Oocyte transfer in mares with intrauterine or intraoviductal insemination using fresh, cooled, and frozen stallion semen

• Published in: Theriogenology Vol. 61; no. 4; pp. 705 - 713
• Main Authors: Coutinho da Silva, M.A, Carnevale, E.M, Maclellan, L.J, Preis, K.A, Seidel, G.E, Squires, E.L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.02.2004
• Subjects: Animals; artificial insemination; Cold Temperature; cooling; Cryopreservation; embryogenesis; Embryonic and Fetal Development; Fallopian Tubes; Female; freezing; GIFT; Horses; Insemination, Artificial - methods; Insemination, Artificial - veterinary; Male; Mare; Oocyte Donation - methods; Oocyte Donation - veterinary; Oocyte transfer; Oviduct; Pregnancy; Semen Preservation - methods; Semen Preservation - veterinary; Spermatozoa; Uterus; Oocyte transfer; GIFT; Spermatozoa; Oviduct; Mare
• ISSN: 0093-691X; 1879-3231
• DOI: 10.1016/S0093-691X(03)00243-7

The objectives were to compare embryo development rates after oocyte transfer with: (1) intrauterine or intraoviductal inseminations of fresh semen versus intraoviductal insemination of frozen semen; (2) intraoviductal versus intrauterine inseminations of cooled semen. In Experiment I, oocytes were transferred into the oviduct, and recipients were inseminated into the uterus with 1×10 9 fresh spermatozoa, or into the oviduct with 2×10 5 fresh or frozen-thawed spermatozoa. In Experiment II, semen was cooled to 5 °C before intrauterine insemination with 2×10 9 spermatozoa or intraoviductal inseminations of 2×10 5 spermatozoa (deposited with the oocytes). In Experiment I, embryo development rates were similar ( P>0.05) for intrauterine versus intraoviductal inseminations when fresh semen was used (8/14, 57% and 9/11, 82%, respectively). However, embryo development rates were lower ( P<0.05) when frozen spermatozoa were placed within the oviduct (1/12, 8%). In Experiment II, embryo development rates were higher ( P<0.05) when cooled semen was used for intrauterine (19/23, 83%) versus intraoviductal (4/16, 25%) inseminations. We concluded that intraoviductal insemination can be successfully performed using fresh spermatozoa. However, the use of cooled and frozen spermatozoa for intraoviductal inseminations was less successful, and needs further investigation.