Calcitriol induces post-thawed bovine sperm capacitation

LIAUDAT, ANA CECILIA; EBEL, FRANCISCA; OPIZZO, BIANCA ANA; GONZALEZ, MARINA AURORA; BLOIS, DAMIAN A.; BOSCH, PABLO; RODRIGUEZ, NANCY

BIOCELL

INST HISTOL EMBRIOL-CONICET

Lugar: Mendoza; Año: 2023

0327-9545

Abstract: Background: Capacitation is a set of physiological changes sperms undergo to acquire fertilizing capacity.In vivo, this process is directly associated with high calcium levels in sperm cytoplasm. Calcitriol, the vitamin Dhypercalcemic metabolite, is related to human sperm motility, capacitation, and acrosome reaction. This work aimedto study the effect of calcitriol on bull sperm quality parameters and capacitation. Methods: One million freezethawedspermatozoa were obtained from different bulls and treated with 20 nM of calcitriol for 30 min. Untreatedcells (negative control) and treated ones with calcitriol or heparin (100 μg/mL, positive capacitation control) wereevaluated for motility, viability, and functional parameters. Menadione (70 μM, 30 min) treatment was included as areactive oxygen species (ROS) positive sperm agent. Results: The results elucidated that sperm exposed to 20 nMcalcitriol showed higher viability, vigor, and capacitation than their positive and negative controls. The percentage ofsperm with intact plasma and acrosome membranes, mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), andphosphatidylserine externalization was similar in all the conditions evaluated, while ROS production was higher withheparin and menadione-treated groups than the calcitriol group or negative control. Conclusion: Our results indicatethat calcitriol induces the capacitation of thawed bull spermatozoa and maintains acceptable values of progressivemotility, viability, and vigor without altering key biological parameters such as redox status, ΔΨm, and cell death.