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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Predictive Capacity of Boar Sperm Morphometry and Morphometric Sub-Populations on Reproductive Success after Artificial Insemination

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The aim of the study was to compare the morphometric features of sperm head sizeand shape from the Pietrain line and the Duroc×Pietrain boar crossbred terminal lines, and toevaluate their relationship with reproductive success after artificial insemination of sows producedfrom crossbreeding the York, Landrace and Pietrain breeds. Semen samples were collected from 11sexually mature boars. Only ejaculates with greater than 70% motility rate and <15% of abnormalsperm were used for artificial inseminations (AI) and included in the study. Samples were analyzedusing an ISAS®v1 computer-assisted sperm analysis system for eight morphometric parameters ofhead shape and size (CASA-Morph). Sub-populations of morphometric ejaculates were characterizedusing multivariate procedures, such as principal component (PC) analysis and clustering methods (k-means model). Four different ejaculate sub-populations were identified from two PCs that involvedthe head shape and size of the spermatozoa. The discriminant ability of the different morphometricsperm variables to predict sow litter size was analyzed using a receiver operating characteristics(ROC) curve analysis. Sperm head length, ellipticity, elongation, and regularity showed significantpredictive capacity on litter size (0.59, 0.59, 0.60, and 0.56 area under curve (AUC), respectively). Themorphometric sperm sub-populations were not related to sow litter size.