Dextran/Swim-Up Procedure for Ram Sperm Selection

The procedures for separating spermatozoa from seminal plasma are frequently applied in reproductive technologies. Most of these procedures include centrifugation steps, which have detrimental effects on ram spermatozoa. We developed a special dextran/swim-up technique without centrifugation which allows the recovery of highly motile and viable ram spermatozoa free from seminal plasma. In this chapter, we describe in detail the method and the preparation of the media, together with modified protocols developed for particular purposes. This simple, rapid, high-yield procedure needs minimal equipment and can be applied to spermatozoa of any mammalian species that are especially sensitive to centrifugation damage.