A series of experiments was conducted to determine the effects of whole or altered female genital tract fluids from rabbits and sheep on respiration of spermatozoa. Incubation of rabbit spermatozoa with oviduct or uterine fluids from estrous does increased respiration as compared to control spermatozoa incubated in Krebs-Ringer phosphate buffer. Incubation of spermatozoa with dialyzed or heated fluids resulted in significant stimulation of respiration, but to levels below those found with whole fluid. A combination of dialysis and heating of tract fluids removed significant stimulatory properties. In vitro preincubation of rabbit or ram spermatozoa with whole tract fluids from does or ewes stimulated subsequent respiration in phosphate buffer. Preincubation in heated fluids also stimulated respiration, but to a lesser extent. Incubation of rabbit spermatozoa in the oviduct or uterus of estrous does stimulated respiration to a greater degree than any in vitro treatment. The data suggest that female tract fluids stimulate sperm respiration both by supplying substrates and by a non-dialyzable, heat labile factor which affects spermatozoa in vivo or in vitro.
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Iritani et al. (1969) studied this question.
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