SPERM ADENOSINE-TRIPHOSPHATE CONCENTRATIONS BEFORE AND AFTER FREEZINGAS A MARKER OF CRYOLYSIS

Frozen semen samples are generally used today for artificial inseminat ion and in vitro fertilization (IVF) and have various advantages above freshly produced semen. A disadvantage is that substances may leak ou t of the sperm if the membrane is damaged during freezing. In this stu dy sperm ATP concentration was determined before freezing and after th awing and correlated with fertilization in an IVF program. After freez ing and thawing the average sperm motility decreased significantly (p less than or equal to .0001). Sperm ATP concentration was also signifi cantly lower after freezing and thawing (p = .0004). Sperm ATP concent ration after thawing did not correlated with fertilization. ATP concen tration was a good marker of cryolysis but not of fertilization.