New Insights into Male Fertility and Sperm Preservation in Animals

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Reproduction".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2026 | Viewed by 2212

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Laboratory of Animal Germplasm Conservation, Department of Animal Sciences, Federal University of Semiarid Region—UFERSA, Mossoró 59625-900, RN, Brazil
Interests: wildlife reproductive physiology and biotechnologies; assisted reproductive technology; wildlife reproduction
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Dear Colleagues,

The development of methods to preserve male fertility and sperm in animals is crucial to the conservation of valuable genotypes and is essential for assisted reproduction programs, facilitating artificial insemination and embryo transfer, thereby increasing the efficiency of controlled breeding efforts. For domestic animals, studies in this area can contribute to the continuous improvement of breeds, increasing the productivity and sustainability of breeding systems. Furthermore, knowledge on this subject is highly applicable to wildlife, thus contributing to the preservation of biodiversity. Over several years, methodologies have focused mainly on improving sperm conservation protocols, whether from samples from ejaculates or obtained through recovery of the epididymis. More recently, it has been possible to observe a great advent in the development of methods of cryopreservation and culture of testicular tissues and cells, which have enabled the in vitro resumption of spermatogenesis, thus expanding the possibilities of strategies for preserving male fertility. In this sense, this issue aims to highlight new insights into the preservation of male fertility, showing not only advances in sperm preservation, but also highlighting the possibilities related to the conservation of gonadal tissues, both in domestic and wild animals.

Prof. Dr. Alexandre Rodrigues Silva
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • semen
  • epidydimal sperm
  • testicular tissue
  • spermatogonia
  • biobank

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 4409 KiB  
Article
Letrozole and Crocin: Protecting Leydig Cells and Modulating Androgen Receptor and CYP19 Gene Expression in Busulfan-Induced Azoospermia
by Shahrzad Nokhbeh Zaeem, Mitra Heydari Nasrabadi, Masoud Salehipour and Somayeh Ehtesham
Animals 2025, 15(5), 697; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15050697 - 27 Feb 2025
Viewed by 350
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the impact of letrozole and crocin on Leydig cells on busulfan-induced azoospermia using a rat model. A sample population consisting of thirty male rats was randomly assigned to five groups: (1) the control group, (2) azoospermia group, (3) [...] Read more.
This study aimed to investigate the impact of letrozole and crocin on Leydig cells on busulfan-induced azoospermia using a rat model. A sample population consisting of thirty male rats was randomly assigned to five groups: (1) the control group, (2) azoospermia group, (3) azoospermia group treated with letrozole, (4) azoospermia group treated with crocin, and (5) azoospermia group treated with both letrozole and crocin. The treatment period with letrozole and crocin lasted for four weeks following busulfan administration. Subsequently, comprehensive analyses, including histopathological, molecular, and hormonal assessments, were performed, followed by immunohistochemical staining. This study found that the control group exhibited normal Leydig cell morphology, while the azoospermia group showed reduced Leydig cells and tissue disruptions. Letrozole and crocin treatments were associated with increased testicular fibrosis in the AZO and AZO + Cro groups, while their combination notably reduced fibrosis to approximately 15%. Furthermore, the combination treatment enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity and upregulated androgen receptor expression. Although a number of improvements were noted in sperm motility, they were not statistically significant. Further research is required to clarify the therapeutic implications of these findings in azoospermia treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights into Male Fertility and Sperm Preservation in Animals)
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15 pages, 1264 KiB  
Article
Effects of Supplementation of Different Antioxidants to Cryopreservation Extender on the Post-Thaw Quality of Rooster Semen—A Meta-Analysis
by Esther Díaz Ruiz, Francisco Javier Navas González, José Manuel León Jurado, Ander Arando Arbulu, Juan Vicente Delgado Bermejo and Antonio González Ariza
Animals 2024, 14(20), 2936; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14202936 - 11 Oct 2024
Viewed by 1326
Abstract
The standardization of the semen cryopreservation technique could be an effective tool in poultry for the conservation of genetic resources. During this process, the production of reactive oxygen species increases, leading to oxidative stress that causes damage to the spermatozoa. To reduce this [...] Read more.
The standardization of the semen cryopreservation technique could be an effective tool in poultry for the conservation of genetic resources. During this process, the production of reactive oxygen species increases, leading to oxidative stress that causes damage to the spermatozoa. To reduce this effect, the addition of exogenous antioxidants in the cryopreservation diluent has been reported to be effective. Multiple antioxidants such as catalase, vitamin E, cysteamine, ergothioneine, and serine have been studied in roosters. Therefore, the present investigation aims to perform a meta-analysis to determine if the use of the aforementioned antioxidants added to the cryopreservation extender produces an improvement in semen quality parameters in roosters after thawing. After collecting the data, a discriminant canonical analysis was performed to determine which of the selected semen quality traits provided the most information, with hypo-osmotic swelling test (HOST), viability, and total motility variables showing the highest discriminatory power. However, according to the descriptive statistics, catalase and serine are the antioxidants that improve a greater number of seminal quality parameters, and since catalase gives the most favorable results for most of the discriminating variables, it could be the antioxidant of choice. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights into Male Fertility and Sperm Preservation in Animals)
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