Sperm adenosine triphosphate concentrations before and after freezing as a marker of cryolysis.

Frozen semen samples are generally used today for artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization (IVF) and have various advantages above freshly produced semen. A disadvantage is that substances may leak out of the sperm if the membrane is damaged during freezing. In this study sperm ATP concentration was determined before freezing and after thawing and correlated with fertilization in an IVF program. After freezing and thawing the average sperm motility decreased significantly (p < or = .0001). Sperm ATP concentration was also significantly lower after freezing and thawing (p = .0004). Sperm ATP concentration after thawing did not correlated with fertilization. ATP concentration was a good marker of cryolysis but not of fertilization.