Evaluation of antioxidant enzymes in the female genital fluid of the bat Corynorhinus mexicanus during sperm storage

Abstract

Female Corynorhinus mexicanus bats store sperm for three months. One cause of the death of sperm is the action of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Three antioxidant enzymes – superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) – regulate the REDOX state of the environment in which gametes are stored. The aim of this study was to evaluate antioxidant enzymatic activity in female genital fluid during the period of sperm storage (October-December). The activity of the enzymes in the female bats’ genital fluid was determined by spectrophotometry. SOD activity was 20 USOD/ml/min in each month. Total GPX activity was 70 UGPX/ml/min in October, but increased in November and December to 145 UGPX/ml/min. Specific CAT activity was 2000 UK/ml/min in October, but in November it increased to 16 000 UK/ml/min, then to 32 000 UK/ml/min in December. The ROS fluorescence indices in the sperm ranged from 3000 to 8000 with no significant differences. These data show that antioxidant enzymes participate in the maintenance of sperm viability in the female reproductive tract of C. mexicanus.