February 15-18, 2009 Washington State Convention Center Seattle ...

QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF ATLANTIC STURGEON Acipenser oxyrinchus SPERMATOZOA
UNDER EXPERIMENTAL SHORT-TERM STORAGE CONDITIONS
L. C. Woods III*, Katy Dorsey, Dan Theisen, Frank Siewerdt, Jerre Mohler, Brian Richardson, Glenn Welsh,
Timothy Conn and David Guthrie
Department of Animal and Avian Sciences
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742 USA
There is significant interest to restore the Atlantic sturgeon, a species of concern. Biologists are interested in both the short-term
storage and cryopreservation of semen to maximize availability of viable spermatozoa whenever a rare ripe female is found
and available for spawning. We conducted short-term storage trials on semen obtained both from captive males, held at the
US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Fish Technology Center, Lamar, Pennsylvania that were hormonally induced to spermiate; and
wild males collected during the spawning season from the Hudson River this past year. Testes of all fish were catheterized to
collect semen. Semen samples with motility at the time of collection > 90% were used in initial experiments to quantitatively
examine cell quality over time under experimental conditions. Semen samples were stored under refrigeration (4 + 1oC) in two
experimental gas environments: oxygen or nitrogen. Samples in each gas environment were additionally subdivided into three
experimental dilutions: two experimental extenders and neat, or no dilution of the semen.
Semen samples were collected from individual males and transported chilled, at 4-6 o C, to the lab. Upon arrival, analyses of
gamete quality for each sample were performed prior to the administration of any experimental treatments. Approximately 24
hours post-arrival (Day 1) and then every other day for one week (i.e. Day 3, 5, and 7), experimental semen samples were again
quantitatively analyzed for quality. Sperm quality parameters evaluated included: motion analysis using a computer assisted
sperm analysis system, viability using a flow cytometer, and cellular ATP levels using a Luciferin-Luciferase bioluminescence
assay. Our results indicated that Atlantic sturgeon spermatozoa stored under oxygen retained higher quality than those stored
in the absence of oxygen. One experimental diluent, appears to mediate the harmful effects of a storage environment that is
without oxygen for up to one week.
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