Effects of short-term storage on the motility, oxidative stress, and ATP content of Persian sturgeon (Acipenser persicus) sperm

The effective short-term storage of semen is essential when processing multiple sperm samples and when semen must be transported from collection sites to hatcheries for the fertilization of ova, or to laboratories for cryopreservation. In the present study, the spermatozoa of Persian sturgeon (Acipenser persicus) were used to evaluate the effects of short-term storage on quality parameters (the percentage of motile cells and the total period of sperm motility), oxidative stress indices, and the ATP content. Spermatozoa cells exhibited >50% motility during 6 days of storage where the average total duration of sperm motility varied from 376.42 ± 80.86 s initially to 19.28 ± 10.96 s after 6 days. No motile spermatozoa were recorded after 9 days of storage. The levels of oxidative stress indices (TBARS and CP) and antioxidant activity (SOD) increased significantly with the storage time. The ATP content also decreased significantly after 2 days of storage. The results of this study may facilitate successful reproduction management and cryopreservation protocols for this endangered fish.