title: Cryopreservation and fertility of ejaculated and epididymal stallion sperm.
abstract: The cryopreservation of epididymal sperm is important to preserve genetic material from valuable deceased males. This study evaluated the viability of sperm samples from eight stallions under three conditions: (1) collected using an artificial vagina (EJ-0h), (2) recovered from the epididymal cauda immediately after orchiectomy (EP-0h), and (3) recovered from the epididymal cauda after 24h of storage at 5°C (EP-24h). To obtain EJ-0h sperm, two ejaculates were collected from each stallion. After 1 week, the stallions were submitted to bilateral orchiectomy, and one of the removed epididymides was flushed to obtain EP-0h sperm. The contralateral epididymis was stored at 5°C for 24h before being flushed to obtain EP-24h sperm. The sperm samples were analyzed at three different times: immediately after sperm recovery, after dilution in the freezing extender, and post-thawing. A fertility trial was performed using 39 estrous cycles. After ovulation induction with 1mg of deslorelin acetate (i.m.), mares were inseminated with 800×10(6) sperm. The total number of sperm recovered was 7.8±4.7×10(9) for EJ-0h sperm, 12.9±9.2×10(9) for EP-0h sperm and 12.0±8.0×10(9) for EP-24h sperm. The sperm motility, evaluated by total motility, progressive motility and the percentage of rapid cells, was similar among the samples before and after freezing (P>0.05). However, the plasma membrane integrity was different between EJ-0h and EP-0h pre-freezing and between EJ-0h and EP-24h post-thawing (P<0.05). The conception rates were similar between groups inseminated with sperm recovered from the epididymal cauda immediately after orchiectomy (EP-0h), after 24h of storage at 5°C of the epididymal cauda (EP-24h) and with ejaculated sperm (EJ-0h) (P>0.05). In conclusion, the viability and fertility of cauda epididymal sperm are similar to those of ejaculated sperm.
authors: Department of Animal Reproduction and Veterinary Radiology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, UNESP, Botucatu, SP 18610-970, Brazil. monteiroga@yahoo.com.br
authors: G A
authors: GA
authors: Monteiro
authors: F O
authors: FO
authors: Papa
authors: F S
authors: FS
authors: Zahn
authors: J A
authors: JA
authors: Dellaqua
authors: C M
authors: CM
authors: Melo
authors: R R D
authors: RR
authors: Maziero
authors: B R
authors: BR
authors: Avanzi
authors: M A
authors: MA
authors: Alvarenga
authors: P N
authors: PN
authors: Guasti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015925:Cryopreservation / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary; D004542:Ejaculation; D005298:Fertility / Q000502:physiology*; D006736:Horses / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D055101:Semen Analysis; D012662:Semen Preservation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods* / Q000662:veterinary; D053625:Sperm Retrieval; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors