Compositions comprising reproductive cell media and methods for using such compositions

Abstract

Disclosed are compositions for mammalian, avian or piscian reproductive cells and methods for the collection, holding, processing, in vitro fertilization, sexing culturing, or storing (including long-term cryopreservation) of mammalian, avian, or piscian reproductive sperm cells. The compositions comprise a suitable reproductive cell media and a transforming growth factor, an insulin-like growth factor, or zinc, and, optionally, inositol, transferrin, or fructose, or combinations thereof.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A composition comprising a sperm cell medium for mammalian, avian, or piscian sperm cells, wherein the medium comprises at least one growth factor selected from the group consisting of insulin-like growth factors and transforming growth factors.  
     
     
         2 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the cells are mammalian cells.  
     
     
         3 . The composition of  claim 2 , wherein the cells are porcine cells.  
     
     
         4 . The composition of  claim 2 , wherein the cells are equine cells.  
     
     
         5 . The composition of  claim 2 , wherein the cells are bovine cells.  
     
     
         6 . The composition of  claim 2 , wherein the cells are ovine cells.  
     
     
         7 . The composition of  claim 2 , wherein the cells are human cells.  
     
     
         8 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the cells are avian cells.  
     
     
         9 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the cells are piscian cells.  
     
     
         10 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the medium comprises transforming growth factor.  
     
     
         11 . The composition of  claim 10 , wherein the transforming growth factor comprises TGFβ-1.  
     
     
         12 . The composition of  claim 10 , wherein the transforming growth factor comprises TGFβ-2.  
     
     
         13 . The composition of  claim 10 , wherein the transforming growth factor comprises TGFβ-1 and TGFβ-2.  
     
     
         14 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the medium comprises insulin-like growth factor.  
     
     
         15 . The composition of  claim 14 , wherein the insulin-like growth factor comprises IGF-1.  
     
     
         16 . The composition of  claim 10 , wherein the medium further comprises insulin-like growth factor.  
     
     
         17 . The composition of  claim 13 , wherein the medium further comprises IGF-1.  
     
     
         18 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the medium further comprises at least one component selected from the group consisting of inositol, transferrin, and fructose.  
     
     
         19 . A composition comprising a reproductive cell medium for mammalian, avian, or piscian reproductive cells, wherein the medium comprises zinc.  
     
     
         20 . The composition of  claim 19 , wherein the medium further comprises at least one growth factor selected from the group consisting of insulin-like growth factors and transforming growth factors.  
     
     
         21 . The composition of  claim 19 , wherein the medium is in liquid form and the zinc is present in a concentration from about 0.1 mg/L to about 300 mg/L.  
     
     
         22 . The composition of  claim 19 , wherein the medium further comprises a component selected from the group consisting of inositol, transferrin, and fructose.  
     
     
         23 . The composition of  claim 11 , wherein the medium is in liquid form and the TGFβ-1 is present in a concentration from about 0.1 ng/L to about 10 μg/L.  
     
     
         24 . The composition of  claim 23 , wherein the TGFβ-1 is present in a concentration from about 20 ng/L to about 400 ng/L.  
     
     
         25 . The composition of  claim 24 , wherein the TGFβ-1 is present in a concentration from about 50 ng/L to about 150 ng/L.  
     
     
         26 . The composition of  claim 12 , wherein the medium is in liquid form and the TGFβ-2 is present in a concentration from about 0.1 ng/L to about 200 ng/L.  
     
     
         27 . The composition of  claim 26 , wherein the TGFβ-2 is present in a concentration from about 0.4 ng/L to about 16 ng/L.  
     
     
         28 . The composition of  claim 26  wherein the TGFβ-2 is present in a concentration from about 1.8 ng/L to about 3.8 ng/L.  
     
     
         29 . The composition of  claim 14 , wherein the medium is in liquid form and the IGF-1 is present in a concentration from about 0.1 ng/L to about 30 μg/L.  
     
     
         30 . The composition of  claim 29  wherein the IGF-1 is present in a concentration from about 40 ng/L to about 640 ng/L.  
     
     
         31 . The composition of  claim 29 , wherein the IGF-1 is present in a concentration from about 200 ng/L to about 450 ng/L.  
     
     
         32 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the medium further comprises a cryopreservative.  
     
     
         33 . A composition comprising a sperm cell medium for mammalian, avian, or piscian sperm cells, wherein the medium comprises transferrin.  
     
     
         34 . A composition comprising a reproductive cell medium for mammalian, avian, or piscian reproductive cells, wherein the medium comprises a growth factor selected from the group consisting of activated TGFβ-1, activated TGFβ-2, and activated IGF-1.  
     
     
         35 . The composition of  claim 34 , wherein the medium comprises activated TGFβ-1.  
     
     
         36 . The composition of  claim 35 , wherein the activated TGFβ-1 comprises at least about 75% unbound TGFβ-1.  
     
     
         37 . The composition of  claim 35 , wherein the activated TGFβ-1 comprises at least about 90% unbound TGFβ-1.  
     
     
         38 . The composition of  claim 34 , wherein the medium comprises activated TGFβ-2.  
     
     
         39 . The composition of  claim 38 , wherein the activated TGFβ-2 comprises at least about 75% unbound TGFβ-2.  
     
     
         40 . The composition of  claim 38 , wherein the activated TGFβ-2 comprises at least about 90% unbound TGFβ-2.  
     
     
         41 . The composition of  claim 34 , wherein the medium comprises activated TGFβ-1 and activated TGFβ-2.  
     
     
         42 . The composition of  claim 41 , where the activated TGFβ-1 comprises at least about 75% unbound TGFβ-1 and the activated TGFβ-2 comprises at least about 75% unbound TGFβ-2.  
     
     
         43 . The composition of  claim 41 , where the activated TGFβ-1 comprises at least about 90% unbound TGFβ-1 and the activated TGFβ-2 comprises at least about 90% unbound TGFβ-2.  
     
     
         44 . The composition of  claim 34 , wherein the medium comprises activated IGF-1.  
     
     
         45 . The composition of  claim 44 , where the activated IGF-1 comprises at least about 75% unbound IGF-1.  
     
     
         46 . The composition of  claim 44 , where the activated IGF-1 comprises at least about 90% unbound IGF-1.  
     
     
         47 . A composition comprising a reproductive cell medium for mammalian, avian, or piscian reproductive cells, wherein the medium comprises inositol, and wherein the inositol is present in a concentration of from about 1 mg/L to about 1 g/L.  
     
     
         48 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the medium further comprises zinc.  
     
     
         49 . A composition comprising a sperm cell medium for porcine sperm cells, wherein the medium comprises TGFβ-1, TGFβ-2, and IGF-1  
     
     
         50 . A composition comprising sperm cell medium for porcine sperm cells, wherein the medium comprises activated TGFβ-1, activated TGFβ-2, and activated IGF-1.  
     
     
         51 . The composition of  claim 50 , where the activated TGFβ-1 comprises at least 75% unbound TGFβ-1, the activated TGFβ-2 comprises at least 75% unbound TGFβ-2, and the activated IGF-1 comprises at least 75% unbound IGF-1.  
     
     
         52 . The composition of  claim 50 , wherein the activated TGFβ-1 comprises at least 90% unbound TGFβ-1, the activated TGFβ-2 comprises at least 90% unbound TGFβ-2, and the activated IGF-1 comprises at least 90% unbound IGF-1.  
     
     
         53 . A method for collecting, holding, processing, sexing, culturing, storing or in vitro fertilization mammalian, avian or piscian sperm cells, comprising contacting the sperm cells with the composition of  claim 1.