Contraceptive action of glycerol on chicken spermatozoa in oviducal organ-slice cultures.

Chicken spermatozoa in diluent with and without glycerol were evaluated after coculture with oviducal tissues. The motility of glycerolized (G) spermatozoa was lower in the cultures of vaginal tissue than in uterine tissue. The percentage of dead, G spermatozoa increased in cultures of the vagina and uterus but not in infundibulum cultures. Glycerol significantly increased the percentage of dead spermatozoa in both vaginal and uterovaginal cultures when compared to nonglycerolized spermatozoa in the same cultures. The percentage of dead G spermatozoa was higher for semen in vaginal culture than in uterovaginal culture. Uterovaginal tissue appeared to protect spermatozoa from some of the detrimental effects of glycerol. Incubation time had a significant detrimental effect on motility and percentages of dead and abnormal spermatozoa regardless of semen or tissue treatment.