U.S. Department of Agriculture: Agricultural Research Service, Lincoln, Nebraska
Date of this Version
1980
Abstract
The effects of graduated increments of hypotonic Beltsville Poultry Semen Extender (BPSE) on fowl and turkey sperm morphology, motility, percentage dead
and fertility were examined. The morphology of fowl and turkey spermatozoa was
adversely affected by decreases in BPSE osmolarity; a reduction of osmolarity of
BPSE to below 200 and 140 mosmol adversely affected the fertility of fowl and
turkey spermatozoa, respectively. The addition of Ficoll to the extender allowed
direct observation of the effects of hypotonic BPSE on the sperm plasmalemma.
Plasmalemmal swelling, due to the uptake of water, was noted initially at the
midpiece. Such plasmalemmal swelling may predispose spermatozoa to further
osmotic-induced damage.
Comments
Published in J. Reprod. Fert., (1980) 60, 121-127