Cryopreservation of epididymal sperm in tree shrews (Tupaia belangeri)

Cryopreservation of sperm from tree shrews, which are considered primitive primates, would enhance genetic management and breeding programs. Epididymal sperm were surgically harvested from male tree shrews, cryopreserved in two Tes-Tris-based cryodiluents, and used in four experiments. In Experiment 1, there were no significant differences in motility and acrosome integrity among five concentrations of egg yolk in TTE after cooling to 4 °C. However, sperm frozen in TTE containing 20% egg yolk at -172 °C/min had better (P < 0.05) post-thaw motility and acrosome integrity. In Experiment 2, sperm held for 10 min prior to storage in liquid nitrogen had greater motility than those held for 5 or 15 min (P < 0.05), but acrosome integrity was not different (P > 0.05) among treatments. In Experiment 3, sperm frozen in TTE diluent had higher (P < 0.05) motility and acrosome integrity than those in TEST diluent. In Experiment 4, there were no differences (P > 0.05) in the fertilization rate of oocytes and the proportion of tree shrews yielding fertilized oocytes, following AI with fresh versus frozen sperm. In conclusion, tree shrew epididymal sperm were successfully cryopreserved, as assessed by post-thaw motility, acrosome integrity, and fertilizing ability.