Toxicity Testing by Means of Cryopreserved Bovine Spermatozoa

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the suitability of bovine spermatozoa cryopreserved in a “defined” medium as an in vitro model for the assessment of the cytotoxic potential of chemicals. The endpoints used for this purpose were motion activity and cellular ATP content. The evaluation of properties of cryopreserved sperm shortly after thawing and at the end of a one-hour incubation period, shows that the cryoprotective medium developed is able to provide suitable cellular material for cytotoxicity tests. Results from experiments employing substances with known modes of action are presented, and suggest that cryopreserved sperm can be used as successfully as native sperm in cytotoxicity tests.