title: A commercial box for dog semen transport: What happens inside when the environmental temperature is increasing?
abstract: Environmental temperatures may influence the temperature inside commercial transport boxes during semen shipment and thereby storage conditions of diluted dog semen. To evaluate the temperature changes inside boxes and their influence on sperm quality, split semen samples (n=8) were placed in Neopor boxes(®) exposed for 48h to room temperature (RT) (Box 1), 40°C for 6h and then kept at RT (Box 2) or 40°C (Box 3). A fourth subsample was kept at 4-5°C in a refrigerator (control). Inside Box 1 temperature initially decreased to <3°C before it stabilized at 7-8°C, while in Box 2 no decrease occurred and temperature was at 7-8°C for 48 h. Temperature inside Box 3 was at 14-15°C for 24h and, thereafter, increased to 36.1°C. Analysis of sperm motility (CASA) and viability (PI and FITC-PNA) after 24 and 48 h revealed marked sensitivity of dog spermatozoa to temperature fluctuations (Box 1). A constant storage temperature of 7-8°C (Box 2) provided the most desirable semen quality in terms of motility, viability, as well as osmotic resistance when samples were stored for 48 h. Furthermore, results indicate that during 24h preservation a storage temperature of 14-16°C may provide optimum conditions for maintenance of sperm viability and function. An increase of the inside temperature to >30°C (Box 3) resulted in an almost complete loss in sperm integrity. In conclusion, results suggest a revision of current recommendations for storage temperature of diluted dog semen. Boxes for semen transport should be prepared depending on the expected environmental temperatures.
authors.affiliation: North of Rio de Janeiro State University, Brazil, Hospital Veterinário/LRMGA, Avenida Alberto Lamego, 2000, CEP 28013602 Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil; Unit for Reproductive Medicine of Clinics, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 15, 30559 Hannover, Germany; Small Animal Clinic-University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 9, 30559 Hannover, Germany. Electronic address: cunhaicn@uenf.br.
authors.forename: I C N
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Cunha
authors.affiliation: Unit for Reproductive Medicine of Clinics, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 15, 30559 Hannover, Germany; Clinic for Pigs and Small Ruminants, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bischofsholer Damm 15, 30173 Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Henning
authors.affiliation: Unit for Reproductive Medicine of Clinics, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 15, 30559 Hannover, Germany; Small Animal Clinic-University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 9, 30559 Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Urhausen
authors.affiliation: Department of Biometry, Epidemiology and Information Processing, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 2, 30559 Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beyerbach
authors.affiliation: Unit for Reproductive Medicine of Clinics, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 15, 30559 Hannover, Germany; Small Animal Clinic-University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 9, 30559 Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Günzel-Apel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002470:Cell Survival; D003080:Cold Temperature; D004285:Dogs; D004777:Environment; D006358:Hot Temperature; D008297:Male; D019064:Product Packaging / Q000592:standards; D012661:Semen / Q000502:physiology*; D012662:Semen Preservation / Q000662:veterinary; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000662:veterinary*; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000502:physiology; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000502:physiology
keywords: Ambient temperatures; Dog semen; Shipment; Sperm quality; Transport box