Cyto-morphological abnormalities and cell membrane integrity of frozen-thawed spermatozoa of Frieswal bulls and their relationship with fertility

Abstract

Frozen thawed semen of 5 adult Frieswal bulls were evaluated for motility (%), abnormal
sperm cytomorphology and subjected to hypo-osmotic swelling (HOS) test to assess membrane integrity
of the spermatozoa. Fertility rate of these bulls was assessed on a field based progeny testing programme.
The over all post thaw motility and total abnormal spermatozoa in the thawed semen was 42.56±1.29
and 14.26±0.04 %, respectively. The mean percentage ofabnormal ities in the head, mid piece and tail
region of the spermatozoa was 6.19±0.67, 4.37±0.35 and 3.70±0.35, respectively. The over all response
of spermatozoa in HOS solution was 33.67±1.25 % with a range of 30.50± 1.00 to 35.88±3.14 %
among the bulls, and did not differ (P<0.05). Fertility rate ofbulls showed negative c01Telation (P<0.05)
with sperm abnormality per cent (r= -0.93). HOS-positive sperm showed positive (P<0.0 I) relationship
(r =0.98) with fertility rate. It was concluded that assessment of sperm morphological abnormality
and membrane integrity (HOS-test) could be useful in evaluating fe rt ility ofFrieswal bulls under field
conditions.