Effects of vibrations during boar semen transport: Low-temperature transport as a new management tool

Abstract

Transport-related vibrations (TV) compromise the quality of conventionally stored (17 °C) boar semen, but knowledge about TV effects after 5 °C transport is insufficient. This study evaluates the effects of TV after novel 5 °C transport compared to a 17 °C control. Ejaculates of 18 fertile Piétrain boars, diluted in a split sample procedure using Androstar Premium® (AP, 5 °C storage) or Beltsville Thawing Solution (BTS, 17 °C storage), were subjected to transport simulation using a laboratory shaker IKA MTS 4. The timing was set according to the respective processing protocols: for 17 °C BTS samples, TV simulation was performed the day of collection, 5 °C AP samples were subjected to TV the day after collection following completion of the established cooling curve to 5 °C. Six samples per ejaculate were exposed to different TV durations (0 h, 3 h, or 6 h) to evaluate the effect on sperm quality (progressive motility (PM), thermo-resistance test (30 and 300 min incubation at 38 °C (TRT30/TRT300)), mitochondrial activity (MITO), plasma membrane and acrosome integrity (PMAI)). Generalized linear mixed models revealed TV (P = 0.021) and storage time (P < 0.001) dependent declines in PM. Direct, pairwise comparisons revealed that 5 °C samples are not affected by TV (P(3 h vs. 6 h transport) = 1.0; P(0 h vs. 6 h transport) = 1.0). They therefore showed superior quality maintenance after TV compared to 17 °C samples (P(3 h vs. 6 h transport) = 0.025; P(0 h vs. 6 h transport) < 0.001). Concluding, low-temperature transport is possible without significant semen quality loss and with better quality maintenance than standard transport.

Keywords: Artificial insemination; Boar semen; Low temperature; Shipping; Vibrations.