SECRETORY PRODUCTS OF BOVINE OVIDUCTAL EPITHELIAL-CELLS SUPPORT THE VIABILITY AND MOTILITY OF BOVINE SPERMATOZOA IN CULTURE IN-VITRO

The ability of secretions from the bovine oviduct to maintain the viab ility and motility of bovine spermatozoa was investigated by incubatin g frozen-thawed spermatozoa with oviductal flushings, uterine flushing s, or the medium from cultures of oviductal epithelial cells and endot helial cells. The flushings obtained from both oviducts and uteri were effective for the maintenance of the viability and motility of sperma tozoa, irrespective of the stage of the estrous cycle at which they ha d been collected. The flushings obtained from the ampullar region of o viducts at the follicular phase of the estrous cycle were most effecti ve for the maintenance of viability and motile activity, for example, the forward motion of spermatozoa. Sperm viability and motility were a lso maintained by the medium from 6-hour culture of epithelial cells o btained from oviducts at the follicular phase of the estrous cycle. In contrast, the medium derived from bovine fetal artery endothelial cel ls had no significant effect on sperm viability and motility. These re sults suggest that the fluids of the female reproductive tract, in par ticular, the oviductal fluids at the follicular stage, provide a suita ble environment for the maintenance of the viability and motility of b ovine spermatozoa. It is also suggested that secretory product(s) of o viductal epithelial cells may play an important role in sustaining bot h the viability and motility of spermatozoa. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.