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Animals
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Sperm Quality Assessment in Equids
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Sperm Quality Assessment in Equids

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Reproduction".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 September 2023) | Viewed by 3755

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Marion Papas

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Reproductive Biology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
Interests: equids reproduction; assisted reproductive technologies; semen evaluation; cryopreservation; seminal plasma; in vitro fertilization
Dr. Jaime Catalan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Medicine and Animal Surgery, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
Interests: equids reproduction; reproductive biology; cryopreservation, semen evaluation, semen preservation; sperm fertility; sperm biology, oxidative stress, seminal plasma
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Semen evaluation is a routine procedure in the breeding soundness examination of stallions and is essential for the application and optimisation of assisted reproductive technologies. In addition to kinetic parameters, assessment of spermatozoa membrane status, DNA fragmentation, oxidative stress, capacitation-like status and seminal plasma components can accurately define sperm quality. However, despite considerable progress in assessing equine sperm functionality, identification of a sub-fertile stallion can still be challenging, and evaluation usually only provides an estimate of a stallion’s fertilization capacity. More advanced methods in sperm analysis in equids are needed to assess sperm quality and its effect on fertility outcomes.

This Special Issue, entitled “Sperm Quality Assessment in Equids” aims to present the application of advanced techniques in the evaluation of equids semen including computer-assisted, fluorescent or proteomic analyses and sperm ultrastructure. We therefore invite original research and reviews that point out new methods to assess sperm functionality and best predict its fertilising potential.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Marion Papas
Dr. Jaime Catalan
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • equids
  • reproduction
  • semen quality
  • sperm analysis
  • sperm preservation
  • fertility

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 4239 KiB  
Article
Predicting the Outcome of Equine Artificial Inseminations Using Chilled Semen
by Ashlee Jade Medica, Sarah Lambourne and Robert John Aitken
Animals 2023, 13(7), 1203; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13071203 - 30 Mar 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1397
Abstract
This study aimed to determine whether an analysis of stallion ejaculate could accurately predict the likelihood of pregnancy resulting from artificial insemination in mares. This study involved 46 inseminations of 41 mares, using 7 standardbred stallions over a 5-week period at an Australian [...] Read more.
This study aimed to determine whether an analysis of stallion ejaculate could accurately predict the likelihood of pregnancy resulting from artificial insemination in mares. This study involved 46 inseminations of 41 mares, using 7 standardbred stallions over a 5-week period at an Australian pacing stud. Semen quality was assessed immediately after collection and again after chilling at ~5 °C for 24 h. The assessment involved evaluating ejaculate volume, sperm concentration, and motility parameters using an iSperm® Equine portable device. After the initial evaluation, a subpopulation of cells was subjected to a migration assay through a 5 µm polycarbonate filter within a Samson™ isolation chamber over a 15 min period. The cells were assessed for their concentration, motility parameters, and ability to reduce the membrane impermeant tetrazolium salt WST-1. The data, combined with the stallion and mare’s ages, were used to predict the likelihood of pregnancy, as confirmed by rectal ultrasound sonography performed 14 days post ovulation. The criteria used to predict pregnancy were optimized for each individual stallion, resulting in an overall accuracy of 87.9% if analyzed pre-chilling and 95% if analyzed post-chilling. This study suggests that an analysis of stallion ejaculate can be used to predict the likelihood of pregnancy resulting from artificial insemination in mares with a high level of accuracy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sperm Quality Assessment in Equids)
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Review

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14 pages, 963 KiB  
Review
Sperm Quality Assessment in Stallions: How to Choose Relevant Assays to Answer Clinical Questions
by Sophie Egyptien, Stéfan Deleuze, Joy Ledeck and Jérôme Ponthier
Animals 2023, 13(19), 3123; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13193123 - 6 Oct 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1986
Abstract
Stallion sperm analysis is indicated for infertility diagnosis, pre-sale expertise, production of fresh or frozen doses, and frozen straw quality control. Various collection methods are described, and numerous assays can be performed on semen. Determining an approach for each of these cases is [...] Read more.
Stallion sperm analysis is indicated for infertility diagnosis, pre-sale expertise, production of fresh or frozen doses, and frozen straw quality control. Various collection methods are described, and numerous assays can be performed on semen. Determining an approach for each of these cases is challenging. This review aims to discuss how to obtain relevant clinical results, answering stallion owners’ concerns. Semen can be collected with an artificial vagina on a phantom or a mare, by electro-ejaculation under anesthesia, or after pharmacological induction. The collection method influences the semen volume and concentration, while the total sperm number depends on the testicular production and collection frequency. In the seminal plasma, acidity, pro-oxidant activity, and some enzymes have repercussions for the semen quality and its conservation. Moreover, non-sperm cells of seminal plasma may impact semen conservation. Motility analysis remains a core parameter, as it is associated with fresh or frozen dose fertility. Computer-assisted motility analyzers have improved repeatability, but the reproducibility between laboratories depends on the settings that are used. Morphology analysis showing spermatozoa defects is useful to understand production and maturation abnormalities. Staining of the spermatozoa is used to evaluate viability, but recent advances in flow cytometry and in fluorochromes enable an evaluation of multiple intracellular parameters. Spermatozoa protein expression already has clinical applications, for example, as a fertility and freezing ability predictor. At present, stallion semen analysis ranges from macroscopic evaluation to assessing spermatozoa proteins. However, clinically, all these data may not be relevant, and the lack of standardization may complicate their interpretation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sperm Quality Assessment in Equids)
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