The Effects of Dimethyl-Sulfoxide Added to the Fertilization Medium on the Motility and the Acrosome Reaction of Spermatozoa and the Subsequent Development of Oocytes in Bovine

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the influence of dimethyl-sulfoxise (DMSO, 0, 5, 50, 100 and $500{\mu}M$) on the motility and acrosome reaction of the frozen-thawed spermatozoa from 3 different bulls (Bull A, Band C). Also we evaluated the developmental capacity of bovine embryos fertilized in a medium containing DMSO at various concentrations. DMSO had negligible effects on the sperm motility and acrosome reaction in all three bulls. However, the development rates from 2 to 16 cells stage on the 3rd day after insemination with 50, 100 and $500{\mu}M$ DMSO in Bull-B, and up to the blastocyst stage fertilized with 5, 50, 100 and $500{\mu}M$ in Bull-A were significantly higher (p<0.05) than those of control ($0{\mu}M$ DMSO) group from each bull. Furthermore, the rates of blastocysts per cleaved embryos of 5 to $500{\mu}M$ DMSO group in Bull-A and of 5 to $100{\mu}M$ DMSO in Bull-C were also significantly higher (p<0.05) than those for their $0{\mu}M$ groups, respectively. These results indicate that DMSO at micromol level used for in vitro fertilization might stimulate the development of embryos for some bulls.