Possible ability of bovine follicular fluid to attract migrating bull spermatozoa.

Aim: To examine the potential of bovine follicular fluid (BFF) to attract bull spermatozoa.

Methods: The ability of the BFF to attract bull sperm was evaluated by observing changes in sperm migration after being placed in a cross-column chamber. The movement parameters of the heads and flagella of the sperm that were attracted to the BFF were analyzed by using the Computer Assisted Sperm Analysis system.

Results: It was observed that 61.6% of the bull sperm migrated toward the BFF when the BFF was used at a concentration of 0.1%, but 67.2% of the sperm did not migrate toward the BFF at a concentration of 10%. Relatively larger numbers of both precapacitated and postcapacitated bull sperm migrated toward the BFF (0.1%). The ability of the 0.1% BFF to attract sperm probably affected both the normal artificial insemination (AI) fertility sperm and the poor AI fertility spermatozoa. The flagellar curvilinear ratio of the sperm winding to the 0.1% BFF was significantly higher than that of the prewinding sperm.

Conclusion: These results could suggest that BFF potentially attracts bull sperm at a certain concentration, irrespective of the capacitation status of the sperm. Although the mechanism by which this attraction occurs remains unclear, these data imply that it could be related to BFF-dependent changes in the sperm flagellar curvilinear ratio.