Presence of Spermatozoa in Uterovaginal Fluids of the Hen at Various Stages of the Ovulatory Cycle

INTRODUCTION BOBR (1962), in studying the distribution of spermatozoa in the oviduct of the hen, identified in the uterovaginal region of the oviduct, tubular glands which contained large numbers of spermatozoa following natural mating or artificial insemination. The nomenclature of these structures, which have been called by a variety of names in recent years, has been reviewed by Gilbert et al. (1968). In this study the structures will be termed uterovaginal or UV glands. Bobr (1962) and Bobr et al. (1964) studied the distribution of spermatozoa in the hen’s oviduct at various stages of the ovulatory cycle. They washed segments of the oviduct and microscopically examined resuspended pellets obtained by centrifugation of the washings. Using small samples of hens, they found spermatozoa in the washings from the uterus, isthmus, magnum, and infundibulum, but only within a relatively short time after oviposition. They concluded that spermatozoa were released from UV glands…