CRYOPRESERVATION OF NONHUMAN PRIMATE SPERM - PRIORITIES FOR FUTURE-RESEARCH

Wild populations of many non-human primate species have declined alarm ingly due to habitat destruction, hunting and genetic isolation. Capti ve breeding programmes to aid species survival could be enhanced by th e use of assisted reproductive techniques, such as artificial insemina tion (AI), if a source of viable sperm was readily accessible. Cryoban ks of primate sperm could provide such a supply if techniques for free zing sperm could be developed. Although sporadic attempts to cryoprese rve primate sperm have been reported for some of the more frequently e ncountered zoo-maintained species, there is limited information availa ble on techniques for sperm collection and storage. It is vital that a dequate reporting of all cryopreservation attempts be made to avoid re petition of inappropriate methodologies and wastage of valuable geneti c material from rare or endangered animals. An integrated approach to the cryobanking of non-human primate sperm is considered to be essenti al for species conservation. In this review, the factors affecting the success of sperm cryopreservation are outlined, existing information is compiled from previous reported attempts at cryopreservation, and s uggestions are made for cryopreserving sperm in further non-human prim ate species. Moreover, recommendations are given for additional studie s to augment existing data. It is intended that this information shoul d serve as a guide for developing cryopreservation protocols in the fu ture, particularly for endangered species. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B .V. All rights reserved.