Biochemical events associated with Ficoll washing of ram
spermatozoa
G.J. Jansen, M.T.W. van Eerten, I.T. Forrester
Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin
Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production.
1982, 42: 95-98
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.
Keywords: NZSAPAB;
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Last Updated 03-05-1997
