The Individual Variations in Sperm Quality of High-Fertility Boars Impact the Offspring Production and Early Physiological Functions

TL;DR

This study shows that high-quality sperm from boars leads to healthier piglets with better growth and survival, impacting pig farming efficiency.

Contribution

The study reveals that sperm quality beyond genetics affects offspring health, offering new insights for boar selection in pig breeding.

Findings

Piglets from boars with better sperm quality showed improved blood sugar control and growth.

Sperm velocity correlates with mitochondrial function and offspring resilience to stress.

Advanced sperm analysis could enhance boar selection for healthier piglets.

Abstract

Artificial insemination (AI) is widely used in pig farming to improve productivity, relying on semen from selected healthy and highly fertile boars. However, while AI enables higher productivity, producing larger litters is often accompanied by concomitant challenges, such as more competition between piglets for resources and lighter birth weights associated with higher preweaning mortality and poorer post-weaning growth performance. This study explored how the quality of boar sperm is related to fertility and the piglets’ health. We found that some sperm traits—especially those linked to DNA damage—can be strongly linked to important aspects of piglet health, such as indicators of organ function, metabolism, and resistance to stress. For example, piglets from boars with better sperm quality showed improved blood sugar control, stronger growth, and greater resilience to low blood sugar, a common cause of death in newborn piglets. The study highlights that boar sperm carries more than just genetic traits—it is also linked to the piglets’ growth and survival. Using advanced statistical tools to analyze the relation between multiple variables could help farmers choose boars that produce healthier offspring, leading to more efficient and sustainable pig production.

Artificial insemination (AI) is essential in intensive pig production, which significantly depends on semen quality from boars selected for health, genetics, and fertility. While AI aims to improve productivity, larger litters often result in smaller and less resistant piglets. Beyond fertility and genetic traits, boars also influence offspring health. This study investigated the relationship between sperm parameters of highly fertile boars and both reproductive outcomes and piglet physiological indicators. Multivariate analysis revealed significant paternal effects on blood markers reflecting organ function, including those of the pancreas, liver, and kidneys, as well as on glucose homeostasis, lipid metabolism, oxidative stress, protein and carbohydrate metabolism, muscle contraction, and neural signaling. Notably, sperm velocity was correlated with mitochondrial function, which is crucial for sperm motility, capacitation, DNA integrity, and embryo development—factors likely linked to healthier, more resilient offspring. Boars transmitting superior sperm velocity, erythropoiesis efficiency, and oxygen transport capacities produced piglets with better glucose regulation, growth, and resistance to neonatal hypoglycemia. These findings underscore the broader impact of sperm quality on offspring vitality and suggest that advanced sperm analysis could improve boar selection and enable more effective, health-oriented breeding strategies.

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