Method of Sperm Collection Significantly Influences Sperm Motion Parameters Following Ethane Dimethanesulphonate Administration in the Rat

摘要

Sperm motion analysis following exposure to a reproductive toxicant is one means of evaluating the functional integrity of the testis and epididymis. A study sought to determine whether the method used to collect sperm from the proximal cauda epididymidis, where sperm are not completely mature, has a significant influence on sperm motion parameters. Two methods of collecting rat sperm for motion analysis were used: one based on an aspiration technique selected from the literature; the other, a new approach based on diffusion of sperm from the epididymal tubule. The two methods were tested for accuracy, precision and sensitivity of effects on sperm motility parameters 4 days after a single exposure to ethane dimethanesulphonate (EDS). The results of the study yielded strikingly different interpretations of the effect of a 65 mg/kg BW dose of EDS on the motility of sperm taken from the proximal cauda epididymidis. Statistical analyses indicate that the diffusion method of sperm collection provides enhanced precision and accuracy of the data, thereby decreasing the number of animals required in a treatment group to detect a statistically significant alteration of a sperm motion parameter.