The endangered black-footed ferret (BFF; Mustela nigripes) is an important example of the benefits of assisted reproduction in species conservation with both semen evaluation and artificial insemination using fresh and frozen sperm being successfully incorporated into the breeding program. Currently, electroejaculation (EE) is routinely utilized for semen collection in BFFs, a technique that requires custom equipment and experienced operators, and does not consistently yield viable samples in this species. In this case study, we evaluated the feasibility of urethral catheterization (UC) for semen collection, a method predominately tested in domestic and non-domestic felids, on four occasions (three BFF males). After general anesthesia with a combination of ketamine, midazolam and α2-agonist dexmedetomidine (thought to promote semen release into the urethra), a lightly lubricated, flexible feeding tube was passed into the urethral opening and advanced ~7-8 cm into the urethra. A syringe attached to the feeding tube was used to apply mild negative pressure to collect sperm. Semen samples were successfully collected on all four attempts. Sperm characteristics ranged as follows: 10.5-26.0 × 106 sperm/ml concentration, 50-90% motility and 36-61% normal sperm morphology. This is the first report of the use of UC as a potential alternative to EE in the BFF, a more field-friendly technique that is less invasive and more consistent for obtaining samples free of urine contamination.

中文翻译：

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尿道导管插入术是在黑脚雪貂（Mustela nigripes）中收集精子的替代方法。

濒临灭绝的黑脚雪貂（BFF；鼬鼬）是在物种保护中辅助繁殖的优势的一个重要例子，精液评估和使用新鲜和冷冻精子的人工授精都已成功地纳入了育种程序。目前，电射精（EE）通常用于BFF中的精液收集，该技术需要定制设备和经验丰富的操作人员，并且不能始终如一地在该物种中产生可行的样品。在本案例研究中，我们评估了四种情况下尿道导管插入术（UC）收集精液的可行性，该方法主要在家庭和非家养猫科动物中进行了测试（三名BFF男性）。全身麻醉后，结合氯胺酮，咪达唑仑和α2-激动剂右美托咪定（旨在促进精液释放到尿道中），将一根轻润滑的柔性饲管插入尿道开口，并进入尿道约7-8厘米。使用连接到饲管的注射器施加适度的负压以收集精子。在所有四次尝试中均成功收集了精液样本。精子的特征范围如下：10.5-26.0×106精子/ ml浓度，50-90％的活力和36-61％的正常精子形态。这是关于使用UC作为BFF中EE的潜在替代品的首次报道，这是一种对现场更友好的技术，其侵入性更小并且对于获得无尿污染的样品更一致。使用连接到饲管的注射器施加适度的负压以收集精子。在所有四次尝试中均成功收集了精液样本。精子特征范围如下：10.5-26.0×106精子/ ml浓度，50-90％的活力和36-61％的正常精子形态。这是关于使用UC作为BFF中EE的潜在替代品的首次报道，这是一种对现场更友好的技术，其侵入性更小并且对于获得无尿污染的样品更一致。使用连接到饲管的注射器施加适度的负压以收集精子。在所有四次尝试中均成功收集了精液样本。精子特征范围如下：10.5-26.0×106精子/ ml浓度，50-90％的活力和36-61％的正常精子形态。这是关于使用UC作为BFF中EE的潜在替代品的首次报道，这是一种对现场更友好的技术，其侵入性更小并且对于获得无尿污染的样品更一致。