Extenders for preservation of canine and equine spermatozoa at 5 degrees C.

This research article reviews and evaluates the impact of different kinds of extenders and glycerol levels on the preservation and motility of sperm from dogs and horses at 5 degrees Celsius. Results indicate that the Caprogen (CAP) extender may be the most effective for canine sperm, while the use of Heated Skim Milk (SM) may be most effective for horse sperm.

Objective of the Research

• The main objective of this research was to investigate the impact of different sperm extenders and concentrations of glycerol on the motility of sperm cells from dogs and horses stored at a cool temperature of 5 degrees Celsius.

Methodology

• The researchers designed two separate experiments in which they used semen from 10 dogs and 12 stallions for the tests.
• Six different extenders were used: Egg-Yolk-Tris (EYT), Egg-Yolk-Bicarbonate (EGB), Beltsville F-3 (BF-3), Cornell University (CUE), Caprogen (CAP), and Heated Skim Milk (SM).
• After the semen was extended and cooled to 5°C, more extender was added that contained varying levels of glycerol – 0%, 3%, or 6% – to arrive at the final glycerol concentration.

Results

• The research found that irrespective of glycerol levels, a higher percentage of canine sperm maintained their potential for progressive motility in the Caprogen (CAP) extender as compared to the other extenders tested.
• The results indicated that Heated Skim Milk (SM) extender was most effective at maintaining the motility of equine sperm cells.
• The research also found that a glycerol concentration of 6% significantly decreased the motility of canine sperm cells. However, different glycerol concentrations did not have a significant effect on the motility of equine sperm cells.

Conclusions

• The research concludes that Caprogen (CAP) might be the best extender for preservation and storage of canine sperm cells at 5 degrees Celsius.
• Similarly, Heated Skim Milk (SM) might be the best choice for the preservation and storage of equine sperm cells.
• The research found that the interaction of glycerol levels and extenders was statistically insignificant, indicating that it may not have a significant effect on sperm motility for either of the two species.