Seminal plasma as an extender for short-term storage and cryopreservation of sperm in European sea bass

[EN] The preservation of male sperm is a tool gaining importance for assisted reproduction programs, genetic conservation, and reproductive management in aquaculture. This study compared the effects of natural seminal plasma and a synthetic non-activating medium (NAM) on the short-term storage and c...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: França, Thales Souza, Borges, L.P., Felip, A., Fernández-García, Fátima|||0009-0001-5070-3762, Asturiano, Juan F.|||0000-0002-6441-5294
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2026
País:España
Institución:Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV)
Repositorio:RiuNet. Repositorio Institucional de la Universitat Politécnica de Valéncia
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:dnet:riunet______::742d83f532e598fe027f4d50556be64b
Acceso en línea:https://riunet.upv.es/handle/10251/235419
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:CASA system
Sperm extenders
Sperm motility
Teleost
Cryobiology
Dicentrarchus labrax
Descripción
Sumario:[EN] The preservation of male sperm is a tool gaining importance for assisted reproduction programs, genetic conservation, and reproductive management in aquaculture. This study compared the effects of natural seminal plasma and a synthetic non-activating medium (NAM) on the short-term storage and cryopreservation of sperm samples in European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax). The NAM extender consisted of (in mM): NaCl 59.83, KCl 1.47, MgCl2 12.91, CaCl2 3.51, NaHCO3 20, and glucose 0.44, supplemented with BSA (1% w/v), with an osmolality of 310 mOsm/kg and pH adjusted to 7.7. Two experiments were conducted: (1) sperm undergone refrigerated (4 degrees C) for up to 144 h, assessing total motility (MOT), progressive motility (MOTp), and additional kinetic parameters using a CASA system; (2) sperm was cryopreserved using DMSO followed by thawing, with evaluation of the same parameters and DNA integrity using the comet assay. In short-term storage, samples diluted with seminal plasma maintained significantly higher motility and kinetic parameters than those diluted with NAM up to 48 h, with a marked decline in both extenders after 144 h. In the cryopreservation trials, seminal plasma yielded better results for sperm motility and kinetic parameters, but no significant differences were found in DNA fragmentation between extenders. The findings indicate that natural seminal plasma, due to its biochemical composition rich in ions, proteins, and antioxidants, offers advantages in maintaining sperm motility and structural integrity compared with NAM. Nevertheless, the motility decline after prolonged storage underscores the need for optimized cryopreservation protocols. It is concluded that seminal plasma is a promising alternative to NAM for D. labrax sperm preservation, and further studies are recommended to standardize its concentration, supplement it with antioxidants, and assess post-thaw fertility.