Sperm Preservation by Freeze-Drying for the Conservation of Wild Animals |
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| Authors: | Takehito Kaneko Hideyuki Ito Hidefusa Sakamoto Manabu Onuma Miho Inoue-Murayama |
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| Institution: | 1. Institute of Laboratory Animals, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.; 2. Kyoto City Zoo, Kyoto, Japan.; 3. Wildlife Research Center of Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.; 4. Center for Environmental Biology and Ecosystem studies, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Ibaraki, Japan.; University Hospital of Münster, Germany, |
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| Abstract: | Sperm preservation is a useful technique for the maintenance of biological resources in experimental and domestic animals, and in wild animals. A new preservation method has been developed that enables sperm to be stored for a long time in a refrigerator at 4°C. Sperm are freeze-dried in a solution containing 10 mM Tris and 1 mM EDTA. Using this method, liquid nitrogen is not required for the storage and transportation of sperm. We demonstrate that chimpanzee, giraffe, jaguar, weasel and the long-haired rat sperm remain viable after freeze-drying. In all species, pronuclei were formed after the injection of freeze-dried sperm into the mouse oocytes. Although preliminary, these results may be useful for the future establishment of “freeze-drying zoo” to conserve wild animals. |
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