A family of proteins designated BSP-A1, BSP-A2, BSP-A3 and BSP-30 kDa (collectively called BSP proteins for Bovine Seminal Plasma proteins) constitute the major protein fraction in the bull seminal plasma. These proteins interact with choline phospholipids on the sperm surface and play a role in the membrane stabilization (decapacitation) and destabilization (capacitation) process. Homologous p...

This study revealed and characterised the presence of the antioxidant enzymes paraoxonase (PON) type 1 (PON-1, extracellular) and type 2 (PON-2, intracellular) in boar semen. To evaluate PON-1, an entire ejaculate from each of ten boars was collected and the seminal plasma was harvested after double centrifugation (1,500g for 10 min). Seminal plasma was analysed for concentration as well as enz...

Received: Revised: Accepted: December 31, 2012 June 19, 2013 August 07, 2013 In the present study, effects of stress-free and stressful seasons on certain physical and biochemical attributes of semen of Cholistani AI bulls were investigated. A total of 382 ejaculates from six bulls were collected at weekly intervals during four seasons viz. stress-free autumn (October-November), stressful winte...

The process of fertilization can’t be attributed only to the number of live, motile and normal sperm deposited within the female but especially to its functionality [1]. The hypoosmotic test or hypoosmotic test (HOST) is a functional test, by which the live sperm are subjected to an incubation in a hypoosmotic solution, the sperm with the functional membrane will allow the entry of water by osm...

Bull fertility may be defined as the process by which spermatozoa fertilize and activate the ovum and then support embryonic development. Bull fertility is a complex trait having relatively low heritability and plays a vital role for efficient production and reproduction of bovine. Various mechanisms involved in regulating bull fertility associated phenotype and reliable biomarkers are poorly d...

BACKGROUND The risk of hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission during assisted reproductive techniques (ARTs) is still disputed and no report concerning its prospective evaluation is available. METHODS The aim of this 4-year follow-up multicentre study that enrolled 86 HCV-serodiscordant couples was to determine whether a sperm-processing method was able to reduce levels of HCV in semen and the ...

BACKGROUND Sperm DNA integrity has been used as a new marker of sperm quality in the prediction of pregnancy. Nevertheless, no previous study has been performed by analysing the same samples that were employed in assisted reproduction. The main objective of this work was to correlate sperm chromatin dispersion (SCD), measured by the SCD test, with semen parameters and pregnancy outcome in intra...

Mammalian seminal plasma contains many distinct components which are important for spermatozoal function and survival. Recent studies clearly indicated that gossypol has pronounced hazardous effects on seminal characteristics and seminal plasma constituents in male rabbits, which may lead to deleterious productive and reproductive performance. We examined the possible deleterious effects of two...

Seminal fluids are known to have a variety of effects on rival sperm, but in externally fertilizing species it is still unclear what effects seminal fluid can induce under sperm competition. We recorded sperm activity from natural ejaculates (including own seminal fluid) of an external fertilizer, the Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus), after activation either in water (the natural medium for mi...