China Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine ›› 2024, Vol. 51 ›› Issue (10): 4410-4419.doi: 10.16431/j.cnki.1671-7236.2024.10.022

• Genetics and Breeding • Previous Articles    

Research Progress on the Antioxidant Mechanism and Application of Melatonin in Protecting Animal Sperm

Research Progress on the Antioxidant Mechanism and Application of Melatonin in Protecting Animal SpermPAN Jun, YU Weiwei, ZHANG Chuanshi   

  1. College of Animal Science and Technology, Chongqing Three Gorges Vocational College, Chongqing 404100, China
  • Received:2024-02-29 Published:2024-09-30

Abstract: The cryopreservation is an effective method commonly used in production to preserve animal semen,while cryopreservation process of animal sperm can lead to sperm structure,metabolic pathways,physiological functions and vitality alterations caused by oxidative stress,subsequently affecting sperm quality and fertilization rate. Melatonin,which is widely used in the cryopreservation of animal semen in animal production,exhibits potent antioxidant properties,scavenges free radicals generated by oxidative stress,and improves the viability and fertilization rate of sperm after cryopreservation. The mechanism of melatonin protects sperm mainly through the following pathways. Firstly,melatonin can increase the activities of antioxidant enzymes glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px),catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in semen,and reduces lipid oxidation and oxidative products in semen. Secondly,melatonin can improve oxidative phosphorylation,electronic transport chain and tricarboxylic acid cycle,and ATP production in mitochondria. Thirdly,melatonin can improve the integrity of sperm plasma membrane,acrosomal membrane,mitochondrial membrane and DNA structure. Finally,melatonin also can enhance the anti-apoptotic effect and inhibit the expression of apoptotic proteins and genes. The authors review an overview of the antioxidant properties of melatonin,antioxidant enzyme activities,antioxidant enzyme gene expression,signaling pathways,and the effects on the structure and function of sperm plasma membrane, DNA,mitochondria,and related molecular mechanisms,in order to provide a theoretical reference for the use of melatonin as an antioxidant in the preservation of semen in the future.

Key words: sperm; melatonin; oxidative damage; antioxidant; cryopreservation

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