earticle

영어

Since the first report of the successful preservation of sperm, cryopreservation has been applied as a routine technique for processing bovine sperm in artificial insemination (AI), and numerous studies have been carried out to evaluate fundamental biological properties. Although fertility with frozen–thawed bull semen was generally acceptable for AI, the cryopreservation techniques at the time still resulted in the loss of 40 ～50% of viable sperm during the freezing–thawing process with little improvement over the last several decades. Cold shock, osmotic stress, ice crystal formation or oxidative damage were the main sources of sperm cryoinjury, and finally caused the loss of sperm viability and fertility. This study was designed to compare fresh and insemination egg yolk in an extender for cryopreservation of Hanwoo bull semen. Sperm motility, plasma membrane integrity and viability were assessed at different stages of cryopreservation (post-dilution, pre-freezing and post-thawing). Sperm plasma membrane integrity remained similar at all the stages of cryopreservation. Sperm motility and viability were significantly higher after thawing in the extender containing insemination egg yolk. In conclusion, insemination egg yolk may be used in an extender for the cryopreservation of Hanwoo bull spermatozoa.