The Influence of Hen Oviduct Homogenates on the Motility, Oxygen Uptake and Fertilizing Capacity of Fowl Spermatozoa

THE fertilizing capacity of fowl spermatozoa is preserved in the hen oviduct for 8–28 days (Parkes, 1960). It can reasonably be assumed that the preservation is connected with some influence of the oviducal tissue on the metabolism of the stored spermatozoa. This assumption is supported by the finding that fowl spermatozoa had an increased rate of oxygen uptake in vitro after they had been incubated in the hen oviduct in vivo (Hamner and Williams, 1963). A similar effect was also obtained in vitro with spermatozoa suspended in oviduct extracts (Ogasawara and Lorenz, 1964). In the present work, fresh homogenates from different regions of the hen oviduct were used in order to study their influence on both the rate of oxygen uptake and the preservation of motility and fertilizing capacity of fowl spermatozoa. For this purpose, the uterovaginal junction and the infundibulum were chosen because they are known to be…