The effect of two levels of hemospermia on stallion fertility.
Hemospermia can occur consistently or intermittently in stallion ejaculates and may cause a reduction in the fertility of the affected ejaculate. It is unknown what amount of blood in an ejaculate leads to subfertility. This study investigated the effect of higher and lower levels of hemospermia (50% and 5%, respectively) on fertility using 24 reproductively normal mares inseminated over three consecutive estrous cycles with fresh extended semen. Mares inseminated with a 5% blood-contaminated ejaculate became pregnant at the same rate (75% per cycle; 18 of 24) as the mares inseminated with blood-free (control) semen (75% per cycle; 18 of 24). The ejaculates containing 50% blood were sterile (0% per cycle, 0 of 24). We concluded that it is the amount of blood, not the mere presence of blood, in an ejaculate that impacts fertility.
Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA. Electronic address: ceturner@rocketmail.com.
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Turner
Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA.
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Walbornn
Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA.
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Blanchard
Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA.
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Varner
Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA.
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Brinsko
Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA.
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LaCaze
Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA.
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Teague
Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA.
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Love
D000818:Animals; D030762:Estrous Cycle; D005260:Female; D051516:Hemospermia / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D006736:Horses; D007246:Infertility / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D007315:Insemination, Artificial / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal / Q000662:veterinary
Blood; Fertility; Hemospermia; Sperm; Stallion