The quality of cryopreserved sperm collected from feline caudal epididymides using seminal plasma.

It is thought that differences in conception rate between feline epididymal sperm and ejaculate sperm occur because, unlike ejaculated sperm, caudal epididymal sperm have not been sensitized with seminal plasma (SP). In this study, we investigated whether collection of feline epididymal sperm with SP influences sperm qualities after freezing-thawing. Sperm were sensitized with SP for 10 min at room temperature. As a result, the motility of caudal epididymal sperm sensitized with SP immediately after collection was significantly lower than that of ejaculate sperm, and no difference was noted in sperm qualities after freezing-thawing. This shows that the qualities of caudal epididymal sperm cannot be improved to a level higher than those of ejaculate sperm by sensitization with SP.