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Metabolic Characteristics of Washed Boar Spermatozoa¹

Purdue University, Lafayette, Indiana

Abstract

Pathways of glucose and fructose utilization in washed boar spermatozoa were investigated, using glucose 1-¹⁴C, glucose 6-¹⁴C, glucose 3,4-¹⁴C, glucose-UL-¹⁴C and fructose UL-¹⁴C as tracers. Semen was washed twice at 650 g and resuspended in buffer solution at 37° C. Washed sperm were then incubated with labeled sugar for 15, 30, 45, 60, 90 or 120 min. using Warburg manometric techniques. Glucose 1-¹⁴C and glucose 6-¹⁴C sugars were paired, glucose 3,4-¹⁴C and uniformly labeled glucose were paired and uniformly labeled glucose was paired with uniformly labeled fructose. Twelve trials were run on the three pairs of sugars with four trials for each pair. Each trial was made up of 12 flasks.

The respiratory ¹⁴CO₂ ratios from glucose 1-¹⁴C to glucose 6-¹⁴C did not indicate the presence of the phosphogluconate pathway. The glycolytic pathway seems to be the major metabolic pathway for glucose utilization. Glucose had a significant sparing effect on fructose. There was no significant difference in oxygen consumption between glucose 1-¹⁴C, glucose 6-¹⁴C, glucose 3,4-¹⁴C and glucose UL-¹⁴C incubated cells. Lipid fractions were extracted from the sperm incubated with glucose 3,4-¹⁴C and separated with thin layer chromatography. Some of the fatty acids had a small amount of radioactivity, but not enough to show a pathway through the phosphogluconate shunt.

¹ Contribution from the Department of Animal Sciences, Journal Paper No. 2595.