Effects of pentoxifylline, platelet activating factor and prostaglandin F 2-alpha on Giant Panda () post-thawed sperm fertilizing capability

Abstract

Is it possible that Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) post-thawed sperm fertilization is improved with pentoxifylline (PF), platelet activated factor (PAF) and prostaglandin F 2-alpha (PGF_2?)? In our study Giant Panda post-thawed sperm was incubated in Ham’s F-10 medium with different concentration of PF, PAF and PGF_2? under 37°C. The effects of PF, PAF and PGF_2? on Giant Panda post-thawed sperm fertility were evaluated through sperm motility, survival time, sperm membrane integrity, acrosome state and heterospecific egg penetration. The results were that PF, PAF and PGF_2? all can affect Giant Panda post-thawed sperm in vitro fertilizing capability. In the experiment: 1 mg·mL^-1 PF was most suitable for improving Giant Panda post-thawed sperm in vitro fertilizing capability. In the 1 mg·mL^-1 PF group, sperm survival time was (15.33 ± 4.73) h, the heterospecific egg penetration was 51.44% after incubating for 4 hours, the heterospecific egg penetration was 7.49% after incubating for 6 hours. The results of the 1 mg·mL^-1 PF group were significantly higher than those of the control group (P < 0.01). The results were also higher than those of the other treatment groups; Treated Giant Panda post-thawed sperm with 50 ng·mL^-1 PAF had a better effect than 100 ng·mL^-1 PAF, but the sperm fertilizing capability was damaged when incubation time exceeded 2 hours; 50 ng·mL^-1 PGF_2? had no significant effect on Giant Panda post-thawed sperm, but when the PGF_2? treated concentration was increased, sperm in vitro fertilizing capability decreased because of the damaged motility and declined acrosomal reaction rate. The conclusions suggest that it is possible to improve post-thawed Giant Panda sperm fertility with 1 mg·mL^-1 PF.

Keywords

pentoxifylline / platelet activating factor / prostaglandin F 2-alpha / Giant Panda / post-thawed sperm / fertilizing capability