%0 Journal Article
%T Ergot Alkaloid Effects on Bovine Sperm Motility <i>In Vitro</i>
%A Ryan Page
%A Toby Lester
%A Rick Rorie
%A Charles Rosenkrans Jr.
%J Advances in Reproductive Sciences
%P 7-15
%@ 2330-0752
%D 2019
%I Scientific Research Publishing
%R 10.4236/arsci.2019.71002
%X Cattle in some parts of the world graze pastures that consist of tall fescue that may contain ergot alkaloid contamination. Those ergot alkaloids are associated with reduced reproductive rates in cattle. Our objective was to determine if ergot alkaloids [dihydroergotamine (DHET), ergonovine (EN), and ergotamine (ET)] directly affect bovine sperm characteristics. Spermatozoa were collected from mature Angus (n = 2) and Balancer (n = 4) bulls. Within bull, treatments were structured as a 3 ¡Á 5 factorial with three alkaloids (DHET, EN, and ET) and five concentrations of each alkaloid (0, 33, 66, 100, or 200 ¦ÌM). Spermatozoa (25 ¡Á 10<sup>6</sup>) were incubated (39&#730;C) in 1 mL of modified sperm medium. Sperm motility characteristics were evaluated using CASA (Hamiliton Thorne IVOS, Beverly, MA) at 0, 3, and 6 h after initial alkaloid exposure. Initial sperm motility was (69% ¡À 1.1%) and declined (<i>P</i> = 0.01) to (35% ¡À 2.6%) at 6 h. Sperm motility decreased (<i>P</i> &lt; 0.05) with increasing concentrations of DHET and ET, but not EN. As concentration of ET or DHET increased all CASA sperm characteristics were altered. The interaction of alkaloid concentration and incubation length affected sperm velocity and head size; exposure to 200 ¦ÌM of ET or DHET for six hours decreased (<i>P</i> &lt; 0.05) both characteristics. Our results demonstrate that ergot alkaloids (ET and DHET) can directly alter bovine sperm motility and morphology, which adds to our understanding of how ergot alkaloids may hinder cattle reproductive rates.
%K CASA
%K Bull Spermatozoa
%K Toxins
%U http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=89950