Biointerfacial behavior of stallion spermatozoa adhered to hydrogel surfaces: Impact of the hydrogel chemical composition and the culture medium

Novel soft materials based on hydrogel are proposed to enhance the selection of high-quality stallion sperm based on their adhesion capacity. The hydrogel surfaces are derived from polyacrylamide (PAAm), which is copolymerized with neutral and ionic co-monomers to modify the interfacial properties. The hydrogels undergo characterization through FTIR spectroscopy, assessment of swelling capacity, and wettability under various experimental conditions. Sperm adhesion capacity on the hydrogels is examined through several parameters including the percentage of bound sperm (%Sp) to hydrogels, tail oscillation intensity and flagellar movement. The biointerfacial properties of sperm-hydrogel systems vary based on the chemical composition of hydrogel as well as the components present in the culture medium. High %Sp and excellent metabolic activity of the spermatozoa are observed on hydrogel surfaces that possess moderate hydrophilicity. Specifically, a cationic hydrogel in BGM3 culture medium and a neutral surface in BGM3 medium supplemented with BSA exhibit favorable outcomes. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) reveals the normal morphology of the head and tail in spermatozoa adhered to the hydrogel. Therefore, these hydrogel surfaces are potential materials for selecting stallion sperm with high quality, and their application could be extended to the study of other mammalian reproductive cells.

Automated summary

This study proposes novel soft materials based on hydrogel for enhancing the selection of high-quality stallion sperm. The hydrogel surfaces, characterized by their interfacial properties and modified through copolymerization with neutral and ionic co-monomers, exhibit favorable outcomes in terms of sperm adhesion capacity and metabolic activity. The results suggest that these hydrogel surfaces have potential applications in selecting high-quality stallion sperm and studying other mammalian reproductive cells.