ABSTRACT
This research was conducted to evaluate the effects of fructose as a modulator of sperm motility and its effects on the reduction in number of sperm cells in IVF using cryopreserved Rhamdia quelen semen. Sperm activation occurred in solutions containing fructose (0.0, 0.9, 1.8, 2.7, 3.6 and 4.5%). The sperm motility rate, velocity and duration of sperm motility were assessed by polynomial regression analysis and grouped by the principal component analysis (PCA). Then, the oocytes were mixed with semen at proportions of 1×10(4), 3×10(4), 5×10(4), 7×10(4) and 9×10(4) for the sperm:oocyte ratio and fertilization was induced by the activation of gametes with the fructose-containing solutions. The fertilization, hatching and larval normality rate were evaluated by response surface protocol and were further grouped by PCA. All sperm variables were affected by the activating solutions, and the most desirable theoretical results for the rate of sperm motility were obtained when using a solution containing 2.85% fructose. In the IVF and incubation assays, there was an interactive effect between the motile sperm:oocyte ratio and the fructose concentration on the rates of oocyte fertilization, hatching and on the clustered index for reproductive success. The results suggest the possibility of reducing the sperm cells on IVF by 17.77% when using a solution containing 2.28% fructose. In conclusion, the use of solutions containing fructose at concentrations that maximize sperm movement allow the reduction of the motile sperm:oocyte ratio, thus promoting sperm metabolic efficiencies and contributing to the feasibility of using cryopreserved semen at a large-scale in IVF.
