Artificial insemination with cryopreserved sperm from feline epididymides stored at 4 °C

The Quality of Cryopreserved Sperm Collected from Feline Caudal Epididymides Stored at Room Temperature

“…On the basis of these findings, the storable time of epididymides at room temperature varies among animal species, and feline epididymides can be stored for 12 hr. The fact that the authors were able to obtain litters using cryopreserved sperm collected from cat epididymides stored at low temperature for 24 hr [8] suggested that it might be possible to achieve litters by performing AI with cryopreserved sperm collected from the epididymides stored for 12 hr at room temperature then stored at a low temperature for 12 hr. In addition, it appeared that storing the epididymides of animals at low temperature as soon after death as possible might enable sperm quality to be maintained.…”

“…Sci. 73(10): 1395-1398, 2011 Most wild animals are currently in danger of extinction, with the highest percentage of endangered species being in found in the order Carnivora and the family felidae [1]; and much research on how to maintain species of endangered felidae has been conducted in consideration of the fact that they are often killed in accidents or as a result of poaching [4][5][6][7][8]. The domestic cat has often been used as a model in such studies.…”

“…The domestic cat has also been used to conduct research on the quality of sperm from each part of the epididymis and on methods of preservation [5][6][7] and methods of artificial insemination (AI) [8,9] with cryopreserved sperm from caudal epididymides, among others. The authors have reported on changes in sperm quality when feline epididymides were stored at low temperature (4C) [7], and on the conception results after intrauterine AI and intratubal AI with cryopreserved sperm from epididymides were stored at low temperatures [8]. The authors' research thus far has been conducted on the assumption that it is possible to excise the epididymides immediately after the death of wild felidae.…”

“…Caudal epididymal sperm were cryopreserved according to the method previously reported [8]. EYT-FC was used as an extender before cryopreservation.…”

“…After the sperm quality test, the suspension of sperm in the extender was subjected to a first dilution at 2C to adjust the sperm count to 1  10 8 /ml, and was then kept in a water bath at 4C for one hr for the first cooling. After the first cooling, the secondary extender, which consisted of EYT-FC supplemented with 14% glycerol and 2% Orvus Es Paste (OEP) [8], was used to perform a second dilution of the sperm suspension by dripping at 4C for approximately 5 min, while stirring with a stirrer. The sperm suspension was diluted with an equal volume of the extender; and thus the final sperm concentration was 0.5  10 8 /ml, the final glycerol concentration was 7%, and the final OEP concentration was 1%.…”