Strategies for Highly Efficient Rabbit Sperm Cryopreservation

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The rabbit is a valuable animal for both the economy and biomedical sciences. Therefore, the preservation of many rabbit strains is vitally important. So far, sperm cryopreservation is one of the most efficient ways to preserve rabbit strains because it is easy to collect ejaculate repeatedly from a single male and perform artificial insemination to multiple females. Although this method is widely used, there are still some concerns regarding the cooling, freezing and thawing process of sperms, which markedly affects the quality of preserved sperms. In this article, we will review the progress made during the past years in terms of cryopreservation of rabbit sperms and discuss those factors that would possibly influence sperm damage including freezing extender, cryoprotectant, supplements, and procedures. ABSTRACT: The rabbit is a valuable animal for both the economy and biomedical sciences. Sperm cryopreservation is one of the most efficient ways to preserve rabbit strains because it is easy to collect ejaculate repeatedly from a single male and inseminate artificially into multiple females. During the cooling, freezing and thawing process of sperms, the plasma membrane, cytoplasm and genome structures could be damaged by osmotic stress, cold shock, intracellular ice crystal formation, and excessive production of reactive oxygen species. In this review, we will discuss the progress made during the past years regarding efforts to minimize the cell damage in rabbit sperms, including freezing extender, cryoprotectants, supplements, and procedures.