The Massive Impact of Ram's Sperm Starvation on the Fertilization and Blastocyst Rates in Terms of Sperm Quality and Capacitation

Abstract

To obtain a high in vitro fertilization rate while ensuring the ideal development of the embryos, thus eliminating the most critical problems of assisted reproductive technology (ART) (implantation and low pregnancy rates). Therefore, sperm taken from the caudal epididymis must undergo the acquisition of progressive motility and fertilization. This process takes place through a series of physiological and biochemical changes, known as capacitation, a prerequisite for fertilization. In this work, we have developed a new way to incubate sperm using four different treatments in terms of energy substrates and different incubation methods. In this sperm energy restriction and recovery (RSE) treatment, after starving sperm for 50 min until they lost their capacity for motility, they were given glucose and incubated for 60 min. As for the other treatments, the sperm were not exposed to starvation and were incubated by the standard methods of maturation and capacitation of sperm, but with different energy substrates. According to the results obtained, the sperm was hyperactive and showed a significant increase in the ability to fertilize oocytes in the treatment that involved starvation and then saving the sperm by adding glucose, compared to other treatments. In conclusion, the effects of this feature persisted until after fertilization, which led to the production of a high percentage of blastocysts, as well as it has found that starvation and rescue sperm are adequate for fertilizing and developing embryos in sheep.