Lipid changes during in vitro capacitation of the buffalo spermatozoa

The frozen straws of buffalo semen were procured and thawed at 37 degrees C in a water bath. A known amount of the washed spermatozoa was aseptically mixed with sperm-Talp, a modified Tyroid's medium containing heparin and in cubated at 30 degrees C for 2 hr with 5% carbon dioxide. The motility (%), live count (%), acrosomal integrity (%), total lipid (mg%), cholesterol (mg %) and phospholipid (mg%) of the spermatozoa were determined before and aft er capacitation. The sperm motility was reduced to a typical stationary, ci rcular and hyperactivity of the tail after capacitation leading to the acro somal reaction. There was a significant (P<0.01) fall in the total lipid (5 3.50%), cholesterol (63.57%) and phospholipid (76.2%) of the spermatozoa af ter capacitation. Alteration in the cholesterol and phospholipid was eviden t, however, cholesterol appeared to be conspicuously changing during in vit ro capacitation and acrosomal reaction of the buffalo spermatozoa.