Effect of hCG injection on prostaglandin E concentrations in ram seminal plasma.
Ram and bull seminal plasma, respectively, contain 0.5-20 microg PGE/ml and 5-10 ng PGE/ml. To demonstrate that PGE concentrations in the seminal plasma are related to sperm quality and could be affected by hormonal stimulation in vivo, four rams were injected with 500 IU hCG, in and out of season. The rams responded 1 week after hCG with a 1.5- to 4-fold increase in seminal plasma PGE. The PGE peak was temporally separate from the hCG-induced rise in seminal plasma testosterone which was observed after 1 day. Using a simulated cryptochid ram, peaks in seminal fluid PGE were found to be associated with increased sperm velocity and sperm counts. In bulls, PGE concentrations in the seminal plasma of good bulls were significantly higher than that found in poor and cryptorchid bulls.
Shore
Laurence
L
Department of Hormone Research, Kimron Veterinary Institute, PO Box 12, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel. ashor@vs.moag.gov.il
Yehuda
Ronen
R
Marcus
Shmuel
S
Bartoov
Benyamin
B
Shemesh
Mordechai
M
D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003456:Cryptorchidism / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D011458:Prostaglandins E / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012661:Semen / Q000378:metabolism*; D012756:Sheep; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000378:metabolism; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood; D013997:Time Factors
D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D011458:Prostaglandins E; D013739:Testosterone