This study examined the effect of cryoprotectants on DNA integrity, antioxidant defense, and resistance to oxidative stress in cryopreserved sterlet Acipenser ruthenus sperm. The freeze-thaw process significantly influenced sperm motility, with significant differences among cryoprotectants. In vitro exposure of cryopreserved sperm to the xanthine-xanthine oxidase (X-XO) system as a model reactive oxygen species inducer resulted in a lesser motility rate and velocity compared to the control, and there was a decrease in these variables in a time- and dose-dependent manner. The greatest X (0.6mM)-XO (0.05U/mL) concentration and incubation period (30min) was associated with 62% DNA fragmentation in sperm cryopreserved with 10% ethylene glycol (EG). The maximum lipid peroxidation (LPO) and carbonyl derivatives of proteins (CP) was also observed in sperm cryopreserved with 10% EG and exposed to the X-XO system at a concentration of 0.6mM X-0.05U/mL XO. The frozen/thawed sperm containing 10% EG and that with 10% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) had a significant enhancement of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione reductase (GR) activity. The current study confirms that EG is not effective for cryopreservation, and sterlet sperm were highly sensitive to free radicals after cryopreservation with EG.
Keywords: Cryopreservation; Cryoprotectant; DNA damage; Reactive oxygen species; Sperm quality; Sterlet sperm.
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