Effect of seminal plasma on the characteristics and fertility of rabbit spermatozoa

The effects of different dilutions of seminal plasma (SP) on the qualitative characteristics of rabbit spermatozoa and on their fertilising ability were analysed. Ejaculated semen was centrifuged twice and the sperm resuspended in media with decreasing ratios of SP/Tris: (1/2; 1/5; 1/10; 1/20; 1/30; 1/100) until the complete substitution was with SP. The control constituted sperm in undiluted SP. Samples were maintained at 37°C and kinetic analysis done at fixed intervals (0–6 h). Also the thiobarbituric reactive substances (TBA-RS) values were determined. Rabbit sperm suspended in Tris, or with extremely low content of SP, lost motility and viability within 1–3 h, while sperm suspended in SP either undiluted or diluted up to 10-fold, showed similar motility during the 6 h period (from 39 to 49%). Further dilutions of SP (1/20–1/30) had no effect during the initial 2 h of storage but thereafter the decline of motility was more marked (after 6 h: from 0 to 17%). Kinetic parameters followed the same trend and differences were particularly marked after storage: the highest values were in samples diluted up to 1/10; a sharp decline in motility characteristics was observed at higher dilutions. The addition of SP (1/2 v/v) to immotile sperm reactivated 35.5% of cells. However, SP did not significantly affect fertility rate or litter size possible involving an interaction with the female reproductive tract. SP reduced lipid oxidation (TBA-RS) of semen only after storage. A positive correlation between final TBA-RS and cell viability indicated that peroxidation was one of the cause of rabbit sperm deterioration during conservation.