Can adding seminal plasma to the female genital tract before embryo transfer improve outcomes for couples undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART)?

The seminal plasma (SP) modulates the female reproductive immune environment after mating, and microRNAs (miRNAs) could participate in the process. Considering that the boar ejaculate is built by fractions differing in SP-composition, this study evaluated whether exposure of mucosal explants of the sow internal genital tract (uterus, utero-tubal junction and isthmus) to different SP-fractions changed the profile of explant-secreted miRNAs. Mucosal explants retrieved from oestrus sows (n = 3) were in vitro exposed to: Medium 199 (M199, Control) or M199 supplemented (1:40 v/v) with SP from the sperm-rich fraction (SRF), the post-SRF or the entire recomposed ejaculate, for 16 h. After, the explants were cultured in M199 for 24 h to finally collect the media for miRNA analyses using GeneChip miRNA 4.0 Array (Affymetrix). Fifteen differentially expressed (False Discovery Rate (FDR) < 0.05 and Fold-change ≥ 2) miRNAs (11 down- versus 4 up-regulated) were identified (the most in the media of uterine explants incubated with SP from post-SRF). Bioinformatics analysis identified that predicted target genes of dysregulated miRNAs, mainly miR-34b, miR-205, miR-4776-3p and miR-574-5p, were involved in functions and pathways related to immune response. In conclusion, SP is able to elicit changes in the miRNAs profile secreted by female genital tract, ultimately depending SP-composition.

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Conservation of fresh ram spermatozoa at 5°C in the presence of seminal plasma

Canadian Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.4141/a02-060 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 83 (2) ◽

pp. 221-227 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

A. Morrier ◽

F. Castonguay ◽

J. L. Bailey

Keyword(s):

Sperm Motility ◽

Seminal Plasma ◽

Artificial Insemination ◽

Genital Tract ◽

Female Genital Tract ◽

Sperm Function ◽

Oviduct Fluid ◽

Ram Sperm ◽

Female Genital

Seminal plasma aids sperm transport and contains factors beneficial for sperm function. In artificial insemination, however, diluting the semen reduces the concentration of seminal plasma. To test the hypothesis that supplemental seminal plasma in extended ram semen improves conservation at 5°C, we added various concentrations of seminal plasma to semen during storage, and investigated subsequent sperm function in vitro. Semen was divided into three aliquots, extended in a commercial diluent (Triladyl) supplemented with 0, 10 or 25% (vol:vol) ovine seminal plasma and cooled to 5°C. After 8 and 24 h at 5°C, sperm were suspended in a modified synthetic oviduct fluid (SOF-m) at 39°C to mimic the female genital tract at insemination. Sperm aliquots were assessed for motility and chlortetracycline fluorescence after 0, 4 and 8 h in the SOFm. No significant differences were observed due to seminal plasma supplementation during conservation at 5°C or incubation in SOF-m at 39°C. However, decreased sperm motility and fewer non-capacitated sperm were observed concomitant with an augmentation of capacitated and acrosome-reacted cells during incubation in SOF-m. Therefore, the hypothesis that diluent supplementation with homologous seminal plasma improves ram sperm conservation or subsequent sperm function was not supported. Key words: Ovine, ram, sperm, motility, viability, chlortetracycline fluorescence, artificial insemination, SOF

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