Low molecular weight components in bovine semen diffusate and their effects on motility of bull sperm.

Dialysis of diluted semen before cryopreservation is beneficial to sperm survival. This is due to removal of low molecular weight components from seminal plasma that are damaging to sperm. The apparent molecular weights (M(r)) of these components range between 1000 and 12,000 as estimated by gel permeation chromatography and electrophoresis. The detrimental effect on sperm motility is greatest with the components of M(r) between 5000 and 12,000 and with those of M(r) < 1500. Their effect on sperm motility was dependent on concentration. The small molecular weight components were derived from the high molecular weight components of seminal plasma through disaggregation under prescribed conditions.