
%0 Journal Article
%A Schembri, M. A. 
%A Major, D. A. 
%A Maxwell, W. M. C. 
%A Suttie, J. J. 
%A Evans, G. 
%T Capacitation-like changes in equine spermatoza throughout the cryopreservation process
%J Reproduction, Fertility and Development
%D 2002/07/24
%V 14
%N 4
%P 225-233
%K 
%R https://doi.org/10.1071/RD01113
%U https://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/RD01113 
%X Chlortetracycline (CTC) fluorescence staining analysis was used to investigate cryopreservation- induced capacitation-like changes in equine spermatozoa. Freshly ejaculated spermatozoa were found to display a high proportion of F pattern cells (uncapacitated; 93.6%) and a lower proportion of B pattern (capacitated; 5.4%) and AR pattern (acrosome-reacted; 1%) cells. Following cryopreservation in modified Kenney's medium, capacitation-like changes were observed. There was a significant increase in the proportion of spermatozoa displaying the B pattern (64.8%; P<0.001) and AR pattern (32.8%; P<0.001), with a corresponding decrease in the proportion of spermatozoa displaying the F staining pattern (2.5%; P<0.001). Further analysis of CTC fluorescence staining patterns showed that there was a major decrease in the proportion of F pattern spermatozoa corresponding to an increase in B pattern spermatozoa following removal of seminal plasma after centrifugation and resuspension in freezing medium. There was a further decline in the proportion of F pattern spermatozoa, corresponding to increases in B and AR pattern spermatozoa, after the freezing and thawing steps. Resuspension of centrifuged spermatozoa in homologous seminal plasma did not induce capacitation-like changes. These data indicate that the process of freezing and thawing stallion semen induces capacitation-like changes in spermatozoa and that most of the change is brought about by removal of seminal plasma, with further changes induced by the actual freezing and thawing step. 
