Ruminant nutrition.

This study investigates the effect of supplementing bovine follicular fluids (FF) to rabbit sperm motility, acrosome reaction and transaminases activities. Ovarian FF were collected from 46 pairs of bovine ovaries. Normal follicles were classified, according to their diameters, into small (SFF, ≤4 mm), medium (MFF,>4-8 mm), large (LFF,> 8 mm) and cystic (CSTFF,>20 mm). Rabbit semen was collected and diluted with EBSS-P medium and incubated in a CO2 incubator at 37 ◦C. Two levels (20 and 40%) of FF were tested. Sperm motility index (SMI), percent acrosome reaction (%AR) and the activity of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in the extracellular media were determined. Sperm motility was decreased by FF addition (P<0.01). As the diameter of follicle increased the reduction in motility decreased (P<0.01). On the other hand, the cystic FF caused the highest reduction in sperm motility. As time of incubation progressed a sharp decline was observed (P<0.01) in sperm motility. Addition of FF increased (P<0.01) the reacted acrosome (16.7, 16.3, 17.1, 20.1 and 13.1% for , large , medium , small, cystic FF and control, respectively). A linear increase (P<0.01) of acrosome reaction was obtained as incubation time advanced (13.3, 15.3, 17.2 and 22.1 % at 0, 1, 2 and 4 hr, respectively). The release of AST and ALT significantly (P<0.01) increased by FF treatment and time progression. As the FF level increased the activity of ALT increased (P<0.01). In all cases, the addition of FF increased the release of ALT greater than in the control, however in the case of AST, large FF did not change its release compared to the control. Cystic FF always increased both enzyme activities. There was a positive correlation coefficient between ALT activity and percent of reacted acrosome. On the other hand, a significant negative correlation coefficient was found between sperm motility and acrosome reaction. In summary, bovine FF modulates rabbit sperm characteristics.