In vitro fertilizing potential of urethral and epididymal spermatozoa collected from domestic cats (Felis catus)

Abstract

The aim of this study was to provide a comparative analysis of in vitro fertilizing potential of frozen-thawed urethral and epididymal feline spermatozoa. Both types of semen were collected from 7 cats and cryopreserved in liquid nitrogen. To perform in vitro fertilization, both urethral and epididymal samples from the same individual were thawed and spermatozoa were co-incubated with in vitro matured cat oocytes. Obtained embryos were cultured in vitro for 7 days in a commercial medium. Cleavage rate, morula rate and blastocyst rate were calculated. Experiment was run in 10 replicates. The examined parameters showed no significant differences between urethral and epididymal spermatozoa (p>0.05). Cleavage rate and embryo's development were highly variable between replicates, even for the different sperm samples collected from one individual. There was no significant correlation between fertilizing capacity of two types of spermatozoa collected from the same male. In this study we confirmed that cryopreserved urethral spermatozoa have equally good fertilizing potential as epididymal ones, and both can be successfully used for in vitro fertilization in cats with the use of commercial medium.

The use of human and bovine commercial media for oocyte maturation and embryo development in the domestic cat (Felis catus)

“…Media marketed for human use were provided by Irvine Scientific (Newtownmountkennedy, Co. Wicklow, Ireland): SpermCatch®, Modified Human Tubal Fluid (HTF), Serum Substitute Supplement (SSS) and Continuous Single Culture ® (CSC) or by FertiPro N.V. (Beernem, Belgium): Hyaluronidase in FertiCultTM Flushing Medium ® . The suitability of human culture media for cats was proven in our previous experiment (Prochowska & Niżański, ). All procedures were performed with the consent of the Second Local Ethical Committee in Wroclaw.…”

“…In human clinical in vitro fertilization, there are many reports highlighting the advantages of using commercial media, such as the high standards of production, strict quality controls, batch‐to‐batch consistency and lower risk of contamination (Chronopoulou & Harper, ). A few years ago a human medium for in vitro culture of feline embryos has been introduced into feline in vitro embryo production (Morselli et al ), Ochota & Niżański, , Prochowska & Niżański, , Prochowska et al, ), with satisfactory results.…”

“…Simplification of protocols by the use of commercial media may contribute to the wider use of ART in felids. Because no such media are marketed for cats, recently, commercial media designed for human embryos has been applied to in vitro embryo culture in cats (Morselli, Luvoni & Comizzoli (), Ochota & Niżański, , Prochowska & Niżański, , Prochowska et al, ). However, a feline embryo differs grossly from a human embryo—with a dark colouration of cytoplasm being the most distinctive difference.…”

ARTs in wild felid conservation programmes in Poland and in the world

“…Moreover, it can be used concurrently with other veterinary treatments. The research conducted by our team on the domestic cat so far indicates that this method is highly efficient and allows good quality semen to be obtained (37, 38). Moreover, it has been confirmed that semen obtained by means of urethral catheterisation and subsequently cryopreserved is capable of fertilisation (37).…”

Determination of cat sperm concentration using the CASA system

“…The domestic cat is considered an experimental model for wild felines, so the use of this species in reproductive biotechnology experiments may be useful in preserving endangered species (Klaus, Eder, Franz, & Müller, 2016). As epididymal sperm has motility and morphology compatible with fertilization, sperm cell recovered from epididymis is an alternative for the genetic material conservation from extinct feline, even after the unexpected death of these animals, making further research related to these cells essential (P. Kunkitti, Sjödahl, Bergqvist, Johannisson, & Axnér, 2016;Panisara Kunkitti, Bergqvist, Sjunnesson, & Axnér, 2015;Prochowska & Nizański, 2017).…”