Relationship between trace element concentrations and spermatozoa quality in rabbit semen

Abstract

Concentrations of cooper, zinc, iron, manganese, cadmium, lead and nickel in the semen of rabbits (n=27) in relation to spermatozoa quality were evaluated. Samples were analyzed on an atomic absorption spectrophotometer (Unicam Solar 939). For analysis of pathological spermatozoa semen samples were fixed in Hancock´s solution and stained with Giemsa dye. For each rabbit at least 500 spermatozoa were evaluated. Concentrations of trace elements determined in rabbit semen were following: cooper - 20.10±4.09 mg/kg, zinc - 81.20±59.43 mg.kg-1, iron - 19.65±7.26 mg.kg-1, manganese - 30.87±1.81 mg.kg-1, cadmium - 0.095±0.10 mg.kg-1, lead - 0.092±0.04 mg.kg-1, and nickel - 0.297±0.11 mg.kg-1. Total percentage of pathological spermatozoa was 16.21±7.99% with predominance of knob-twisted flagellum, separated flagellum and flagellum ball. Correlations between the copper concentration and acrosomal changes (r=-0.75), total pathological spermatozoa and flagellum ball form (r=0.674) and between total pathological spermatozoa and knob- twisted flagellum (r=0,762) were detected. This study demonstrates that rabbit semen is specific for high concentration of cooper. Also a significant effect of zinc on the occurrence of pathological spermatozoa was revealed.