Effects of mitoquinone (MitoQ) supplementation during boar semen cryopreservation on sperm quality, antioxidant status and mitochondrial proteomics

Mitochondria are the most important organelles and the main reactive oxygen species producers in spermatozoa. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of mitochondria-targeted antioxidant mitoquinone (MitoQ) supplementation in boar semen extender during cryopreservation on sperm quality, antioxidant status and the changes of sperm mitochondrial proteomic profile. Semen collected from 10 Large White boars was cryopreserved in lactose-egg yolk extender supplemented with various concentrations of MitoQ (0, 5, 10, 20 and 40 μM). After thawing, sperm characteristics, antioxidant status and the abundance of hexose transporters (GLUT 3 and 8) were analyzed. The comprehensive mitochondrial proteomic profiling was performed on spermatozoa in the control and MitoQ10 groups. Supplementation with 10 μM of MitoQ resulted in the highest post-thaw sperm motility and kinematics. Sperm quality, antioxidant capacity and glucose transporter abundance of frozen-thawed boar sperm were also elevated in the MitoQ10 group. Excessive MitoQ (40 μM) supplementation induced a reduction of sperm motility parameters, sperm quality and antioxidant status and the abundance of GLUT3 and 8 proteins. A total of 189 proteins were defied as differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) using fold change (FC) > 1.2 with P < 0.05, and 33 of them were dramatically (FC > 1.5) regulated by MitoQ. These DEPs are mainly involved in sperm motility, energy metabolism and oxidative phosphorylation. Our data suggest that the beneficial effect of MitoQ on cryopreserved boar semen is achieved by regulating sperm antioxidant capacity and the mitochondrial proteins related to motility and metabolism.