Example Use of Low-Cost System for Capturing the Kinetic Parameters of Sperm Cells in Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar)

Jorge Parodi¹, Alfredo Ramírez-Reveco², Guillermo Guerra¹

¹Laboratorio de Fisiología de la Reproducción, Núcleo de Producción Alimentaria, Escuela de Medicina, Veterinaria, Facultad de Recursos Naturales, Universidad Católica de Temuco, Temuco, Chile.
²Laboratorio de Criobiología y Análisis de Funcionalidad Espermática, Instituto de Ciencia Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile.

DOI: 10.4236/abb.2015.62007                

Abstract

A spermiogramme is an analysis performed to assess the quality of semen. Motility parameters are primarily obtained by subjectively observing samples or by using complex systems, such as computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA). Here, we describe an easy and low-cost analysis system for obtaining quantifiable kinetic observations using Salmo salar semen model. In this work, we observed and captured video images of both fresh and stored Atlantic salmon semen to describe the possibility of analysis using the ImageJ CASA plug-in application for the kinetic parameters obtained from the videos. The semen is exposed to “powermilt”, a commercial activating solution, and the curvilinear velocity (VCL), straight line velocity (VSL), average path velocity (VAP) values are described. When the samples were activated after having been stored, differences were detected in sperm quality, using the low-cost plug-in application. However, this system was not able to detect small variations in the same recorded sample, suggesting limits in sample observation. The results indicate that it is possible to quantify the kinetic parameters of semen samples using a low-cost video system and free software.

Keywords

Fish, Semen, Motility, Low Cost

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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