Effect of chloride ions on cock spermatozoa

¹ Agricultural Experimental Station, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York

The respiration rate, rate of fructolysis and incidence of abnormal spermatozoa were studied in cock semen immediately after dilution (1:10) and after storage at 5°C. Tyrode's solution was the basic diluent, and the effect of replacement of chloride by either glutamate or phosphate was investigated. Replacement by glutamate resulted in a linear reduction of respiration and fructolysis rates of fresh semen and of the fructolysis rate of stored semen. Respiration rate of stored semen decreased nonlinearly. Replacement of chloride by phosphate had no significant effect on the metabolic rates of either fresh or stored semen. Chloride ions caused an increase in the incidence of abnormal sperm after storage. When glutamate replaced chloride this increase was reduced, whereas in phosphate replacement there was evidence of a synergistic effect between chloride and phosphate in causing abnormalities. Differences in metabolic rates could not be accounted for by changes in the incidence of dead or abnormal sperm.