title: Preliminary studies on cryopreservation of hare (Lepus europaeus Pallas, 1778) semen.
abstract: In the last decades, a significant decrease in hare population has been observed; for this reason, the aim of the study was to check if hare semen could be preserved in liquid nitrogen, with an extender used for rabbit semen. The results should provide a basis for creating a gene bank of the species. Ten ejaculates (volume above 0.4 ml, percentage of motile spermatozoa above 75%, spermatozoa concentration above 250 x 10(6) ml), obtained with electroejaculation method from four males, were frozen in an extender of the following composition: Tris (3.028 g), citric acid (1.675 g), glucose (1.25 g), dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO) (4.5%, v/v), egg yolk (17%, v/v) and distilled water to 100.00 ml. The motility of post-thawing spermatozoa was 40.50+/-7.97%, percentage of spermatozoa with normal acrosomes 76.10+/-3.69% and percentage of live spermatozoa 35.05+/-4.21%. Based on the properties of freezing-thawing semen, the hare semen can be successfully preserved in extender used for rabbit semen.
authors.affiliation: Department and Clinic of Reproduction, Ruminants Diseases and Animal Health Protection, Agricultural University of Wrocław, Plac Grunwaldzki 49, 50-366 Wrocław, Poland. rkozdrowski@wp.pl
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kozdrowski
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dubiel
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Siemieniuch
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019343:Citric Acid; D015925:Cryopreservation / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D003451:Cryoprotective Agents; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide; D004530:Egg Yolk; D005947:Glucose; D034621:Hares; D008297:Male; D009584:Nitrogen; D012662:Semen Preservation / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D012996:Solutions; D013076:Sperm Count; D013081:Sperm Motility; D014325:Tromethamine; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D003451:Cryoprotective Agents; D012996:Solutions; D014325:Tromethamine; D014867:Water; D019343:Citric Acid; D005947:Glucose; D009584:Nitrogen; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide