SPECIES AND INDIVIDUAL VARIATIONS IN CRYOPROTECTANT TOXICITIES AND FREEZING RESISTANCES OF EPIDIDYMAL SPERM FROM AFRICAN ANTELOPE

The potential toxicities and cryoprotective properties of glycerol, et hylene glycol, propylene glycol and dimethyl sulfoxide were examined f or the cryopreservation of epididymal sperm from three species of Afri can antelope: blesbok, impala, and springbok. Glycerol was found to be the least toxic treatment overall when epididymal sperm were incubate d at 30-32 degrees C to promote uptake and metabolism of the cryoprote ctive agents. Nevertheless, post-thaw functional survival, as measured by overall sperm motility, was equally effective using glycerol and e thylene glycol for blesbok and impala sperm. Springbok sperm, on the o ther hand, survived cryopreservation with the greatest percentage moti lity post-thawing using dimethyl sulfoxide.:The results provide import ant preliminary data for the development of genetic resource banks for African antelope.