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The chemical composition of the pre-sperm fraction of bull ejaculate obtained by electrical stimulation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

C. Lutwak-Mann  and
L. B. A. Rowson
C. Lutwak-Mann
Affiliation:
A.R.C. Unit of Animal Reproduction, Huntingdon Road, Cambridge
L. B. A. Rowson
Affiliation:
A.R.C. Unit of Animal Reproduction, Huntingdon Road, Cambridge
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Extract

1. Semen was collected from bulls by means of the electro-ejaculation method developed by Thibault et al. (1948).

2. A copious sperm-free fraction of the ejaculate, produced in the early phase of stimulation, was examined for its chemical composition.

3. This secretion was found to have a low protein content, but its chloride concentration was higher than in the sperm-containing fractions of the ejaculate. Fructose and citric acid occurred in very low concentrations, and 5-nucleotidase was absent in the pre-sperm secretion. This indicates clearly that the secretion does not originate either in the seminal vesicles or in the ampullar glands; it is probable that it represents a discharge from the urethral glands.

4. The effect of the pre-sperm ejaculate fraction upon bull sperm fructolysis and motility was examined; both were unaffected by a considerable excess of this secretion.

5. The chemical composition of the pre-sperm secretion makes it unlikely that under physiological conditions it could play a role in the nutrition of the spermatozoa; presumably, its chief function is the clearing of the urethral passage prior to the descent of the semen proper.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 43 , Issue 2 , April 1953 , pp. 131 - 135
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1953

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References

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