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Effect of Volume of Semen, Number of Sperm and Drugs on Transport of Sperm in Artificially Inseminated Gilts

University of Illinois, Urbana²

Abstract

The effects of volume inseminated (20, 100 or 200 ml.) and number of sperm (1x10⁹, 5x10⁹ or 10x10⁹) in all combinations on the transport of sperm and fertilization were studied. Effects were determined by recovering sperm and eggs from oviducts of gilts 6 or 8 hr. after experimentally controlled ovulation and 12 or 16 hr. after insemination, respectively. Sperm recovered from the oviducts and on the eggs were counted and fertility rate of eggs was determined.

Gilts inseminated with 100 ml. of semen 12 hr. before egg recovery had a significantly (P<0.01) higher proportion of eggs fertilized and more (P<0.01) sperm attached to the zona pellucida of the eggs than gilts inseminated with 20 or 200 ml. of semen. Gilts inseminated 16 hr. before egg recovery with 5x10⁹ or 10x10⁹ sperm had significantly (P<0.05) more sperm in the oviducts and a higher proportion of eggs fertilized than those inseminated with 1x10⁹ sperm.

The addition of carbacholine or oxytocin had no effect on transport of sperm when inseminated in 20 ml. of semen. Carbacholine, when inseminated in 100 ml. of semen, increased significantly (P<0.05) the number of sperm recovered from the oviducts, but oxytocin had no effect.

Volume of semen apparently affects the proportion of gilts in which sperm reach the site of fertilization, while the number of sperm found in the oviduct is affected by the concentration of sperm inseminated. This suggests that some minimum volume of semen must be inseminated to achieve optimum fertility, and the concentration of sperm must also be maintained above some minimum value.

¹ Present address: Department of Animal Science, Macdonald College of McGill University, Quebec, Canada.

² Department of Animal Science.

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