Samper J C, Hernandez Aviles J C, Ramirez-Agamez L F, Love C C, Gonzalez-Marin C, Fleury P, Dini P, De La Fuente A, Foss R, Campos F L, Ross P J
Texas A&M University College Station TX, USA; STgenetics Navasota Texas, USA.
Texas A&M University College Station TX, USA.
J Equine Vet Sci. 2025 Feb;145:105251. doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2024.105251. Epub 2024 Dec 5.
The application of sex-sorted semen in horses has historically lagged the bovine industry due to differences in the reproductive physiology and grater variability in equine semen quality. Recent advancements, including SuperGen™ sorters and Ultraplus™ semen processing methods developed by STgenetics® (Navasota, Texas), have significantly improved the efficiency of the sex-sorting process and reduced the sperm damage previously reported. To facilitate the broader use sex-sorted semen in the equine industry, it is essential to address challenges such as shipping cooled semen to a central sorting facility, minimizing oxidative stress and DNA fragmentation, and developing effective methods for short-term cooling or long-term cryopreservation of the sex-sorted sperm. In this study, we evaluated the feasibility of shipping cooled (8 °C) equine semen to a central facility for sorting and assessed the quality of sperm post-sorting and preservation. Results from the improved process showed enhancements in sperm motility, morphology, viability and DNA fragmentation following sex-sorting. Although there was a slight, consistent increase in lipid peroxidation of sex-sorted sperm, the quality of sperm over the first 24 h post-sorting was comparable to that of conventional (non-sorted) cool-shipped semen. Fertility rates with fresh semen did not differ between conventional and sex-sorted sperm. When using frozen-thawed sex-sorted sperm for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), consistent blastocyst production was achieved, albeit at slightly lower rates than those observed with conventional semen for the same stallions. Stallion-specific variability may account for some of these differences. Overall, sex-sorted semen used for ICSI resulted in a higher number of embryos of the desired sex compared to those obtained using conventional semen.
由于马的生殖生理存在差异以及马精液质量的变异性更大，性别分选精液在马产业中的应用在历史上一直落后于牛产业。最近的进展，包括STgenetics®（得克萨斯州纳瓦索塔）开发的SuperGen™分选仪和Ultraplus™精液处理方法，显著提高了性别分选过程的效率，并减少了先前报道的精子损伤。为了促进性别分选精液在马产业中的更广泛应用，解决诸如将冷却精液运输到中央分选设施、最小化氧化应激和DNA片段化以及开发性别分选精子的短期冷却或长期冷冻保存有效方法等挑战至关重要。在本研究中，我们评估了将冷却（8°C）马精液运输到中央设施进行分选的可行性，并评估了分选和保存后精子的质量。改进后的过程结果显示，性别分选后精子活力、形态、存活率和DNA片段化有所提高。尽管性别分选精子的脂质过氧化有轻微、持续的增加，但分选后最初24小时内精子的质量与传统（未分选）冷却运输精液的质量相当。新鲜精液的受精率在传统精子和性别分选精子之间没有差异。当使用冷冻解冻的性别分选精子进行胞浆内精子注射（ICSI）时，能够持续产生囊胚，尽管与同一匹种马的传统精液相比，囊胚率略低。种马特异性变异性可能是造成其中一些差异的原因。总体而言，与使用传统精液相比，用于ICSI的性别分选精液产生的所需性别的胚胎数量更多。
