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Bìol. Tvarin. 2023; 25 (4): 11–16.
https://doi.org/10.15407/animbiol25.04.011
Received 10.08.2023 ▪ Revision 22.10.2023 ▪ Accepted 26.12.2023 ▪ Published online 29.12.2023

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Inclusion of 1,3-dimethylxanthine improved quality parameters of bull semen

Amit Kumar¹, Meenakshi Virmani¹, Rajesh Kumar¹, Sudarshan Kumar¹, Sarthak¹, Arushi Kanwar¹, Sandeep Kumar², C. S. Patil³

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¹Department of Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry,
College of Veterinary Sciences, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (LUVAS), Hisar, Haryana 125001, India

²Department of Veterinary Gynaecology and Obstetrics,
College of Veterinary Sciences, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (LUVAS), Hisar, Haryana 125001, India

³Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding,
College of Veterinary Sciences, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (LUVAS), Hisar, Haryana 125001, India

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Methylxanthines are a unique class of drug, derived from the purine base xanthine and 1,3-dimethylxanthine (Theophylline) is the most commonly used methyl xanthine. The present study was conducted to study the effect of supplementation of 1,3-dimethylxanthine in semen extender on sperm motility and morphological parameters of semen. A total of 15 semen ejaculates were collected from three adult cattle bulls. Each ejaculate was divided into five groups. First group was kept as control (C) in which samples were diluted with Tris-egg yolk-glycerol extender and samples of other 4 groups (T-5, T-10, T-20 and T-40) were supplemented with 1,3-dimethylxanthine at a dose rate of 5, 10, 20 and 40 mM respectively. The diluted semen samples were incubated at 37°C in water bath and evaluated for various seminal parameters at 15 and 30 min of incubations. Sperm motility, sperm kinetic parameters and sperm abnormalities of semen of all groups were assessed using computer assisted sperm analyser (CASA). Morphological parameters of spermatozoa of control and supplemented groups were also evaluated. The results revealed that 1,3-dimethylxanthine supplementation resulted in significant increase in motile sperm concentration, kinematic parameters, sperm viability, sperms with intact plasma membrane as compared to other groups. However, sperm abnormalities viz., bent tail, coiled tail, distal droplet and distal midpiece reflex varied non-significantly in all groups. Thus, it can be concluded that 1,3-dimethylxanthine (Theophylline) inclusion at 10 mM concentration in semen extender improved the quality of semen.

Key words: 1,3-dimethylxanthine (Theophylline), semen, semen extender, motility, CASA

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