Sperm Cell Counting, Semen Analysis

Selective breeding via artificial insemination is widely used to improve the characteristics of swine. Selective breeding favors the promotion of reproductive traits but also influences structural correctness, size, muscle type and allocation, fat cover and capacity. To maximize the chances of a full litter it is important to have a sufficient number of sperm cells when inseminating. Usually, this is 80ml containing between 2.3-2.5 billion cells in Europe, and more than 3 billion cells for the Americas.

Sperm count estimation using a photometer is an old method still widely used. However, the photometer method is an indirect method of measurement and is prone to interference from e.g. dust, debris and gel particles. This is the cause of the CV being 10% or higher.

The NucleoCounter^® SP-100™ is a unique cell counter which improves the credibility of the sperm count in straws and can provide direct economic advantages. As the coefficient of variance is below 3%, fewer cells are needed to ensure a specific minimum number of cells present in 95% of the samples. Use of an extender does not interfere with the high precision of the SP-100™ as the detection method is direct, using DNA staining by propidium iodide.

On average, a boar ejaculate yields between 10 and 100 billion sperm cells. If each dose is packed so that there is a minimum of 3 billion cells in 95% of the sample on average, then the SP-100™ will provide up to 31 doses, whereas working with a photometer will yield only 26-27.

The SP-100™ can also determine the viability of the sperm cells. A boar might have a large production of semen but with a very low quality due to many of the sperm cells being dead. Instead of wasting resources on seemingly high quality boars with low viability sperm cells, one can focus on the boars with higher viability and maximize the chances of a full litter by using a count of viable sperm cells instead of the total.

Selective breeding via artificial insemination is widely used to improve the characteristics of dairy and beef cows. For dairy cows this includes milk production, protein and lipid content, whereas for beef cows it is the quality of the meat and the growth rate. When inseminating a cow it is of great importance to have a certain number of cells for the highest possible chances of successful impregnation.

Sperm count estimation using a photometer is an old method still widely used. However, the photometer method is an indirect method of measurement and is prone to interference from e.g. dust, debris and gel particles. This is the cause of the CV being 10% or higher. Furthermore, the extender used for bull sperm is most often based on egg yolk which causes methods such as photometers trouble when determining the concentration of sperm cells.

The NucleoCounter^® SP-100™ is a unique cell counter which improves the credibility of sperm counts in straws and can provide direct economic advantages. As the co-efficience of variance is below 3%, less cells are needed to ensure a specific minimum number of cells present in 95% of the samples. Use of an extender does not interfere with the high precision of the NucleoCounter^® SP-100™ as the detection method is direct using DNA staining by propidium iodide.

On average a bull ejaculate yields about 5 billion sperm cells. If each straw is packed with 30 million cells then the NucleoCounter^® SP-100™ will provide 150-160 straws, whereas working with a photometer will yield only 130.

Selective breeding via artificial insemination is widely used to improve the characteristics of horses to allow them to perform at high levels within different sports such as racing and showjumping. When inseminating a mare it is of high importance to have a certain number of cells to maximize the chances of successful insemination.

After obtaining the ejaculate, an extender is added containing sustenance for the sperm cells as well as counteracting the effects of seminal fluid that carries the sperm cells during ejaculation. If an extender is not added, the seminal fluid may kill the sperm cells.

Sperm count estimation using a photometer is an old method still widely used. However, the photometer method is an indirect method of measurement and is prone to interference from e.g. dust, debris and gel particles. This is the cause of the CV being 10% or higher. Furthermore, the extender used for stallion sperm is most often based on milk which causes methods such as photometers trouble when determining the concentration of sperm cells.

The NucleoCounter^® SP-100™ semen cell counter – Easy operation – Maintenance free and no service agreement is needed. With a co-efficient of variance below 3%, the NucleoCounter^® SP-100™ is a unique cell counter which improves the credibility of sperm counts in straws due to its high precision. Use of an extender does not interfere with the high precision of the SP-100™ as the detection method is direct using DNA staining by propidium iodide. The SP-100™ can therefore be used to determine the number of cells in the final suspension of sperm cells in an extender.

Stallion semen varies a lot in how well it freezes and which specific extender yields the best results. With the NucleoCounter^® SP-100™ you will be able to find the best extender as it provides not only the total sperm cell count but also the percentage of living cells. Dividing a semen sample into multiple aliquots and freezing with different extenders followed by viability determination provides quick and precise results which can raise the success rate of insemination.

Species individually listed are those where the NucleoCounter^® SP-100™ is used on a regular basis by end-users.

Sperm from other species has been analysed with success on the NucleoCounter^® SP-100™.

If your species of animal of interest is not listed, please contact ChemoMetec for additional information on your species.