Porcine sperm binding to oviduct cells and glycans as supplements to traditional laboratory semen analysis.

Accurate semen evaluation is necessary to maintain high reproductive efficiency but difficult to accomplish. The objective was to determine if the ability to bind oviduct cells or oviduct glycans are useful supplements to traditional semen analyses. Measuring binding to specific soluble glycans is less laborious than assessing binding to oviduct cell aggregates and more suitable for routine use.

Effect of sorting boar spermatozoa by sex chromosomes on oviduct cell binding.

This study examined the hypothesis that flow sorting sperm by sex chromosomes affects oviduct cell binding which would influence formation of the sperm reservoir in the oviduct. The sperm-rich fraction from boars (n = 5) was collected, sperm were stained with Hoechst 33342 and sorted. Sperm were sorted based on the presence of either an X or Y chromosome and placed into the following treatments: 1) sperm selected for the Y chromosome, 2) selected for the X, 3) an equal mixture of sorted X and Y, and 4) a control of non-sorted sperm from the same collection.

High diluted and dynamised follicle stimulating hormone modulates steroid production in isolated porcine preantral follicles cultured in vitro.

Objective: This study investigated the effect of two different follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) preparations (diluted/dynamised and diluted) on the in vitro development and steroid production (estradiol, progesterone and testosterone) of isolated porcine preantral follicle after in vitro culture.

Methods: Secondary follicles were cultured in Alpha Minimum Essential Medium (α-MEM) supplemented with grain ethanol (AL - 0.2%, v/v), diluted/dynamised FSH (rFSH 6cH - 0.