Dietary l-arginine supplementation improves semen quality and libido of boars under high ambient temperature. (4th December 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chen, J. Q.; Li, Y. S.; Li, Z. J.; Lu, H. X.; Zhu, P. Q.; Li, C. M.
• Is Part Of: Animal. Volume 12:Number 8(2018)
• Page Start: 1611
• Page End: 1620
• Publication Date: 2017-12-04
• Subjects: boar, -- heat, -- libido, -- l-arginine, -- semen quality; Animal breeding -- Periodicals; Animal genetics -- Periodicals; Animal nutrition -- Periodicals; Animal physiology -- Periodicals; Environmental sciences -- Periodicals; 636.005
• DOI: 10.1017/S1751731117003147
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1751-7311

Abstract

Abstract : l -Arginine is a nutritionally essential amino acid for spermatogenesis and plays versatile roles in animal health and can be utilized as a potential agent to improve reproductive performance of boars under high ambient temperature. The present study aimed to determine whether dietaryl -arginine could alleviate heat stress-induced infertility in boars. In all, 20 boars (PIC 1040; 248.59±3.84 kg BW and 407.65±6.40 days of age) were selected and randomly assigned to four groups (group 0.0%, basal diet; group 0.6%, 0.8% or 1.0%, basal diet added with 0.6%, 0.8% or 1.0%l -arginine (wt:wt), respectively.) The four diets were made isonitrogenous by addition of appropriate amounts ofl -alanine. Boars were pre-fed the corresponding experimental diet for 42 days. Then, the semen characteristics and libido were accessed for 6 weeks during the hot summer period (25.5° to 33.0°C). Results show that dietaryl -arginine remarkably improved sperm motility, normality, total sperm number and effective total sperm number. Also, dietaryl -arginine improved semen antioxidant capacity, such as decrease of malondialdehyde and 8-Hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine content in sperm ( P <0.05), increase of the ratio of glutathione and oxidized glutathione, total antioxidant capacity, glutathione peroxidase and catalase activities in seminal plasma ( P <0.05). Most of mitochondria contained intact ultrastructure inl -arginine-supplemented group which also accompany with higher ATP content than the 0.0% group. The boars fed 0.8%l -arginine show increased levels of estradiol-17 β and testosterone and exhibit improved libido performance than boars in the 0.0% group. Adding dietaryl -arginine linearly increased ( P =0.002) nitric oxide content (asl -arginine increased). The scrotal surface temperature in the 0.6%, 0.8% and 1.0% group were decreased by 0.9°C, 0.9°C and 0.4°C, respectively, compared with the 0.0% group.l -Arginine levels caused linear effect on semen quality and antioxidant capacity, also caused quadratic effect on libido performance. During the hot summer months, the predicted optimall -arginine levels for best semen quality and antioxidant capacity was 0.8% to 1.0% and for best libido performance was 0.8%. It can be concluded thatl -arginine can be used as an effective agent to alleviate heat stress-induced infertility of boar, and that 0.8% to 1.0% can be considered as the optimum dosage.