supplementation at 1 mg/mL significantly improves seminal plasma ATP concentrations (nmol/million) than control, 0.25 mg/mL, and 0.50 mg/mL, and fertility (control, and 0.75 mg/mL). Further, relaxin injection significantly improves plasma T, LH and IGF-1 levels (150 and 120 min vs. -60, and - 30), and FSH, KP, and GnRH concentrations (150 min vs. -60), during low breeding season. Taken together, this study revealed that relaxin ameliorates motility, functionality, and fertility of buffalo spermatozoa. Moreover, relaxin injection (1 mg/mL) improves essential reproductive hormones levels in buffalo signifying its importance in the field of reproductive physiology. Further studies are required to determine the exact mechanism of action of relaxin in enhancing semen quality, fertility and reproductive hormones.
本研究探讨了松弛素对水牛精子冷冻耐受性和低繁殖季节生殖激素的有益影响。收集的精液用松弛素（0.25 mg/mL、0.50 mg/mL、0.75 mg/mL、1 mg/mL 和对照）分五份稀释。轻轻稀释（37°C）后，冷却（4°C，2 小时）、平衡（4°C，4 小时）、包装（细管、聚氯乙烯法国管，0.5 mL）、冷冻（细胞冷冻器）和解冻（37°C，30 秒）进行分析。从颈静脉采集不同时间间隔的血液样本，即-60、-30 和 0 分钟（预剂量）和 30、60、90、120 和 150 分钟（后剂量）。本研究表明，在低繁殖季节，与对照组相比，冷冻液中添加松弛素（1 mg/mL）可改善精子活力、功能（%）和精液总抗氧化能力（TAC，μM/L）。此外，我们发现，与对照组、0.25 mg/mL 和 0.50 mg/mL 相比，松弛素补充 1 mg/mL 可显著提高精液 ATP 浓度（nmol/百万）和生育力（对照组和 0.75 mg/mL）。此外，松弛素注射可显著提高血浆 T、LH 和 IGF-1 水平（150 和 120 分钟与-60 和-30 分钟），以及 FSH、KP 和 GnRH 浓度（150 分钟与-60 分钟），在低繁殖季节。总之，本研究表明松弛素可改善水牛精子的活力、功能和生育力。此外，松弛素注射（1 mg/mL）可提高水牛重要生殖激素水平，表明其在生殖生理学领域的重要性。需要进一步研究以确定松弛素增强精液质量、生育力和生殖激素的作用机制。
