Preliminary study of water and some element contents in boar spermatozoa, before, during and after freezing

Abstract

Boar semen was analysed by electron microscopy coupled to image analysis and X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy, during the usual process for freezing and thawing in field conditions. Freeze-substition and freeze-quenching permitted recording of real or potential intracellular ice before, during, and after freezing. Heads and flagella displayed two different osmotic properties before freezing. Heads were dehydrated progressively before and during freezing, while flagella were hydrated before freezing and were only dehydrated during freezing. All parts of the thawed cells were rehydrated. Ice crystal damage was mostly present in frozen mitochondria and axonemes and the acrosomes were strongly affected by thawing. The total amounts of Na, Cl, Ca, K, Mg, and Zn per cell were only elevated in frozen and thawed midpieces while the heads were permeable both to water and elements at that time.