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The Effects of Selenium on Cryopreservation and Sperm Motility

Undergraduate #9
Discipline: Biological Sciences
Subcategory: Cell and Molecular Biology

Amatullah Muhammad - Tuskegee University
Co-Author(s): Laurie Mangeli, Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, AL. Gemechu Wirtu, Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, AL.



Infertility is an issue that can cause major headaches and distress in any community. Causes of infertility can be male, female, both or a result of unexplained factors. Many people opt to utilize cryopreservation as a means of fertility management. Cryopreservation also known as sperm banking, is a procedure to store sperm cells indefinitely at extremely low temperatures for later use, and is especially helpful in men with fertility issues. The purpose of this experiment was to determine the characteristics of sperm, such as motility and viability, in cats following freezing and thawing techniques after being treated with selenium. A main cause of infertility is oxidative stress and reactive oxygen radicals which are produced in sperm and have been known to have negative effects on them. Antioxidants are molecules that combat these oxidative processes by either reducing or inhibiting these radicals. Selenium is one example of an antioxidant and is utilized to prevent damage to the sperm cell during freezing which was tested in this experiment. Samples were divided into two groups: one was treated with 2.5 microliters of selenium and the other untreated. Both samples received a Test Yolk Buffer refrigerator medium and were refrigerated overnight. Freezing medium was added the following day in three, ten minute intervals after which samples were placed into semen straws and frozen. From microscope observations it was concluded that the selenium positive samples had a 5% greater motility rate numerically than the untreated samples. However, according to statistical analysis there was no significant difference between the two sample groups.

Funder Acknowledgement(s): USDA NIFA CBG

Faculty Advisor: Gemechu Wirtu, wirtug@mytu.tuskegee.edu

Role: I extracted the sperm from the epididymis of the cat testicles. I suspended the sperm cells using TLH hepes media made by my graduate student mentor Laurie. I made the semen extenders and completed all microscope observations necessary for the experiment.

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This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under Grant No. DUE-1930047. Any opinions, findings, interpretations, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of its authors and do not represent the views of the AAAS Board of Directors, the Council of AAAS, AAAS’ membership or the National Science Foundation.

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