Morphometric dimensions of the stallion sperm head depending on the staining method used

Abstract Semen was collected from Polish Halfbred stallions. Twenty individuals from 3 to 4 years of age were selected for the study. At least one ejaculate from each stallion was collected and assessed. Sperm morphology was evaluated using Papanicolaou stain, SpermBlue®, and a complex of eosin and gentian stain, whereas unstained slides were used as control samples. Morphometric measurements were performed on 100 randomly selected sperm heads in each ejaculate. The length, width, perimeter, and surface area of the sperm head were measured. The frequency of nuclear vacuoles was determined as well. Tygerberg’s strict criteria, which most precisely characterise the sperm head, were used in the morphological evaluation of the sperm. The results obtained indicate that in the case of staining with SpermBlue® and with eosin+gentian complex, the morphometry of the sperm head seems to be most similar to that observed in unstained smears. It also seems that neither shrinking nor swelling is uniform in the various staining techniques (Papanicolaou stain). Moreover, it appears that in comparison with unstained sperm, all methods caused the width of the head to increase as a result of swelling.

[1]  U. Hipler,et al.  Comparison of three staining methods for the morphological evaluation of human spermatozoa. , 2008, Fertility and sterility.

[2]  L. Linnet.  Vasectomy and health revisited. , 1993, International journal of andrology.

[3]  R. Menkveld,et al.  The evaluation of morphological characteristics of human spermatozoa according to stricter criteria. , 1990, Human reproduction.

[4]  K. Diedrich,et al.  Fertilization potential of spermatozoa with abnormal morphology. , 1999, Human reproduction.

[5]  R. Henkel,et al.  Relationship Between Human Sperm Morphology and Acrosomal Function , 2003, Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics.

[6]  G. van der Horst,et al.  Morphometric dimensions of the human sperm head depend on the staining method used. , 2010, Human reproduction.

[7]  J. Rodríguez-Gil,et al.  Effects of cryopreservation on bull spermatozoa distribution in morphometrically distinct subpopulations. , 2007, Reproduction in domestic animals = Zuchthygiene.

[8]  J. Held,et al.  Spermatozoal head defect as a cause of infertility in a stallion. , 1991, Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.

[9]  K. Andraszek,et al.  The use of silver nitrate for the identification of spermatozoon structure in selected mammals , 2011, Canadian Journal of Animal Science.

[10]  A. Mauri,et al.  Correlation between semen analysis by motile sperm organelle morphology examination and sperm DNA damage. , 2010, Fertility and sterility.

[11]  D. Griffin,et al.  Non-random chromosome positioning in mammalian sperm nuclei, with migration of the sex chromosomes during late spermatogenesis , 2005, Journal of Cell Science.

[12]  L. García-Marín,et al.  Morphometric changes in boar spermatozoa induced by cryopreservation. , 2008, International journal of andrology.

[13]  Yong-Seog Park,et al.  Observation of sperm-head vacuoles and sperm morphology under light microscope , 2014, Clinical and experimental reproductive medicine.

[14]  A. Agarwal,et al.  Impact of sperm morphology on DNA damage caused by oxidative stress induced by beta-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate. , 2005, Fertility and sterility.

[15]  K. Dvor̆áková,et al.  Cytoskeleton localization in the sperm head prior to fertilization. , 2005, Reproduction.

[16]  A. J. Soler,et al.  Functional significance of the sperm head morphometric size and shape for determining freezability in iberian red deer (Cervus elaphus hispanicus) epididymal sperm samples. , 2006, Journal of andrology.

[17]  G. Tachdjian,et al.  Ultrastructural nuclear defects and increased chromosome aneuploidies in spermatozoa with elongated heads. , 2007, Human reproduction.

[18]  AndraszekKatarzyna,et al.  The use of silver nitrate for the identification of spermatozoon structure in selected mammals , 2011 .

[19]  C. Lombard,et al.  Sperm morphologic features as a prognostic factor in in vitro fertilization. , 1986, Fertility and sterility.

[20]  H. Baker,et al.  Selectivity of the human sperm-zona pellucida binding process to sperm head morphometry. , 1997, Fertility and sterility.

[21]  Bernard Lejeune,et al.  Blastocyst development after sperm selection at high magnification is associated with size and number of nuclear vacuoles. , 2008, Reproductive biomedicine online.

[22]  R. Turner,et al.  Effect of method and clinician on stallion sperm morphology evaluation. , 2011, Theriogenology.

[23]  I. Cooke,et al.  A morphometric comparison of the nuclear morphology of fresh and frozen-thawed human zona-bound and unbound sperm. , 1994, Journal of andrology.

[24]  P. Chenoweth,et al.  Sperm morphology of beef bulls evaluated by two different methods. , 2010, Animal reproduction science.

[25]  J. Auger.  Assessing human sperm morphology: top models, underdogs or biometrics? , 2010, Asian journal of andrology.

[26]  R. Chauhan,et al.  Importance of papanicolaou staining for sperm morphologic analysis: comparison with an automated sperm quality analyzer. , 2011, American journal of clinical pathology.

[27]  P. Casey,et al.  Morphometric differences in sperm head dimensions of fertile and subfertile stallions. , 1997, Theriogenology.

[28]  J. Parinaud,et al.  Is intracytoplasmic morphologically selected sperm injection (IMSI) beneficial in the first ART cycle? A multicentric randomized controlled trial , 2013, Andrology.

[29]  A. El-Ghobashy,et al.  The human sperm head: a key for successful fertilization. , 2003, Journal of andrology.

[30]  T. Kruger,et al.  A quick, reliable staining technique for human sperm morphology. , 1987, Archives of andrology.

[31]  D. Banaszewska,et al.  The effect of sperm concentration in the ejaculate on morphological traits of bull spermatozoa. , 2012, Folia biologica.

[32]  J. Dorado,et al.  The effect of cryopreservation on sperm head morphometry in Florida male goat related to sperm freezability. , 2007, Animal reproduction science.

[33]  C. Soler,et al.  Standardization of sampling and staining methods for the morphometric evaluation of sperm heads in the Cynomolgus monkey (Macaca fascicularis) using computer-assisted image analysis. , 2005, International journal of andrology.

[34]  Emine Aksoy,et al.  Assessment of Spermatozoa Morphology under Light Microscopy with Different Histologic Stains and Comparison of Morphometric Measurements , 2012 .

[35]  A. Pontes,et al.  Large nuclear vacuoles are indicative of abnormal chromatin packaging in human spermatozoa. , 2012, International journal of andrology.

[36]  V. Gedrimas,et al.  Evaluation of morphological criteria of sperm quality before in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection. , 2013, Polish journal of veterinary sciences.

[37]  L. M. Thurston,et al.  Morphologically distinct sperm subpopulations defined by Fourier shape descriptors in fresh ejaculates correlate with variation in boar semen quality following cryopreservation. , 2001, Journal of andrology.

[38]  D. Banaszewska,et al.  An assessment of the breeding maturity of insemination boars based on ejaculate quality changes. , 2012, Folia biologica.

[39]  G. van der Horst,et al.  SpermBlue®: A new universal stain for human and animal sperm which is also amenable to automated sperm morphology analysis , 2009, Biotechnic & histochemistry : official publication of the Biological Stain Commission.

[40]  R. Menkveld.  The basic semen analysis , 2006 .

[41]  C. Soler,et al.  Standardization of sampling and staining methods for the morphometric evaluation of sperm heads in the Cynomolgus monkey (Macaca fascicularis) using computer-assisted image analysis , 1998 .

[42]  L. Johnson,et al.  The morphological and ultrastructural appearance of the crater defect in stallion spermatozoa , 1985 .

[43]  S. Kondracki,et al.  The effect of age on the morphometric sperm traits of domestic pigs (Sus scrofa domestica). , 2005, Cellular & molecular biology letters.

[44]  D. Blackhurst,et al.  Developing techniques for determining sperm morphology in today’s andrology laboratory , 2005, Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics.

[45]  C. Soler,et al.  Computer assisted morphometric analysis of ram sperm heads: evaluation of different fixative techniques. , 1998, Theriogenology.

[46]  M. Mbizvo,et al.  The development of a continuous quality control programme for strict sperm morphology among sub-Saharan African laboratories. , 2000, Human reproduction.

[47]  J. Vaissaire,et al.  Sexualité et reproduction des mammifères domestiques et de laboratoire , 1977 .