title: Effects of storage time on the motility, mortality and calcium levels of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar spermatozoa.
abstract: This study estimates spermatozoa mortality, morphology, motility and intracellular calcium levels in Atlantic salmon Salmo salar milt after prolonged storage. Milt samples were preserved at 4° C for 25 days and then evaluated for mortality. Motility remained high for the first 3 days and the mortality was low during the first 5 days of storage. A decrease of >50% in calcium content was observed after 5 days of storage. When spermatozoa were activated, calcium levels increased >200% in relative fluorescence units (RFU); this rate of increase was lost when the samples were stored for extended periods of time and was only partially manifested in a zero calcium solution. The results suggest that in vitro storage of S. salar spermatozoa at 4° C for a period of 3 days preserves motility and limits mortality to levels similar to those of fresh spermatozoa. This method also maintains intracellular calcium storage critical for spermatozoa performance.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Biología Celular Aplicada, Núcleo de Investigación en Producción Alimentaria, Escuela de medicina veterinaria, Facultad de recursos naturales, Universidad Católica of Temuco, Chile.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Parodi
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Biología Celular Aplicada, Núcleo de Investigación en Producción Alimentaria, Escuela de medicina veterinaria, Facultad de recursos naturales, Universidad Católica of Temuco, Chile.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Guerra
authors.affiliation: Center of Neurosciences and Peptide Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cuevas
authors.affiliation: Cryobiology and Spermatozoa Functionality Analysis Laboratory, Institute of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ramírez-Reveco
authors.affiliation: Center of Neurosciences and Peptide Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Romero
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D020317:Salmo salar / Q000502:physiology*; D012662:Semen Preservation / Q000662:veterinary*; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D002118:Calcium
keywords: conservation; function; milt; viability