Cholestanol-loaded-cyclodextrin improves the quality of stallion spermatozoa after cryopreservation.

The research article is about a study conducted to determine the effects of adding cholesterol or cholestanol loaded cyclodextrins to stallion sperm before cryopreservation in order to enhance the sperm’s survival rates after freezing. The results showed an improvement in the motility and viability of the sperm after the addition of these substances, with cholestanol loaded cyclodextrins also enhancing the sperm’s binding efficiency.

Objective

The objective of the study was to investigate whether the inclusion of cholesterol or cholestanol loaded cyclodextrins to stallion sperm prior to cryopreservation could enhance their survival rates after thawing.

Methodology

• The researchers collected ejaculates from eight different stallions and diluted these to 120 million cells using a special diluent.
• The diluted sperm were then divided into three treatment groups: control (no additive), one with cholesterol loaded cyclodextrins (CLC), and another with cholestanol loaded cyclodextrins (CnLC).
• The treated sperm samples were incubated for 15 minutes at 22°C, allowing for the incorporation of cholesterol or cholestanol.
• After incubation, the samples were further diluted with a Lactose-Egg Yolk diluent, cooled to 5°C, loaded into polyvinylchloride straws, frozen in liquid nitrogen vapor, and then plunged into liquid nitrogen for later use.

Results

• Finding showed higher percentages of motile sperm and viable cells upon thawing for samples treated with CLC and CnLC compared to the control group.
• The addition of CnLC also resulted in a larger number of sperm binding to the chicken egg perivitelline membrane after cryopreservation than with control and cholesterol treated sperm.

Conclusion

The study concluded that adding CnLC and CLC to stallion sperm prior to cryopreservation beyond doubt improved the post-thaw motility of equine sperm. Additionally, CnLC proved to be more efficient in increasing binding effectiveness. This finding opens up potential avenues for improving the outcomes of sperm cryopreservation, which could be of significant benefit in the fields of animal breeding and conservation.