Sperm phenotypic characteristics and oviduct binding ability are altered in breeding bulls with high sperm DNA fragmentation index

Abstract In the present study, we standardized an in vitro oviduct explants model for cattle and assessed the oviduct explants binding ability and phenotypic characteristics of spermatozoa obtained from breeding bulls with high- and low-sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI%). Cryopreserved spermatozoa from Holstein Friesian crossbred breeding bulls (n = 45) with known field fertility were assessed for DFI% and were classified into either high DFI% or low DFI% category. Flow cytometry was used to assess sperm membrane integrity, acrosome reaction status, mitochondrial membrane potential and intracellular calcium concentrations. It was found that spermatozoa from bulls with low DFI% had significantly higher (P  2 times) in the bulls with low-DFI% as compared to high DFI% bulls. The correlation between binding index and DFI% was negative and significant (r = −0.528; P