Abstract:
To evaluate the effects of calcium on motility patterns of bovine epididymal sperm and to determine the effective calcium concentration, ovine testicles (5 for each experiment day) were picked up in a local slaughterhouse and transported to the laboratory in a cool container (filled wich ice).In laboratory,caudal epididymis was incised and sperm cells were put into Petri dishes containing modified BO medium which were kept in37?C incubator. To separate sperm from epididymal particles swim up method was performed into BO medium containing 0.56, 1.125 and 2025 mM calcium. Motility pattern were assessed at the start of experiment(0h) and2,4and 6h post incubation using Computer Assisted Sperm Analyzing (CASA) and different motility parameters were assessed The proportions sperm motility were analyzed using a mathematical model that included fixed effect due to treatment (calcium concentrations) and residual error. When the analysis revealed a significant effect, the values were compared by duncan's multiple range test. The results showed that no significanet different was observed in the start of experiment (no fast effect).Two h post incubation the proportion of class A spermatozoa (fast moving ones), Curvilinear velocity (VCL), Straight line velocity(VSL), Average path velocity (VAP) and Strightness (STR)in 0.56 mM calcium were significantly higher than those in 2.25 mM calcium (p<0.05). Four h post incubation, the proportion of class A and class C spermatozoa (not moving ones), class A+B (alive sperm cells), VCL, VSL,VAP,Linearity and STR in 0.56 mM calcium were significantly higher than those in 2025 nM calcium(p<0.05). Six h post incubation only STR was significantly different between the concentrations of 0.56 and 2025 mM calcium. Howevent, concentrations of calcium.The results of the present study indicate the lower calcium concentrations may support a higher sperm motility proportion in BO medium
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