title: Impact of ultra-rapid freezing on the motility, morphology, viability and acrosome integrity of epididymal cat sperm diluted in sucrose-based extenders.
abstract: The objective of the present study was to investigate the influence of different sucrose-based extenders on the motility, morphology, viability and acrosomal integrity of epididymal cat spermatozoa cryopreserved by ultra-rapid freezing method. Nine cats were castrated, and collected semen was diluted 1 : 1 with Dulbecco`s phosphate-buffered saline-BSA1%-based extender supplemented with different sucrose concentrations (0, 0.25, 0.4 and 0.6 m). After ultra-rapid freezing, samples were thawed and sperm motility, morphology, viability and acrosome status were assessed. At thawing, the number of progressively motile (p < 0.01) and morphologically normal (p < 0.01) sperm was higher in the sucrose-supplemented groups than in the sucrose-free group. Viability of spermatozoa cryopreserved without sucrose was significantly reduced. In extender supplemented with 0.4 m sucrose, spermatozoa viability showed higher values (57.0 ± 4.7; p < 0.01). No significant differences were detected among groups for sperm acrosome integrity. Results support that cat sperm survive after ultra-rapid freezing using sucrose as a cryoprotectant, and the best results were achieved when 0.4 m of sucrose was used. This is the first report on sperm ultra-rapid freezing of cat sperm and further studies on extenders, sperm management or cryovials should be carried out to improve sperm cryosurvival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vizuete
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jiménez
authors.forename: E I
authors.initials: EI
authors.lastname: Agüera
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Pérez-Marín
mesh_terms: D000177:Acrosome / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D002470:Cell Survival; D015925:Cryopreservation / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D003451:Cryoprotective Agents / Q000737:chemistry; D004822:Epididymis / Q000166:cytology*; D008297:Male; D012662:Semen Preservation / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary; D012996:Solutions; D013076:Sperm Count / Q000662:veterinary; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013395:Sucrose / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D003451:Cryoprotective Agents; D012996:Solutions; D013395:Sucrose