Effects of glycerol on chicken spermatozoa incubated in vitro at 41 C in oviducal and embryonic cell cultures.

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of glycerol on the quality and survival of spermatozoa in an in vitro system at 41 C in the presence of oviducal and other tissue cultures. The motility and percentages of abnormal and dead spermatozoa of glycerolized semen were significantly affected in a positive way by the presence of living cells. The most negative effect of glycerol on semen quality was observed with semen incubated in the tissue culture medium alone. Aspartate aminotransferase activity in the culture fluid revealed a harmful effect of glycerol on spermatozoa and culture cells.