Abstract
The role of the seminal vesicle in the fertility of mice and the effect of supernatant fluid of seminal vesicles and coagulating glands (SSC) on both in vitro fertilization and artificial insemi-nation were investigated. Removal of seminal vesicles along with coagulating glands caused a severe reduction of fertility in mice. When oocytes were flushed from the oviducts of females mated with treated males 2 or 10 h after mating, none of 100 and 2 of 60 eggs were fertilized, respectively. Although each vaginal smear showed the presence of spermatozoa, few or no sper-matozoa were detected in uterine flushings. No detrimental or beneficial effects of adding SSC to the preincubation and/or fertilization media were detected in in vitro fertilization. In the case of artificial insemination, however, the addition of SSC to the medium significantly increased the fertilization rate. When females were inseminated with a sperm suspension supplemented with 10% SSC at less than 2 × 105, 2-30 × 105 or greater than 3 × 106 spermatozoa, 11, 48 and 85% of eggs were fertilized 24 h after insemination, respectively. In controls, the fertilization rates were 2, 26 and 63% at less than 2 × 105, 2-30 × 105 or greater than 3 × 106 sperm 24 h after insemination, respectively. It is clear that SSC does not affect in vitro fertilization, but it does promote in vivo fertility. Seminal vesicle fluid is an essential factor for the uterine transport of sperm in mice.
