Viability of rabbit spermatozoa diluted in tris-glucose and tris-fructose extenders

Abstract

Tris [(hydroxymethyl) aminomethane]-based extenders are a widely used diluents for liquid storage of rabbit semen (Castellini, 1996; Roca et al., 2000). The sugars supply energy substrate for sperm cells during incubation, maintain the osmotic pressure of the diluents and act as a cryoprotectant (Watson, 1990). The aim of this study was to examine the spermatozoa viability and morphological changes of sperms from White New Zealand (WNZ) buck rabbits, diluted in Tris-glucose-citric acid and Tris-fructose-citric acid and kept at 10 degrees C for 72 hours.