Cholesterol-loaded-cyclodextrins and fertility potential of stallions spermatozoa

Irreversible damage occurs to spermatozoal membranes, during the phase transition, when spermatozoa are cooled from room temperature to 5 °C. Some of this damage can be ameliorated by adding cholesterol to the membrane, thereby altering membrane lipid composition. Adding cholesterol-loaded cyclodextrins (CLCs) to stallion spermatozoa prior to freezing, increases cell cryosurvival. However, the fertilizing potential of CLC-treated stallion spermatozoa is unknown. To address this, experiments were conducted which evaluated the ability of CLC-treated stallion spermatozoa to capacitate, acrosome react, and bind to the zona pellucida in vitro, and to fertilize oocytes in vivo. When CLC-treated cryopreserved stallion spermatozoa were treated with various agents to induce capacitation and the acrosome reaction (AR), dilauroylphosphatidylcholine (PC-12) and lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) induced the AR in control cells (62% and 55%, respectively) but not in CLC-treated cells (17% and 14%, respectively, P < 0.05). However, the calcium ionophore A23187 induced the AR in both control- and CLC-treated cells equally well (39%, P > 0.05). Control- and CLC-treated stallion spermatozoa bound to ZP of cattle oocytes equally well (0.44 ± 0.16 vs. 0.25 ± 0.09, respectively; P > 0.05). In addition, the fertility rates of mares inseminated with control- and CLC-treated sperm were similar (P > 0.05).