a b s t r a c t The susceptibility of mammalian spermatozoa to cold shock and freezing damage is due to changes in membrane lipid composition, particularly cholesterol depletion in plasma membrane during cryopreser- vation. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different concentrations of cholesterol- loaded cyclodextrin (CLC) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) on the cryopreservation of goat spermatozoa in tris-citrate egg yolk extender. Semen was collected from four mature goats and divided into seven ali- quots prior to cryopreservation. The first aliquot remained untreated and was mixed with TCG, the sec- ond aliquot was mixed with TCG and egg yolk (TCGY), third aliquot was mixed with TCGY and 2.5% BSA (TCGYB) and other aliquots were mixed with TCGYB containing 0.75, 1.5, 2.5 and 3 mg/ml CLC. All sam- ples were cryopreserved in straws over liquid nitrogen vapor and sperm motion Kinetics were measured by computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA) (percent motility (MOT), curvilinear velocity (VCL), straight- line velocity (VSL), average path velocity (VAP), linearity (LIN), and amplitude of lateral head displace- ment (ALH)). Acrosome status and vitality was observed by the triple-stain technique. CLC addition to extender resulted in significant (p < 0.05) enhancement of MOT, STR, and VCL of post-thawing sperm. Post-thawed motility, progressive motility and recovery rate were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in 1.5 mg/ml CLC with 2.5% BSA in TCGY extender compared to other groups. The 1.5 CLC sperm yielded a significant increase in percentage of spermatozoa with intact acrosome (P > 0.05). These results indicate that treating goat sperm with CLC and BSA in TCGY extender improved motility and vitality after freezing and thawing.
