Cukierski M A, Sina J L, Prahalada S, Robertson R T
Department of Safety Assessment, Merck Sharp & Dohme Research Laboratories, West Point, Pennsylvania 19486.
Reprod Toxicol. 1991;5(4):347-52. doi: 10.1016/0890-6238(91)90093-u.
In rats the secretions of the seminal vesicles and coagulating glands clot after ejaculation in the female tract to form a copulatory plug. The plug plays a critical role in transcervical sperm transport. Factors that influence the secretions of accessory sex glands have the potential to alter fertility without adverse effects on the gametes themselves. In the present study, the effect of surgical removal of the rat seminal vesicles and coagulating glands (SVx) on mating and fertility was investigated. SVx males were completely infertile by natural mating. Observed mating of SVx males with LHRH synchronized females confirmed that mating performance was normal and that they were capable of ejaculating sperm but could not produce copulatory plugs. In the absence of the copulatory plug, no sperm was transported into the uterus. Epididymal sperm obtained from the same males were capable of fertilization after intrauterine insemination and gave comparable numbers of embryos and unfertilized oocytes as sham operated controls. These findings underscore the importance of examining the role of both males and females during insemination and that observed matings, uterine sperm counts, and intrauterine insemination are useful adjuncts to routine fertility assessment when effects on the accessory sex glands are suspected.
在大鼠中，射精后精囊和凝固腺的分泌物在雌性生殖道中凝结形成交配栓。该栓在经宫颈的精子运输中起关键作用。影响附属性腺分泌的因素有可能改变生育能力，而对配子本身无不良影响。在本研究中，研究了手术切除大鼠精囊和凝固腺（SVx）对交配和生育能力的影响。SVx雄性大鼠通过自然交配完全不育。观察到SVx雄性大鼠与促黄体生成素（LHRH）同步的雌性大鼠交配，证实其交配性能正常，能够射精，但不能产生交配栓。在没有交配栓的情况下，没有精子被输送到子宫。从相同雄性大鼠获得的附睾精子在子宫内授精后能够受精，并且产生的胚胎和未受精卵母细胞数量与假手术对照组相当。这些发现强调了在授精过程中检查雄性和雌性作用的重要性，并且当怀疑对附属性腺有影响时，观察到的交配、子宫内精子计数和子宫内授精是常规生育力评估的有用辅助手段。
