The effects of centrifugation on equine spermatozoa
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Date
2000
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Publisher
The Ohio State University
Abstract
The business of reproductive physiology for the horse is very different from that of other farm animals. Breed associations are just beginning to allow modem technologies such as cooled semen to be employed in the industry. As these practices are allowed, research needs to go into discovering the best possible techniques to make the industry efficient This experiment examined the sperm motility of three stallions under three separate conditions: centrifuged and diluted with extender, centrifuged with the removal of seminal plasma then diluted and diluted with no other alterations. These conditions were created using four different semen extenders to reduce individual variability as well as variability between individuals. The results demonstrated that overall centrifugation had no detrimental effects on the motility of the semen either between subjects or for an individual (p=0.4234 and p=0.4530). There was also no statistically significant difference between extenders which contradicts some previous research done at Texas A&M university in 1997. There was a significant difference of motility over the four different time periods (p<0.0001) which is explained by the fact that the spermatozoa were dying as time progressed. This research is helpful in that by knowing that centrifugation is not detrimental to sperm motility there is no need to find another method to remove seminal plasma. As more is found out about seminal plasma, the practice of its removal may be more highly recommended. As a suggestion for future research, the use of more stallions would be recommended as it is documented that stallions vary in their ejaculate ability.