Evaluation of Fertilization Capacity of Cryopreserved Stallion Sperm, Directly After Thawing and After Cooled Storage

In the equine breeding the use of cryopreserved semen is the method of choice for stallions involved in sport. Cryopreserved semen can be stored and used whenever needed. However, this requires specialized equipment for transportation, storage and further handling of semen; for which not all practitioners are equipped. The aim of our experiments was to investigate if cryopreserved sperm maintains its fertilizing capacity after thawing and cooled transport. Therefore, we determined: (1) viability of cryopreserved sperm after thawing, dilution in various extenders and subsequent cooled storage for 24h, (2) heterologous oocyte-binding capacity as a measure for fertilization capacity, and (3) pregnancy rates if using cryopreserved stallion sperm 24h after thawing for insemination of mares, compared to using cryopreserved sperm directly after thawing.
Source: Journal of Equine Veterinary Science - Category: Veterinary Research Authors: Source Type: research