DEVELOPMENT OF FUNCTIONALIZED HYALURONIC ACID SURFACES FOR ADHESION AND SELECTION OF CATTLE ESPERMATOZOIDS

A C. LIAUDAT; BLOIS D; MORILLA G; CAPELLA V; RIVERO R; RIVAROLA C; BARBERO C; RODRIGUEZ N; BOSCH P

Congreso; XX Jornadas Anuales de la Sociedad Argentina de Biología (SAB)-XVII Jornadas de la Sociedad Uruguaya de Biociencias (SUB), Segundas Jornadas Rioplatenses de Biología; 2018

DEVELOPMENT OF FUNCTIONALIZED HYALURONIC ACID SURFACES FOR ADHESION AND SELECTION OF CATTLE ESPERMATOZOIDSLiaudat AC(1), Blois D(1), Morilla G(1), Capella V (1,2), Rivero R(2), Rivarola C (2), Barbero C (2), Rodríguez N (1), Bosch P (1) (1)Dpto de Biol Mol y (2) Dpto de Qca, Fac de Cs. Exactas Fco-Qcas y Naturales, UNRC.Hyaluronic acid (HA) is an important glucoseaminoglycan present in oocyte-cumulus cell complex. The spermatozoa able of binding to HA are those that have adequate motility characteristics, plasma membrane integrity, nuclear maturity and low alterations in their genetic material. The aim of this work was to develop new polymeric biomaterials with HA units on their surface that serve as a support and binding substrate for the selection of bovine sperm with better fertilizing capacity. Polymeric surfaces of hydrogels were synthesized and semi-interpenetrated with HA and the interaction and degree of sperm/surface binding was analyzed by phase contrast microscopy. The motility, viability, acrosomal membrane integrity and plasma membrane functionality of adhered sperm population were studied. The results indicate that 60% of spermatozoa exposed to semi-interpenetrated HA hydrogels were bound to hydrogels and the 70% of them were released with hyaluronidase enzyme. Selected sperm have acceptable characteristics of mass and rectilinear motility, high viability and low acrosomal reaction. The plasma membrane integrity of the released population remained unchanged compared to initial sample. In conclusion, the results indicate that polymeric surfaces semi-interpenetrated to HA could be useful to select high-quality sperm for use in assisted reproduction techniques.