Effect of Incubating Chicken Semen in the Hen’s Oviduct on Sperm Enzyme Activities, Semen pH, Motility, and Fertility

The effect of incubating chicken semen for 2 hr at 41 C in different parts of the excised oviduct on the activity of 10 enzymes of sperm, semen pH, sperm motility, and fertility was studied and compared to fresh and incubated controls. Pooled semen was used. For all enzymes studied, sperm of the incubated control had a lower activity than the fresh control. All parts of the oviduct maintained sperm fumarase and aconitase activity above that of the incubated control, while incubation in the oviduct resulted in a lower lactic dehydrogenase and aldolase activity than the incubated control. There was no difference in activity between sperm incubated in the oviduct and the incubated control for creatine kinase, acetylcholinesterase, malic or isocitric dehydrogenase. The isthmus and infundibulum caused a reduction in glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase compared to the incubated control. Sperm incubated in the isthmus and lower magnum had a higher aminopeptidase activity than the incubated control. The effect of incubating sperm in the magnum of the oviduct in situ on fumarase, aconitase, lactic dehydrogenase, and aldolase activity was found to be the same as for the excised oviduct. Semen incubated in the excised oviduct had slightly lower pH than the incubated control. There was no difference between semen incubated in the excised oviduct and the incubated control with respect to motility. Sperm of the incubated control had less than one-half the fertilizing capacity of the fresh control, while semen incubated in the excised oviduct had essentially zero duration and percentage fertility.