Abstract

A semen washing technique employing Ficoll density gradient centrifugation was used to separate ram spermatozoa and seminal plasma. While this technique caused a loss of spermatozoan motility, it was shown by CA2+ flux measurements that these immotile ram spermatozoa still had intact plasma membranes. Furthermore, these immotile spermatozoa were shown to be resistant to cold-shock, a treatment which normally disrupts the sperm plasma membrane. Spermatozoa were shown to be resistant to cold-shock, a treatment which normally disrupts the sperm plasma membrane. Spermatozoan motility was restored by suspending the immotile spermatozoa in diluents containing egg yolk or phospholipids. Ficoll washing appeared to exert its effect on the sperm plasma membrane by an alteration in the membrane lipid components.

P, Shannon, B Curson, and CJ Pitt

Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production, Volume 42, , 91-92, 1982