THE SUSCEPTIBILITY OF SPERMATOZOA TO TEMPERATURE SHOCK

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Abstract
SUMMARY: The susceptibility of bull, ram, rabbit, dog, human and fowl spermatozoa to cold shock and high temperatures has been assessed. Motility and differential staining were used as criteria. Ram and bull spermatozoa were increasingly affected by cold shock at temperatures below 15° C; other spermatozoa were, however, little affected. Epididymal ram spermatozoa, particularly those with an attached kinoplasmic droplet, were more resistant than ejaculated ones; the addition of seminal plasma had little effect. Second ejaculates from bulls were slightly more resistant than first ejaculates. Washing bull or fowl spermatozoa free of seminal plasma did not influence their susceptibility to cold shock. Five min at 50° C severely depressed the motility of all spermatozoa except those of the fowl which were, however, completely immobilized at 55° C. Most spermatozoa took up stain more readily when mixed with it at high temperatures than when brought back to room temperature and then mixed; this is due to an increase in the toxicity of the stain at high temperatures.