Comparison between the conventional method and the simple desiccation method in porcine sperm processing for scanning electron microscopy.

Sperm quality has been studied using different microscopic methods. Light microscopy gives similar percentages of sperm typologies (mature, immature and aberrant) as scanning electron microscope (SEM) techniques using both normal (critical-point drying) and simple desiccation techniques. Artefactual forms, which are easily recognizable, are not taken into account. The artefactual forms observed by the simple desiccation SEM method were spermatozoa with tails folded in a simple loop, and spermatozoa with short tails coiled at their extreme. The simple desiccation SEM method is a useful and rapid technique for the testing of porcine sperm quality.