In this study, environmental conditions mimicking those prevailing in the epididymis were used for storing ejaculated bull spermatozoa in vitro during 4 days at ambient temperature. These conditions were low pH, high osmolarity, high sperm concentration and low oxygen tension. Hepes-TALP was used as basic storage medium. Fresh spermatozoa were stored at a concentration of 10 x 10(6)spermatozoa/ml in Hepes-TALP of different pH (pH 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8), and osmolarity (100, 300, 400, 500, 600 or 800 mOsm/kg), and under different atmospheric conditions (nitrogen gassed or aerobic). Spermatozoa were also stored undiluted or at different concentrations: 10x 10(6), 100 x 10(6), 500 x 10(6) or 1 x 10(9)spermatozoa/ml. Sperm parameters such as membrane integrity, motility, mitochondrial membrane potential or DNA fragmentation were used to assess semen quality after storage. Adjustment of the pH of Hepes-TALP to pH 6 yielded significantly better results than storage at all other pH values. Isotonic Hepes-TALP (300 mOsm/kg) had a less detrimental effect on spermatozoa than hypo- and hyperosmotic versions. No differences in sperm parameters were observed when spermatozoa were incubated under aerobic or under nitrogen gassed storage conditions. Optimal sperm concentration in vitro is 10 x 10(6)spermatozoa/ml. This is in contrast with the in vivo situation, where spermatozoa are stored at high concentration. However, better results at high sperm concentrations were obtained when spermatozoa were diluted for less than 5 min in Triladyl-egg yolk-glycerol diluent immediately after ejaculation.