The effects of cooling to 5 degrees C and freezing and thawing on the ultrastructure of bull spermatozoa.

Semen from 6 bulls was examined under the transmission electron microscope immediately after collection, after dilution and cooling to 5 degrees C and after freezing and thawing. Conception rates were determined following artificial insemination of the frozen and thawed semen. Dilution and cooling to 5 degrees C caused acrosomal swelling in about 50% of the spermatozoa. Subsequent freezing and thawing caused considerable ultrastructural changes to the acrosomes (disruption of the plasma and outer acrosomal membranes and dispersion of the acrosomal contents) and middle pieces (breakage of the plasma membrane and a reduction in the electron density of the mitochondrial matrix) of a high proportion of spermatozoa. The average non-return rate following insemination of semen from 5 of the bulls was 61.6% and higher (P greater than 0.001) than for the sixth bull (15%). Although this difference in semen viability was also demonstrated in the structural studies (acrosome, P greater than 0.05: middle piece, P greater than 0.001), more work is required to assess the relationship between structure and function of spermatozoa.