title: Survival of frozen-thawed cat spermatozoa pre-cooled in the epididymides.
abstract: Sperm recovery from epididymides and their cryo-preservation require particular media and equipment not always available in the field. This study aimed to compare the quality of frozen-thawed epididymal cat spermatozoa pre-cooled in an extender vs. cooled in the epididymides. Testes with attached epididymides from 23 cats subjected to routine orchidectomy were allocated into two groups; 2-day (n = 10) and 4-day cold storage (n = 13). Spermatozoa from one epididymis of each pair were recovered, evaluated, extended in a Tris egg yolk extender, cooled to 5 degrees C and stored for either 2 or 4 days prior to freezing (Treatment 1). The remaining testis attached with the epididymis was stored at 5 degrees C in a Tris-buffered solution for either 2 or 4 days, before the spermatozoa were harvested, evaluated and frozen (Treatment 2). The spermatozoa were evaluated for percentage of motility, viability, intact acrosomal integrity and morphology. Sperm evaluations were performed prior to freezing and after freezing-thawing. The spermatozoa maintained in the epididymes yielded similar quality after cold storage and after freeze-thawing in comparison to that maintained in the extender at both storage times (p > 0.05). However, cold storage of spermatozoa for 4 days resulted in a reduction in motility compared to that cold stored for 2 days (p < 0.05). Similarly, freezing of spermatozoa pre-cooled for 4 days resulted in lower percentages of motility, viability and intact acrosome than that pre-cooled for 2 days (p < 0.05). A higher number of spermatozoa with simple bent tail and coiled tail were found in the samples maintained in the epididymides than in the extender after 4-day storage. The results indicated that cat spermatozoa can be cold stored in the epididymides prior to being harvested and cryopreserved in a distant laboratory. This technology is an alternative to rescue male gamete when animals are castrated or unexpectedly die under field conditions.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand. Kaywalee.c@chula.ac.th
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chatdarong
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Thuwanut
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Suksamai
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Patanatiradaj
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sangwornrachasup
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D015925:Cryopreservation / Q000662:veterinary*; D003451:Cryoprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D004822:Epididymis / Q000502:physiology*; D005615:Freezing; D008297:Male; D012662:Semen Preservation / Q000662:veterinary*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D003451:Cryoprotective Agents