A number of extenders are employed at present for keeping semen, but the limit of its storage without losing its fertilizing capacity is still only 3 to 4 days. Difficulties still exist in reducing the considerable spermatozoal metabolism and in the control of bacterial growth in boar semen. The purpose of this study consists in 1) finding effective antibiotics on enteric bacteria, 2) evaluating the effects of bacteria on the survival of boar spermatozoa using 6 extenders (Polyzanon, BTS, Kiev, Zorlesco, Modena, and Butschwiler), and 3) selecting more useful extenders from those containing gentamicin and polymyxin B at various temperatures of 5, 10 and 15°C.
The following results were obtained.
1) Dibekacin (DKB), Amikacin (AMK), Gentamicin (GM) and Polymyxin B (PM-B) showed excellent antibacterial activities, whereas Streptmycin (SM) and Penicillin G (PCG) were not effective for 5 species of enteric bacteria (
Escherichia coli,
Serratia sp,
Klebsiella sp,
Enterobacter sp, and
Citrobacter sp).
2) The survival of spermatozoa in the presence of
Esherichia coli regardless of the types of extenders were remarkably affected, and the motility and normal acrosome of spermatozoa decreased into 0-30% and 15-24% in 3 days.
3) The effects of 6 extenders containing GM (100-150ug/m
l) and PM-B (100-150units/m
l) for the survival of spermatozoa were tested after 7 days'storage at 15, 10 and 5°C. Modena, Butschwiler and Zolresco proved to be more effective for preservation and the retained activity of spermatozoa was 75-80% on the average and its pH was 6.6-7.0 on the average. Polyzanon gave the poorest results among other extenders in sperm motility, and the activity of the sperm was 49-52% on the average.
The results with BTS and Kiev were between those of Modena, Butschwiler and Zolresco and those of Polyzanon, and the resulting sperm activity was 67-69% on the average. Hardly any bacteria were detected in the stored semem samples.
4) The effects of Modena and Butschwiler extenders containing GM and PM-B on the survival of spermatozoa were evaluated during 10-21 days' storage at 15 and 10°C. The motility and normal acrosomes of the spermatozoa were well maintained during 10 to 16 days' storage at 15 and 10°C. The activity of the spermatozoa was 67-78% on the average. Hardly any bacteria were detected in stored semen samples.
5) Sixteen sows were inseminated three times with 50-60m
l of semen diluted with Modena and stored for 7 or 14 days at 10°C in the presence of GM (100-150ug/m
l) and PM-B (100-150IU/m
l). The farrowing rate for spermatozoa stored for 7 or 14 days were 100% and 57.1%, and the mean litter sizes were 10.2 and 12.8, respectively.
6) Eighteen semen samples diluted with Modena stored for 7 or 8 days at 10 and 5°C and for 14 or 15 days at 10°C containing GM and PM-B were inseminated
in vitro. At 18 hours after the insemination, the fertilization rates of pig oocytes were 79.5% (136/171), 33.7% (57/169) and 68.1% (96/141), respectively.
The results of the present study showed that boar spermatozoa can be stored for 7 or 8 days at 10 or 15°C when Modena or Butschwiler was used as an extender containing GM (DKB or AMK) and PM-B.
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