Cryopreservation of turkey spermatozoa without permeant cryoprotectants

In avian species, cryopreservation of semen is necessary for developing sperm cryobanks. It is very difficult, however to cryopreserve turkey sperm and have sperm be viable after thawing. Glycerol, the commonly used sperm cryoprotectant in many species, is toxic to sperm of avian species. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the non-permeating dextran was effective for the cryopreservation and maintenance of turkey spermatozoa viability after thawing, avoiding the use of permeating cryoprotectants. Turkey sperm were diluted with a medium supplemented with 11% glycerol or dextran with a 1,000 molecular weight (MW), dextran with a 10,000 MW, or dextran with a 20,000 MW each at a 2%, 5%, or 10% concentration. Sperm kinetic characteristics, membrane and acrosome integrity (AI), and the capacity of spermatozoa to interact with the autologous perivitelline layer were evaluated after equilibration and cryopreservation. Results indicate that with use of glycerol and the 1,000 MW dextran there was lesser sperm viability after both equilibration and cryopreservation, compared with use of the 10,000 or 20,000 MW dextran compounds. There was a greater cryoprotective effect with the 10,000 and 20,000 MW dextran compounds at the 10% concentration with spermatozoa maintaining a greater functionality and capacity to interact with the autologous perivitelline layer. In conclusion, the results of this study indicate turkey spermatozoa could be effectively cryopreserved in extender without the use of glycerol as a penetrating cryoprotectant but with the use of the 10,000 or 20,000 MW dextran compounds at a 10% extender concentration.