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Research Article | 24 Oct 2026

Heparin induces more pronounced capacitation-associated changes than progesterone in goat spermatozoa assessed using sperm quality indexes

Alberto J. Cardenas-Padilla1, Xana S. Martinez-Morales2, Luis F. Hernandez-Mentado3, and Alfredo Medrano1 Show more
VETERINARY WORLD | Article No. 32 | pg no. 4845-4855 | Vol. 19, Issue 10 | DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2026.4845-4855
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ABSTRACT

                      
Background and Aim: Optimization of sperm capacitation protocols is important for improving assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) in goats. Heparin and progesterone are used as capacitating agents in mammalian spermatozoa; however, direct comparisons of their effects on goat sperm functional dynamics during in vitro incubation remain limited. This study aimed to compare heparin and progesterone during in vitro capacitation of goat spermatozoa using conventional functional parameters and sperm quality indexes (SQIs).
Materials and Methods: Semen was collected from two Saanen bucks during three independent collection sessions. After individual quality assessment, ejaculates were pooled within each session, generating three independent experimental replicates. Each pool was divided into control (CG), heparin-supplemented (HG; 20 μg/mL), and progesterone-supplemented (PG; 2 μg/mL) groups. Spermatozoa (100 × 10⁶ sperm/mL) were incubated at 37°C under 5% CO₂ for 4 h and evaluated at 0, 1, 2, and 4 h. Progressive motility, plasma membrane integrity, morphology, acrosome integrity, capacitation status, and plasma membrane fluidity were assessed. SQI-1 and SQI-2 were calculated from the evaluated functional variables.
Results: Significant treatment × incubation period interactions were detected for the non-capacitated CTC F pattern, membrane hyper-fluidity, and SQI-2. HG produced the most pronounced capacitation-associated changes, including a decrease in the F pattern and increases in capacitated and acrosome-reacted spermatozoa and membrane hyper-fluidity. Direct between-treatment comparisons further showed significantly higher SQI-2 values in HG than in PG at T2 and T4 (adjusted p < 0.05). SQI-2 in HG increased from 5.8 ± 1.79% at 0 h to 29.3 ± 1.02% at 4 h and was overall higher than in CG and PG. SQI-1 did not differ significantly among groups. PG induced more gradual capacitation-associated changes, whereas sperm quality progressively declined in CG during incubation.
Conclusion: Heparin induced more pronounced functional changes compatible with sperm capacitation than progesterone under the evaluated in vitro conditions. SQIs provided an integrative assessment of temporal sperm functional dynamics and may complement conventional parameters when optimizing goat sperm capacitation protocols for ARTs.
                      
Keywords: acrosome reaction, assisted reproductive technologies, goat spermatozoa, heparin, in vitro capacitation, membrane fluidity, progesterone, sperm quality indexes.