Glycopolymer-mediated Delivery of alpha-Tocopherol to Mammalian Spermatozoa

摘要

It is well known that unsaturated fatty acids play a vital role in maintaining the viability and health of animal cells. However, high levels of beneficial lipids, such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), also increase the risk of lipid peroxidation which can be severely deleterious to the cells. Therefore, the efficient delivery of antioxidants such as alpha- tocopherol (vitamin E) to animal cells could protect lipids from oxidation and thus maintain or improve the health of those cells. A technological application of this strategy lies in artificial insemination, which is a global multi-million dollar industry. Within this arena, the case of boar spermatozoa represents a particular challenge as the semen is an aqueous medium, eliminating the simple addition of fatty antioxidants such as alpha-tocopherol as a feasible delivery strategy.