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Journal of Dairy Science Vol. 32 No. 4 353-360
© 1949 by American Dairy Science Association ®
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Oxygen Damage to Bull Spermatozoa and its Prevention by Catalase1

N. L. Vandemark2, G. W. Salisbury2 and R. W. Bratton

Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Artificial Insemination, Department of Animal Husbandry, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York

ABSTRACT

  1. Bovine spermatozoan activity was studied in the egg yolk-citrate diluent during incubation at 46.5° C. and storage at 5° C. under air, oxygen and nitrogen, under air and oxygen with and without added catalase, and during storage when subjected to minimum and routine mixing procedures with and without added catalase.
  2. Oxygen produced deleterious effects which were manifested by decreased motility and livability of the spermatozoa and a reduction in their ability to convert sugar to lactic acid.
  3. Oxygen damage to spermatozoa was largely eliminated when catalase was added to the diluted semen.
  4. Gentle mixing shortened the life of stored bull spermatozoa in the yolk-citrate diluent, but the presence of added catalase in mixed samples obliterated the harmful effects of mixing.
  5. The effectiveness of catalase in preventing the harmful action of oxygen and shaking on bull spermatozoa in the egg yolk-citrate diluent led to the conclusion that increased aeration and higher oxygen tensions speed the production of hydrogen peroxide by the spermatozoa and this in turn produces a toxic environment, shortening the life of the spermatozoa.
  6. The results suggest that a minimum of air space be left above the diluted semen that is stored and shipped in routine artificial breeding and that semen samples should be subjected to a minimum of mixing.

FOOTNOTES

1 The data published in this paper have been taken from a thesis presented by the senior author to the Graduate School, Cornell University, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, September, 1948.

2 Present address: Department of Dairy Production, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois.






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Copyright © 1949 by the American Dairy Science Association ®.