Low sugar sperm media and compositions

Abstract

The present invention relates to compositions comprising low sugar media, the methods of using these compositions to reduce trauma and stress on processed animal sperm, the resulting sperm and embryo products, and the methods of use of these products to increase the quality, quantity and viability of progeny and improved rates of births in animals.

What we claim is: 
     
         1 . A method of increasing the motility of processed sperm cells comprising the steps of:
 forming a stream comprising sperm cells and a first media;   determining a property of the sperm cells in the stream;   selecting a subpopulation from the sperm cells, wherein sperm cells in the subpopulation have a property of interest; and   collecting the subpopulation in a second media, wherein the second media comprises a sugar additive at a concentration of about 1 to 10 mM.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sperm cells in the collected subpopulation have increased motility compared to unselected sperm. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second media comprises less than about 5 mM of sugar additive. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first media comprises less than about 20 mM of sugar additive. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said sperm are porcine sperm. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said sperm are bovine sperm. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said sperm are equine sperm. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said sperm are cervine sperm. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said sperm are ovine sperm. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of selecting comprises isolating the selected subpopulation from unselected sperm cells. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said first media or said second media comprise one or more oxidative stress reducing agents (OSRs). 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the one or more OSRs is selected from the following: catalase, SOD, an SOD mimic, glutathione, glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidase, pyruvate, mercaptoethanol, BHT, lipoic acid, flavins, quinines, vitamin K (and related vitamers), vitamin B12, vitamin B12 vitamers, vitamin E (and related vitamers), tocopherols, tocotrienols, α-tocopheryl, alpha ketoglutarate (AKG), malondialdehyde (MDA), asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) and biologically active derivatives thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of centrifuging the collected subpopulation and resuspending the collected subpopulation in a third media less comprising than about 20 mM of sugar additive. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said third media comprises one or more OSRs. 
     
     
         15 . A method of increasing the motility of processed sperm cells comprising the steps of:
 a) forming a stream comprising sperm cells and a first media;   b) determining a property of the sperm cells in the stream;   c) ablating a subpopulation of the sperm cells, wherein sperm cells in the subpopulation have a property of interest; and   d) collecting the sperm cells in a second media, wherein the second media comprises a sugar additive at a concentration of about 1 to 10 mM.