Patent ID: 7670763

Claim:
A method of determining the effect of storage media on the ability of sperm to respond to one or more stimuli associated with capacitation and/or acrosomal exocytosis, comprising the steps of: storing the sperm in a storage media; removing the stored sperm from the storage media; determining a G M1 distribution pattern in the stored sperm comprising: i) exposing the stored sperm to the one or more stimuli; ii) fixing the stored sperm in a fixative comprising paraformaldehyde, glutaraldehyde or combinations thereof; iii) staining the fixed stored sperm to determine the G M1 distribution pattern in the fixed stored sperm; obtaining a G M1 distribution pattern of a fixed control sperm sample which has not been stored in the storage media, but which has been exposed to the same one or more stimuli, fixed in the same fixative and stained in the same manner as the fixed stored sperm; and comparing the G M1 distribution patterns of the fixed stored sperm and the fixed control sperm; wherein a difference between the G M1 distribution patters of the fixed stored sperm and fixed control sperm is indicative of an effect of the storage media on the ability of sperm to respond to one or more stimuli associated with capacitation and/or acrosomal exocytosis.