HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Albright, J. L. Articles by Erb, R. E. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Albright, J. L. Articles by Erb, R. E.

Spermatozoa Survival in Milk Diluent with and without Seminal Plasma¹

Department of Dairy Science, State College of Washington, Pullman

ABSTRACT

With the acceptance of heated, homogenized milk as a successful extender for semen (2, 4, 9, 12) there is need for additional information on the nutritive sources in milk for sperm. It has been reported that spermatozoa are not capable of utilizing disaccharides under strictly anaerobic conditions (10), but are able to use monosaccharides as an exogenous source of energy (3, 8, 13).

Since a disaccharide, lactose, is the primary carbohydrate in milk extender, it is of interest to learn whether sperm can use this energy source. Milk lactose is relatively stable and little, if any, glucose or galactose would be liberated upon heating in the absence of acid (6). It is possible to prepare milk extenders which satisfactorily maintain sperm motility without using heat treatment (7).

This experiment was conducted to determine whether sperm cells removed from seminal plasma could retain motility when placed in variable amounts of milk and 2.9% Na citrate extender.

¹ Scientific paper No. 1668, Washington Agricultural Experiment Station, Pullman. Project 1107.

² Permanent address: California Polytechnic College, San Luis Obispo, California.