Rapidly cooled human sperm: no evidence of intracellular ice formation

Human Reproduction
G John Morris

Abstract

The cellular damage that human spermatozoa encounter at rapid rates of cooling has often been attributed to the formation of intracellular ice. However, no direct evidence of intracellular ice has been presented. Alternatively, the cell damage may be the result of an osmotic imbalance encountered during thawing. This article examines whether intracellular ice forms during rapid cooling or if an alternative mechanism is present. In this study, human spermatozoa were cooled at a range of cooling rates from 0.3 to 3000 degrees C/min. The ultrastructure of the samples was examined by cryo scanning electron microscopy and freeze substitution to determine whether intracellular ice formed during rapid cooling and to examine alternative mechanisms of cell injury during rapid cooling. No intracellular ice formation was detected at any cooling rate. Freeze substitution of cells that had been cooled at 3000 degrees C/min and then slowly warmed showed that the cells had become plasmolysed and had evidence of membrane damage. Cell damage to human spermatozoa, at cooling rates of up to 3000 degrees C/min, is not caused by intracellular ice formation. Spermatozoa that have been cooled at high rates are subjected to an osmotic shock when they ...Continue Reading

References

Apr 30, 1999·Human Reproduction·G J MorrisS Avery
Apr 23, 2002·Biology of Reproduction·Peter Mazur, Chihiro Koshimoto
Mar 28, 2003·Human Reproduction·Timothy G SchusterGary D Smith

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Citations

Aug 16, 2008·Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics·Sinan OzkavukcuSercin Karahuseyinoglu
Jun 19, 2009·Biology of Reproduction·Mie HagiwaraJohn C Bischof
Nov 26, 2013·Micron : the International Research and Review Journal for Microscopy·Liguang ShiRujie Yang
Dec 27, 2011·Cryobiology·G John MorrisFernanda Fonseca
Aug 29, 2009·Reproductive Biomedicine Online·Martine NijsWillem Ombelet
Jul 21, 2009·Animal Reproduction Science·Eva MocéJames K Graham
Feb 27, 2009·Fertility and Sterility·Teraporn VutyavanichSiriporn Nunta
Jul 14, 2009·Biotechnology and Bioengineering·Joseph SaragustyAmir Arav
Jun 15, 2012·Reproduction in Domestic Animals = Zuchthygiene·J A TapiaI M Aparicio
Jul 4, 2012·Journal of Medical Primatology·Shiho Sumigama, Stuart Meyers
Sep 28, 2010·Veterinary Medicine International·Heriberto Rodriguez-Martinez, Margareta Wallgren
Sep 8, 2011·Cryobiology·Rafael Cuevas-UribeTerrence R Tiersch
Oct 16, 2012·Theriogenology·J D BensonJ K Critser
Sep 25, 2017·Human Reproduction·J AizpuruaM J Gómez-Torres

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