title: Prolonged survival of mouse epididymal spermatozoa stored at room temperature.
abstract: The viability and fertility of isolated mouse epididymal spermatozoa kept for up to 7 days at various temperatures (4 degrees C, 22 degrees C, and 37 degrees C) were determined. Spermatozoa kept for 3 days at 22 degrees C were still active, while those kept at 37 degrees C or 4 degrees C exhibited great reduction in motility within 2 days after isolation. In vitro fertilizing abilities of spermatozoa left for 0, 1, 2, and 3 days at 22 degrees C were 69.2, 32.5, 9.5, and 4.9%, respectively, when the cleavage rate to two-cell stage was examined. Transfer of two-cell embryos produced in vitro with spermatozoa left for 1, 2, and 3 days at 22 degrees C resulted in production of fetuses with efficiencies of respectively 30.2, 11.5, and 16.7%, which were lower (63.3%) than that of embryos derived from in vitro fertilization with fresh spermatozoa. These findings indicate that spermatozoa kept for up to 3 days at 22 degrees C can fertilize oocytes, although at relatively low efficiency.
authors.affiliation: The Institute of Medical Sciences, Tokai University, Bohseidai, Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan. masasato@is.icc.u-tokai.ac.jp
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nagashima
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tada
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kimura
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002470:Cell Survival; D046508:Culture Techniques; D004822:Epididymis / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011247:Pregnancy; D012662:Semen Preservation / Q000379:methods*; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000502:physiology*; D013696:Temperature