Short-term storage of human spermatozoa in electrolyte-free medium without freezing maintains sperm chromatin integrity better than cryopreservation.

ABSTRACT: Previous attempts to maintain human spermatozoa without freezing were based on short-term storage in component-rich medium and led to fast decline in motility and increased incidence of chromosome breaks. Here we report a new method in which sperm are maintained without freezing in an electrolyte-free medium (EFM) composed of glucose and bovine serum albumin. Human sperm were stored in EFM or human tubal fluid medium (HTFM) or were cryopreserved, and their motility, viability, and DNA integrity were examined at different intervals. Cryopreservation led to significant decline in sperm motility and viability and induced DNA fragmentation. Sperm stored in EFM maintained motility and viability for up to 4 and 7 wk, respectively, much longer than sperm stored in HTFM (<2 and <4 wk, respectively

SUBMITTER: Riel JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3159537 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature