Effect of Some Zwitter Ion Buffers on the Freezing and Storage of Spermatozoa I. Bull

Abstract

Seven zwitter ion buffers titrated with bases, Tris (hydroxymethyl) amino methane (Tris), NaOH, and combinations of NaOH and KOH to pit 7.0 along with Tris titrated with HC1, sodium citrate, and phosphate were prepared. The effect of these buffers on motility and glutanfic oxalacetic transaminase (GOT) of fresh bull spermatozoa, of spermatozoa stored at 37 C for 6 hr and at 5 C for 48 hr and after freezing was studied. Spermatozoa diluted in zwitter ionic buffer were more motile but released more GOT than sperm diluted in phosphate or citrate. N-Tris (hydroxymethyl) methyl-2-amino ethane sulfonic acid (TES) with Tris as the titration base was the most satisfactory buffering system for diluting bull sperma- tozoa for freezing.