BUFFALO SPERMATOZOA CLASSIFIED BASED ON PLASMALEMMA FUNCTIONAL INTEGRITY AND ACROSOMAL INTEGRITY TESTS

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the plasmalemma functional integrity and acrosomal integrity
and their relationship with sperm functional tests in assessing buffalo semen quality. Fifty-two ejaculates
from thirteen Murrah buffalo bulls were used for the study. Plasmalemma integrity and acrosomal
integrity was assessed byfluorogenic and hypoosmotic swelling- Giemsa (HOS-G) test. The samples
were classified into different subpopulations based on their reaction to fluorogenic staining and HOSG
test, respectively. No difference in plasmalemma integrity (%) was observed (49.11±2.53 vs.
48.59±2.48) between fluorogenic and HOS-G tests. However, the acrosomal integrity(%) assessed by
HOS-G test (82.43±4.15) was significantly higher (P<0.05) than fluorogenic stain (68.12±3.03). The
sperm subpopulation (%) positiv~ for plasmalemma integrity and acrosornal integrity (P+A+) was
significantly (P<O .0 5) higher in fluorogen ic (49 .11±2. 53) than H OS-G ( 43 .08±2. 3 8) tests. Further, the
plasmalemma functional membrane integrity (48.59±2.48 %) was significantly higher than the sperm
p• A· subpopulation ( 43. 08±2 .38 % ) . In the p• A• subpopulation, significant correlation (r"' 0 .529, P<O. 05)
was observed between fluorogenic and HOS-G test. The sperm p•N subpopulation had a significant
positive correlation with the progressive forward motility (r=0.733, fluorogenic; r:::0.666, HOS-G),
acrosomal integrity (r"'0.844, fluorogenic; r=0.569, HOS-G) and sperm nuclear morphology (r=0.617,
fluorogenic; r=0.752, HOS-G). The study confirmed that fluorogenic and HOS-G tests n:ieasure the
functional membrane integrity. It can be concluded that the assessing ~f sperm P•A• subpopulation by
HOS-G test is easy and simple and can be recommended as a routine test to evaluate buffalo semen
quality.