12 GENERATION OF RAT OFFSPRING DERIVED FROM CRYOPRESERVED SPERMATOZOA IN JAPANESE NATIONAL BIORESOURCES

2007 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 124 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Kashiwazaki ◽  
Y. Seita ◽  
K. Naoi ◽  
A. Takizawa ◽  
T. Kuramoto ◽  
...  

The purpose of the National BioResource project is to facilitate the availability of genetically and phenotypically standardized rat strains for life sciences. The BioResource is available to scientists worldwide. To bank genetic resources efficiently in the rat, cryopreservation of both sperm and embryos is a very important technology. The objective of the present study was to confirm the ability of banked and transported rat spermatozoa to fertilize oocytes through intrauterine insemination and for the embryos to develop to term, with the ultimate aim of developing a system for banking rat genetic resources. The epidydimal spermatozoa from the KLM rat, whose body size is small because the Prkg2 gene is partially defective, were frozen with egg yolk medium supplemented with 0.7% Equex Stm (Nakatsukasa et al. 2001 Reproduction 122, 463–467) and banked in the Institute of Laboratory Animals, Kyoto University. The cryopreserved sperm in 0.25-mL straws were transported to the laboratory at Azabu University, Kanagawa. Two straws from different males were thawed in a 37�C water bath for 15 s. Thawed semen was diluted with 1.0 mL of mR1ECM (Miyoshi et al. 1997 Biol. Reprod. 56, 180–185) with 0.4% (w/v) bovine serum albumin (BSA, fraction V; Sigma-Aldrich Japan K.K., Tokyo, Japan) at 37�C and then incubated at 37�C in 5% CO2 in humidified air until insemination. The percentage of motile spermatozoa was assessed visibly and determined by direct observation at 37�C under a light microscope at 100�. The thawed semen (50 �L, 3–4 � 105 sperm cells) was then inseminated into the top of both uterine horns of recipient females that were mated with a vasectomized male. The post-thaw motility of frozen spermatozoa was 10%. Seven of 15 inseminated females became pregnant and 13 live pups were born. It is thought that the low number of pups born in spite of the relatively high pregnancy rate was caused by sperm damage during the freezing and thawing procedure. The results of the present study show that rat spermatozoa cryopreserved in the BioResource have the ability to revive genetic resources through intrauterine insemination.

2006 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 218 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. J. Garde ◽  
M. Gomendio ◽  
G. Espeso ◽  
E. R. S. Roldan

Gazella dama mhorr is an endangered species, and no animals have been observed in the wild since 1968. Assisted reproductive techniques have been used to propagate endangered species. However, no live offspring has been produced after cryopreservation of semen from gazelle species. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate whether cryopreserved Mohor gazelle spermatozoa can fertilize in vivo after artificial insemination. Semen was collected by electroejaculation from four males and centrifuged at 700g for 5 min at room temperature. The supernatant was discarded, and the semen pellet was resuspended with a TEST-1% egg yolk diluent containing 6% glycerol to provide 400 � 106 spermatozoa/mL. The extended semen was loaded into 0.25-mL plastic straws, cooled slowly to 5�C, and equilibrated at 5�C for 2 h. Straws were frozen in nitrogen vapors for 10 min and then plunged into liquid nitrogen. After thawing (37�C, 30 s), the effects of cryopreservation on sperm motility and acrosomal integrity were examined. Percentage of motile sperm in fresh samples was 88.7 � 3.8% (mean � SEM), decreased (P < 0.0001) to 58.7 � 3.8% after freezing and thawing, and then to 40.0 � 3.8% after 120 min incubation at 37�C. Spermatozoa with normal acrosomes decreased (P < 0.0001) after freezing and thawing (from 94.5 � 4.2% to 56.0 � 4.2%), but did not significantly decrease after sperm incubation. Frozen spermatozoa from two males were used in an intrauterine insemination trial. Estrus of females (n = 15) was synchronized with controlled internal drug release (CIDR, InterAg, Hamilton, New Zealand). Single CIDRs (type G, 330 mg progesterone/device) were inserted intravaginally for a total of 13 days. On Day 10, devices were replaced in each animal and all females received an injection of prostaglandin F2� (PGF2�; 125 mg/female). At CIDR withdrawal, females received 250-300 IU equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG: Folligon; Intervet, Salamanca, Spain). After anesthesia with an intravenous injection of xylazine hydrochloride (Rompun; Bayer, Madrid, Spain; 0.8 mg/kg live weight) and ketamine hydrochloride (Imalgene; Leti & Merieux, Madrid, Spain; 2.0 mg/kg live weight), eight females were inseminated with 100 � 106 frozen-thawed spermatozoa 56-57 h after removal of the CIDRs, and seven were inseminated after 64-65 h. Females were inseminated directly into the uterus using laparoscopy. Anesthesia was reversed with yohimbine hydrochloride (0.3 mg/kg live weight). One female in the second group became pregnant. After a 202-day gestation, the female gave birth to one healthy Mohor gazelle male calf. These results demonstrate for the first time the successful use of frozen-thawed semen by means of artificial insemination for the rescue of endangered gazelle species. However, our results reveal that a number of unresolved technical problems remain to be addressed. This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science (REN2003-1587).


Reproduction ◽  
2001 ◽  
pp. 463-467 ◽  
Author(s):  
E Nakatsukasa ◽  
T Inomata ◽  
T Ikeda ◽  
M Shino ◽  
N Kashiwazaki

This study reports the development of a reliable method for cryopreservation of rat epididymal spermatozoa and the production of live young by artificial insemination using these cryopreserved spermatozoa. The motility and membrane integrity of rat spermatozoa were investigated after spermatozoa had been subjected to physical stress and frozen with various concentrations of glycerol (0, 3 and 6%) either in the presence or absence of Equex Stem as cryoprotective agents. The ability of cryopreserved spermatozoa to generate normal offspring by intrauterine insemination was also evaluated. Rat spermatozoa that had been centrifuged at 700 g for 5 min showed a significant decrease in motility compared with non-centrifuged spermatozoa. In addition, after centrifugation three times the percentage of membrane-intact spermatozoa decreased to approximately 0%. The percentage of membrane-intact spermatozoa was significantly higher (P < 0.01) in semen samples that had been frozen in medium without glycerol than in samples frozen in medium with 3% glycerol. Although the addition of 0.7% Equex Stem to medium without glycerol or with 3% glycerol did not influence rates of sperm motility after freezing and thawing, the percentage of membrane-intact spermatozoa was improved by the presence of 0.7% Equex (P < 0.05). Therefore, rat spermatozoa were handled gently to avoid physical stress and were frozen in medium containing 23% egg yolk, 8% lactose monohydrate and 0.7% Equex Stem, at pH 7.4 adjusted with 10% Tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane solution. Thirteen female rats were inseminated into the oviductal end of both uterine horns with frozen-thawed spermatozoa. Forty-one normal live offspring were obtained from nine of the inseminated females. These results indicate that frozen-thawed rat spermatozoa can generate normal offspring. To our knowledge, this procedure is the first successful production of offspring using spermatozoa cryopreserved in liquid nitrogen.


1956 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 335-341 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. P. Joyner ◽  
G. H. Bennett

1. It has been confirmed that Trichomonas foetus fails to survive freezing and thawing in the presence of 10 % glycerol in egg-yolk-citrate diluent. Under the same conditions adequate sperm survival was demonstrated.2. Trichomonads were particularly sensitive to the toxic effects of glycerol when suspended in egg-yolk citrate.3. Trichomonads will survive freezing and thawing when suspended in other diluents such as egg-yolk phosphate or milk.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angel Justiz-Vaillant ◽  
Belkis Ferrer-Cosme ◽  
Monica Fisher Smikle ◽  
Oliver Pérez

AbstractIsolation of antibodies from the egg yolk of chickens is of particular interest as a source of specific antibodies for oral administration to prevent infections and use them as immunodiagnostic reagents. The use of birds in antibody production results in a reduction in the use of laboratory animals. Immunized chickens produce larger quantities of antibodies (2000 mg IgY/month) than rodents (200 mg IgG/month) in the laboratory. According to Jerne’s network theory, it is possible to produce an antibody against the antigen-binding site of another antibody. This study assessed the hypothesis that immunization with viral peptides (immunogens) could provide a potent immune response that could be evaluated in chicken eggs. Human immunodeficiency virus 1(HIV-1) is used as an immunogen. The second hypothesis was that an orally administered antibody stimulates the production of a complementary antibody, the so-called anti-idiotypic antibody, which can potentially be therapeutical. This study reports and analyzes the use of eggs as therapeutic agents. We wanted to test the hypothesis that feeding chicks with hyperimmune eggs stimulates the production of anti-anti-idiotypic antibodies that neutralize the original HIV antigen fragments 308-331 or 421-438 of gp120 or fragment 579-601 of gp41. Future research could entail an anti-idiotype strategy for prophylactic vaccines. It is vital to note that it may need an anti-idiotype response to prime immunity against an HIV viral epitope, which may be used as a secondary element. The use of anti-idiotype immune responses in infected individuals may shift the balance of the immune system, allowing the organism to manage HIV infection. Therefore, it may be an avenue for immunotherapy to improve the fight against HIV infections. However, more studies and clinical trials are required to demonstrate similar human immune responses as observed in birds.


2008 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 117
Author(s):  
M. Fujihara ◽  
S. Goel ◽  
Y. Kimura ◽  
N. Minami ◽  
M. Yamada ◽  
...  

Gonocytes are primitive germ cells that reside in neonatal testis and are believed to be progenitor-type stem cells that differentiate into spermatogonial stem cells. Because of their self-renewal ability, gonocytes may be one of the targets for cryopreservation of genetic resources in domestic animals and in endangered species. However, there are only a few reports regarding the preservation of gonocytes and spermatogonial stem cells isolated from the testis. In this experiment, porcine gonocytes were used as a model for preservation of genetic resources. Porcine testes were collected at 2–6 days after birth. They were divided into the 5 experimental groups for storage: (1) DMEM/F12 medium, (2) DMEM/F12 + 15 mm HEPES, (3) PBS, (4) PBS + 15 mm HEPES, and (5) Liquid-Free, and stored at 4�C for 24 h. The testes were minced by scissors and digested with 2-step enzyme treatments. The gonocytes were isolated by Percoll density gradients and recovered from the fraction between 50 and 60%. The viability of cells was assessed using trypan blue dye exclusion. To determine optimum cryopreservation conditions for gonocytes, 10% DMSO, 10% glycerol, and 0.07 mm sucrose were used as cryoprotectants. The isolated gonocytes were suspended in DMEM/F12 + 10% FBS containing cryoprotectant at 4�C, kept at –80�C overnight, and finally immersed in liquid nitrogen. After freezing and thawing of gonocytes, cells were examined for viability and then cultured in DMEM/F12 + 10% FBS in 5% CO2, 95% air at 37�C in humidified atmosphere. Identification of gonocytes was performed using a specific marker of gonocytes, a lectin Dolichos biflorus agglutinin (DBA; Goel et al. 2007 Biol. Reprod. 77, 127–137). The gonocytes were recovered from testes at the purity level of around 70%. Cell viability in average after storage of testes at 4�C was significantly higher in DMEM/F12 + HEPES (95.3%) and PBS + HEPES (89.8%) than in DMEM/F12 (73.9%), PBS (79.7%), and Liquid-Free (72.2%) (P < 0.05; ANOVA). The addition of HEPES in storage medium seemed to be effective for improving cell viability. The use of 10% DMSO and 0.07 mm sucrose as cryoprotectants supported high cell viability (74.4%) of gonocytes after freezing and thawing. The addition of glycerol had an adverse effect on cell viability after freezing (18.3%). When cells were cultured, gonocytes started to form colonies after 3 days and continued to proliferate for at least 7 days in culture. These colonies showed DBA affinity and maintained their nature as gonocytes. The viability of gonocytes can be maintained in the testis at 4�C for at least 24 h and after freezing and thawing. The stored gonocytes successfully proliferated in culture for at least 7 days. In conclusion, these results may provide useful information for short-term storage of primitive germ cells and preservation of genetic resources in domestic animals and in endangered species. It may also have implications for assisted reproductive technology in humans.


2011 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 153 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. M. Vick ◽  
H. L. Bateman ◽  
W. F. Swanson

Development of a chemically defined, plant-based cryopreservation media would reduce extender variability and the potential for transmission of zoonotic pathogens compared with traditional egg-yolk-based extenders. The objective of this study was to compare effects of egg yolk- and soy lecithin-based cryopreservation media and the temperature of glycerol addition on sperm parameters following freezing and thawing of domestic cat spermatozoa. Fresh semen was collected by manual stimulation on 3 separate occasions from 4 adult male cats. Each ejaculate was washed to remove seminal plasma, divided into 4 equal aliquots, and extended at room temperature in one of the following treatments: 1) TEST-egg yolk (Irvine Scientific Inc., Santa Ana, CA, USA) medium with 4% glycerol (EYG); 2) TEST-egg yolk, with 4% glycerol added after cooling to 5°C (EY); 3) TES-Tris buffer with soy-lecithin (1%) and 4% glycerol (SLG); and 4) TES-Tris buffer with 1% soy-lecithin, and 4% glycerol added after cooling to 5°C (SL). Sperm progressive motility (%) and rate of progressive movement (scale of 0–5) were evaluated at 0, 1, 3, 6, and 24 h post-thaw. Sperm capacitation (chlortetracycline staining), acrosome integrity (FITC-PNA staining), and DNA integrity (acridine orange staining) were assessed at 15 min post-thaw. Data were exponentially transformed to achieve normal distribution and then subjected to GLM analysis to determine effects of media and temperature of glycerol addition on sperm traits. At 0 and 1 h post-thaw, acrosome integrity, DNA integrity and % sperm motility did not differ (P > 0.05) among treatments. However, % sperm motility was greater in the soy-based media compared to egg yolk-based media at 3, 6, and 24 h post-thaw (Table 1; P < 0.05). A higher percentage of uncapacitated spermatozoa were present in soy-based compared to egg-yolk based cryopreservation media (63.9 ± 9.3 v. 51.2 ± 11.5, respectively; P < 0.05), regardless of temperature of glycerol addition. Finally, addition of glycerol at 5°C resulted in higher % sperm motility compared to room temperature at 6 and 24 h post-thaw in both medium types (Table 1; P < 0.05). Our results suggest that use of a chemically defined, soy-based medium improves long-term motility and capacitation status of frozen–thawed domestic cat spermatozoa compared with cryopreservation in a traditional egg yolk-based extender. Table 1.Motile spermatazoa and motility score at 3, 6, and 24 h


2009 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 138
Author(s):  
J. E. Rodríguez-Gil ◽  
M. Hernández ◽  
M. M. Rivera ◽  
L. Ramió-Lluch ◽  
J. Ballester ◽  
...  

The optimization of freezing extenders is an essential issue for enhancing boar sperm cryosurvival. The aim of the present study was to disclose the role of glucose concentration of freezing extender on the metabolic activity of frozen–thawed spermatozoa. To achieve it, pooled sperm-rich ejaculate fractions from 5 mature and fertile boars (3 ejaculates per boar) were collected using the gloved-hand method. After centrifugation (2400g for 3 min), the sperm pellet was split into 7 aliquots. The aliquots were diluted to a final concentration of 1 × 109 sperm mL–1, in a Tris-citric extender supplemented with 20% egg-yolk, 3% glycerol, and 0, 0.05, 2, 4, 10, 55, or 185 mm glucose. All the extenders were adjusted to a pH of 6.8 and 310 mOsm kg–1 to avoid osmolarity effects. Extended semen samples were dispensed into 0.5-mL straws, and frozen in a programmable cell freezer at 20°C min–1. Thawing was carried out in a water bath at 37°C for 20 s. Afterward, an analysis of protein phosphorylation in tyrosine residues was carried out through bi-dimensional electrophoresis followed by a Western blot analysis. This analysis indicated that sperm samples frozen in extenders without glucose showed specific changes in the tyrosine phosphorylation pattern compared with fresh sperm. Furthermore, the addition of glucose in increasing concentrations to the freezing extender was accompanied by a concentration-dependent decrease in the overall tyrosine phosphorylation pattern, especially in proteins with a molecular weight ranging from 150 to 200 kDa and an acidic isoelectric point (pI). The maximal decrease was observed in spermatozoa frozen in the extender containing 185 mm glucose, in which an additional decrease in the tyrosine phosphorylation of proteins ranging from 60 to 80 kDa, and a basic pI was also observed. These results suggest that glucose is a modulator in the resistance of boar sperm to support freezing and thawing process, because the precise protein phosphorylation pattern of spermatozoa is directly linked to their functional status. In this way, a precise control of the glucose concentration of the freezing extender would be required to improve boar sperm cryoresistance. Supported by CICYT (AGL2005-00760 and AGL2004-04756-C02-02/GAN), Madrid and GERM (04543/07), Murcia, Spain.


2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 147
Author(s):  
S. W. Kim ◽  
C. Y. Choe ◽  
D. K. Kim ◽  
A. R. Choi ◽  
H. H. Seong

Germplasm cryopreservation from a desired species with agricultural and genetic importance would protect them from the risk for extinction. Semen freezing from Korean native cattle would be a good approach for protecting genetic resources due to their limited numbers. It has been known that sperm could resist cryo-damages by freeze-thaw cycles. Thus, we performed 2 refreezing experiments with different initial thawing temperatures using frozen Korean native cattle semen. A total of 5 Hanwoo, Korean Albino, and brindle cattle were used as semen donors. After thawing by using 5°C/2 min or 37°C/40 s with cooling rates, the semen was diluted with the same volume of cryo-media in the first thawing temperature and refrozen. Sperm motilities were determined and compared between animals and groups after rethawing. The mean sperm concentration and motility was 45 × 106 mL–1 (range 2.3 to 89 × 106 mL–1) and 40% (range 13 to 55%). Mean values of motility and viability of sperm that underwent second preservation were significantly higher in 5°C than in 37°C (P < 0.01). However, the activity of viable sperm thawed at 5°C was significantly decreased before refreezing. It is estimated that refreezing of frozen semen from rare Korean native cattle is possible with resistant properties of survived spermatozoa. The higher motility and viability of refrozen semen could be obtained with 5°C thawing procedure for reuse of frozen semen.


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