Data for: Sephadex filtration as successful alternative to density-gradient centrifugation procedures for ram sperm selection
Description
Density-gradients centrifugation (DGC) and filtration columns (FC) are used in mammals in order to separate deficient or dead sperm, debris, and other cells than sperm which may negatively affect the fertilizing ability of spermatozoa in fresh, chilled and frozen/thawed semen. The present study was conducted to evaluate the suitability of DGC (BoviPure , Percoll and Accudenz ) and FC (Sephadex G-15 ) sperm selection procedures for fresh-extended and cold-stored ram semen by assessment of post-treatment sperm quality parameters. Twenty normospermic ejaculates from ten adult Merino rams were used. Sperm concentration of recovered spermatozoa was higher (P 0.001) after BoviPure treatment than other procedures in both fresh-extended and cold-stored semen. The Sephadex method showed more advantageous values than DGC procedures in several sperm motility variables measured by CASA system. In non-refrigerated semen samples, the percentage of progressive sperm motility (%PSM) after Sephadex filtration was higher (P 0.05) than after BoviPure treatment; the straight-line velocity (VSL) value after Sephadex filtration was higher (P 0.01) than after Accudenz treatment; the amplitude of lateral head displacement (ALH) after Sephadex and Accudenz treatment was lower than non-filtered semen (P 0.001) and after Percoll (P 0.01) and BoviPure (P 0.05) treatments. In cold-stores semen samples, the %PSM after Sephadex filtration was higher than non-filtered (P 0.05) semen and after BoviPure (P 0.05), Percoll (P 0.05) and Accudenz (P 0.001) treatments; the VSL (P 0.01) values after Accudenz treatment were lower (P<0.01) than non-filtered semen and after other sperm selection methods treatments. The ALH after Sephadex and Accudenz treatments was lower (P<0.01) than non-filtered semen. It is concluded that Sephadex columns filtration can be used to select ram spermatozoa in non-refrigerated and cooled semen, showing an advantage over the tested DGC methods as to percentage progressively motile sperm and sperm motility characteristics.